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The most bourgeois and least-known variant of the prolific Biturbo family, told through the passion of a collector. A collector who, when he was a boy, worked at Maserati. And who, as he walked through the factory yards, dreamed of one day wrapping his hands around the steering wheel of a 228. A story in which passion and work intertwine, and where the protagonists who made the headlines walk side by side with the technicians who helped design, build, and bring these cars to the world. Words : Marco Visani Photography : Leonardo Perugini Every time Marco left the company canteen to return to the office, he passed through the courtyard. And in the courtyard he would find the cars completed during the morning, neatly lined up. It wasn’t as though they formed kilometre-long rows. Just a few units, and if you paid close attention, you could almost recognise them one by one, perhaps even playing at giving them an imaginary name depending on the series, the customer’s chosen trim, and of course, the colour. In the end, it was a way to humanise them. As Marco did, fuelled by the thrill of having found himself working in a magical place for someone passionate about engines. Who knows how many technical-school graduates came out of his city’s schools each year. And inevitably only a few among them were lucky enough, instead of being hired by one of the countless companies in the supply chain—or even in sectors completely unrelated to automotive—to enter the true gotha of motoring: on one side (that is, Ferrari), or on the other side, meaning Maserati, using the expression coined by the Commendatore, which expressed all his detachment (to say the least) for anything in Modena that had four wheels, a very powerful engine, but a trident instead of a prancing horse. To Marco Bergamini, born 1966, industrial technician and mechanical designer, fate assigned the “other side”. In 1988, at age 22, he entered the historic headquarters on Via Ciro Menotti and began working in meccanica fredda. In workshop jargon, that meant everything that wasn’t bodywork nor engine (the latter being, by nature, the hottest element of all). That meant transmission in all its components, brakes, steering and suspension. Marco worked eight hours a day at the drafting board, one heliocopy after another: CAD-CAM was just around the corner, but had not yet completed its transition. More concentration in the morning, less in the afternoon. After admiring those small groups of newly completed cars, he imagined—on a very distant day—being able to hold one of their steering wheels in his hands. But not the wheel of just any Biturbo—which at the time was the core business of the line-up—and not even that of the sumptuous Quattroporte (the President of the Republic’s car: how could a young man allow himself to desire such a transatlantic ferry?). The car that unsettled his afternoons was something in between: the 228. The most unusual member of the prolific Biturbo family, which at the time included coupés, Spyders, and the 420 and 425 saloons. Alejandro De Tomaso, who had been Maserati’s father-master since 1976, not content with competing against Alfa Romeo and BMW (something never seen before the arrival of the Biturbo itself), decided he also wanted to present himself as an alternative to Mercedes-Benz in the upper-middle-class coupé segment. An even more ambitious undertaking, given that the image of a Maserati and that of a German car were as far apart as devil and holy water. But the considerable success enjoyed by the Biturbo and its companions (no fewer than 22 models in 16 years, a true record) convinced him to launch himself into this challenge as well. Working with him was not easy: he expressed his opinion about everything, tolerated no contradiction, refused to take decisions on Tuesdays or Fridays because they brought bad luck, and was said to walk around the factory armed and with a large dog of an apparently unfriendly temperament. Marco has no direct confirmation of the last two rumours (when personalities are so strong, it takes nothing for exaggerated, if not outright invented, anecdotes to spring up around them), but he does remember—and has seen in writing—the circulars, worthy of a totalitarian regime, that circulated through every department of the company. Here is what he wrote on 18 July 1991: “From: President. To: all relevant Departments. It is reiterated that any modification to the vehicles, even the most insignificant, cannot under any circumstances be carried out without prior authorisation from Mr A. De Tomaso. Anyone failing to comply with this directive will face severe disciplinary action.” In short, even if you changed a slotted screw for a Phillips to improve product quality or to solve a production impasse, you risked having a very bad time (or much worse, given the vagueness of the punishments threatened). It was in this surreal climate that the 228 was conceived. Basically, the idea was simple and logical: take the longest wheelbase among the three planned for the Biturbo—the saloon’s 2.60 metres compared to 2.51 for the coupé and 2.40 for the Spyder—fit the largest engine in the twin-turbo V6 family, and cover everything with a specific body. And here things got complicated. Because, to give the new coupé a different aura—more bourgeois and less aggressive than the others—half the world had to be redesigned. Not a single panel matched those of the other models, which gives you an idea of how illusory any implicit notion of cost rationalisation really was. Pierangelo Andreani, the same designer responsible for the first Biturbo, worked with a sure hand and managed to give the car a touch of nobility, not without indulging in a few flourishes: the raised rear edge of the bonnet, the one that “rests” against the windscreen, shaped to partially conceal the wipers; the thick border around the grille; the most elegant wheels ever fitted to a “small” Modenese car. To emphasise its difference, even the door handles were mounted above the upper side crease instead of below it, as on the others. The result is attractive, perhaps also thanks to its very imperfection: the body is 15 cm wider, but the tracks grow by only 38 mm at the front and 23 mm at the rear. The result: the wheels look lost inside the arches, sitting too far inward. A bit like those scale models where differently shaped bodies must settle for sharing a single chassis. In those years Marco, dressed in his white coat (which Maserati designers were as proud of as the test drivers were of their very light blue suits), moved from one project to another. He drew the pedal assembly of a 4.18 modified to integrate ABS, and worked on the installation specifications of the Getrag five-speed gearbox that would end up, in 1990, in the Shamal, replacing the ZF units previously used. Every project was created in 1:1 scale—plan view, front view, rear view. In his first years at Maserati he often heard talk of that 228 that fascinated him so much. At Via Ciro Menotti they said that, yes, it was a provocation to Mercedes-Benz’s C124 series, but above all the car intended to continue the path opened by Maserati models of the past—sporty but less aggressive than the “small” Biturbo—such as the 3500 GT, the Mexico and the Kyalami. How could you not feel part of history, when you worked in a place where a car model was entrusted with a responsibility like that? As successful as the early Biturbo had been, the welcome for its bourgeois relative would be lukewarm. If over 9,000 units of the original carburetted Biturbo were produced, only 469 examples of the 228 would leave the factory in four years. Almost all were exported, given that its displacement—close to three litres (hence the name 228, to be read as 2 doors, 2800)—made it undesirable in Italy, where heavy VAT of 38% instead of 19% applied to cars over two litres: indeed, that is precisely why the Biturbo had been born as a two-litre. Numbers so low as to make Marco’s dream of owning one even more unrealistic. But he told himself every day: when would I ever be able to afford a car like that? And if they talked so much about the 228 at the factory, fuelling his curiosity as he returned from the canteen, it was because its genesis had been unusual. It was presented as a prototype on 14 December 1984, exactly three years after the Biturbo. De Tomaso always chose this date to launch new models because it was Maserati’s founding anniversary. And in 1984 the company celebrated nothing less than its seventieth year. At its first appearance the mechanics were very different from the final version: four valves, two spark plugs per cylinder, twin overhead camshafts per bank and carburettors. It remained on paper for a long time: production officially began only in spring 1986, on the eve of the definitive model’s presentation in Turin. The fuel and valve train systems had been completely rethought (and simplified): now it featured fuel injection, a single camshaft per bank, and three valves and one spark plug per cylinder. To favour export markets, deliveries in Italy began very late: at the end of August 1987. Because of the increased VAT, it was extremely expensive on the domestic market: its first list price was 72.8 million lire, more than double the base carburetted Biturbo’s 33 million. With just a little extra—79 million—a potential buyer could take home a Porsche 911 Carrera. Certainly, the very rich standard equipment partly justified the asking price: power steering, alloy wheels, height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, central locking, automatic air conditioning, electrically adjustable front seatbacks, power windows, hand-stitched leather upholstery. Only four options: automatic gearbox, metallic paint, ABS and high-pressure headlight washers. Rumour also spread that Maserati intended to expand the 228 range with a 428, a four-door version. Logical perhaps, but unfounded. The only (slight) variant of the model would be, from 1990, the catalytic version for the USA, with power reduced from 255 to 224 hp. It was produced for just one year, after which the 228 gave way to the 222 4v, which kept the 2.8 engine but increased it to 279 hp, mounted on the shorter, more angular body of the original Biturbo. The charm of the halfway point had faded too soon. And certainly the caudillo from Buenos Aires did not enjoy it—not even from the driver’s seat: for years, due to physical problems, he had handed the wheel to his trusted Ivano Cornia, a test driver who was asked to leave the proving grounds to chauffeur the boss around Modena. Very rarely in a Quattroporte, sometimes in a red 2.24, at other times in a black 4.24. Never in a 228. By 1997 the De Tomaso era was already long over. And in that year, Marco Bergamini’s time at Maserati also came to an end, as he moved with different responsibilities to companies outside the sector. The years passed, but the nostalgia for those cars he had drawn parts for only grew. Especially for that 228 that disturbed every one of his returns to the office. “I just need to avoid one of the first fifteen built,” he repeated like a mantra. The first fifteen 228s, for the record, mounted the rear axle of the two-litre Biturbo but had stability problems. Then the day came in 2008 when he saw it. An immaculate example, in Swan White livery, with 86,000 kilometres since June 1989, when it was collected from the dealership by its first owner, a man from Vicenza who had passed away a few years earlier. Apart from some scratches on the bodywork the car was sound, but it had one major mechanical problem: a cracked engine block. But Marco is someone who knows how to get his hands dirty and use spanners (and all the other tools). He dismantled it piece by piece in his home garage, with wooden posts supporting the body because he didn’t have a lift. Every single bolt was zinc-coated; he even overhauled the rear axle, sandblasting it himself, and launched into an authentic treasure hunt for the missing pieces: he found the bearings in the United States, had the piston rings reconstructed, based on samples, by a specialist in Turin. He granted himself one single licence, though a modest one: two pairs of exhausts, which were regularly fitted to cars destined for export markets, whereas in Italy the 228 had only one pair, on the right. It took eight long years of evenings stolen after dinner to reach, in 2016, the final result. Today the 228 still stands proudly in his garage next to a more recent, less aristocratic but equally underrated product of Italian industry: a 1997 Lancia K saloon. By sheer coincidence, the very year he left Maserati. Even if, in truth, he never really left it at all. About the author, Marco Visani. Born in Imola in 1967, he has been a journalist since 1986. After beginning his career as a reporter for Il Resto del Carlino and other local newspapers, he has been writing about automobiles since 1992. He has worked with magazines such as Quattroruote, Ruoteclassiche, TopGear, Youngtimer, Auto Italiana, Auto, AM, Sprint, InterAutoNews, and EpocAuto; with TG2 television; the portal Veloce.it ; and with the English publisher Redwood Publishing, active in the field of customer magazines. He is currently the Italian correspondent for the French classic-car magazine Gazoline, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly ZeroA, and contributor to L’automobileclassica, Youngclassic, Quadrifoglio, and Tutto Porsche. He also manages heritage communication for Volvo Car Italia. His writings have appeared in Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Avvenire, Tecnologie Meccaniche, Rétroviseur (France), and Top Auto (Spain). He has published and co-authored several books for Giorgio Nada Editore other publishers from 2016 to 2021.

Words Alessandro Giudice Photography Alessandro Barteletti Video Andrea Ruggeri Swiss Grand Tour is a project to discover itineraries driving classic Alfa Romeo cars, in partnership with Astara, the distributor and importer of the Brand in Switzerland. The Route from Rapperswil to Klausenpass The itinerary running from Rapperswil to the Klausenpass is full of surprises. Each bend reveals enchanting views and a variety of atmospheres unique to Switzerland. We chose to tackle this route in two very different Alfa Romeos: a 1961 Giulietta Sprint and a Junior BEV Speciale. The Giulietta Sprint is a splendid vintage coupé, rich in Italian history and elegance. In contrast, the Junior BEV Speciale represents the future of the brand. This interesting contrast makes the journey a tale of different eras and styles, along with driving pleasure. At the wheel of the Giulietta is Elias Lederach, a young and enthusiastic owner born in 1988. He is the third generation of “maître chocolatiers” with a full-blown passion for Alfa Romeos. [click to watch the video] (Map by Sansai Zappini) The journey begins in Rapperswil, nestled on the eastern bank of Lake Zurich. Known as the “Town of Roses,” it boasts 15,000 varieties that colour its gardens in the warm season. The historical centre is a medieval gem with beautiful views. Its pebbled streets, elegant houses, and the castle dominate the town, offering priceless views of the lake and surrounding mountains. After enjoying a coffee by the lake and a stroll to the wooden bridge linking the town to the opposite bank, it was time to climb towards the mountains. We left the lakeside landscape behind for the increasingly authentic Alpine scenery. From Rapperswil, the road heads south along the banks of the lake before heading towards Uznach. This flat stretch is framed by well-tended meadows and villages huddled around churches with narrow bell towers. After Uznach, a small village that was a major trading centre in the Middle Ages, the itinerary climbs gently towards Glarus, the capital of the canton. Here, the landscape changes dramatically. The peaks close in on the valley, and green meadows give way to rocky walls and waterfalls that swell rapidly after the rains. Glarus is steeped in history, from the Protestant Reformation to the devastating fire in 1861 that destroyed much of the town. Rebuilt in functional blocks, it offers a simple charm with its impressive neoclassical reformed church and tidy façades. The local industries bear witness to the strength of the local people. This strength is expressed every year on the first Sunday of May during the Landsgemeinde, a unique public assembly held in the large Zaunplatz. Here, laws and budgets are decided, and governments and tribunals are voted on by a show of hands. Leaving Glarus, we headed towards the Klausenpass in Betschwanden. From the road, you can admire the region's last waterfall, Diesebach. Here, the road begins to narrow, and the valley gives way to rocky walls and conifer woods. This is where the journey turns into pure emotion, ahead of the climb to one of Switzerland's most attractive Alpine passes. At 1,948 metres above sea level, the Klausenpass is more than just an Alpine pass. It is a legendary route for car and mountain lovers, with bends designed for driving enthusiasts. Climbing towards Urnerboden, the landscape suddenly opens up into a green plateau, the largest in the Swiss Alps, dotted with wooden chalets and grazing cows. Stopping here, you can breathe in the true essence of the Alps: clean air, silence interrupted only by cow bells, and broad horizons inviting contemplation. The last few miles up to the Klausenpass offer a crescendo of emotions. The road narrows, cut through the rock, alternating natural tunnels with spectacular bends overlooking dizzying overhangs. This is the kingdom of the bends, which made the history of hill climb races. The Klausenrennen, one of Europe's most famous uphill races, animated this road in the Twenties and Thirties. Legendary drivers raced behind the wheel of cars that can be found in museums today. Driving along these roads, even as simple excursionists, immerses you in this wonderful sporting tradition. It brings to mind an era when the car symbolised freedom and victory. The beauty of this itinerary is amplified by the contrast between the two cars chosen for the journey. The 1961 Giulietta Sprint is a return to the past. Its interiors, which Elias wanted in chocolate-coloured leather, feature a slim steering wheel and manual gearbox. Every kilometre is a dialogue with the mechanics, offering a driving pleasure made of attention, sensitivity, and complete involvement. On the other hand, the Alfa Romeo Junior BEV represents modernity. It is a silent, lively car that copes with the bends effortlessly, showing how even an electric car can provide a thrilling experience. Putting them side by side is like looking at two different eras in the same history: that of a brand distinguished by Italian design and passion, both yesterday and today. Reaching the peak of the Klausenpass is a satisfying experience for all the senses. From this height, the eye sweeps across the Alps, with views that seem almost painted. In summer, the meadows shine with colourful Alpine flowers, while the cool air invites you to stop for a break. Perhaps in one of the restaurants serving typical mountain cuisine. This moment becomes an indelible memory. The discreet hum of the Junior BEV and the roar of the Giulietta blend into the sounds of nature, creating a unique harmony. The itinerary from Rapperswil to the Klausenpass is more than just a trip; it is an experience of nature, culture, and passion. Starting from the romantic tranquillity of a lakeside town, crossing a valley marked by history, to reach a mountain pass that thrills with unforgettable landscapes. Whether you choose to tackle it in a classic car, enjoying the charm of the past, or in a modern electric car exploring the future of mobility, this journey invites you to slow down, look around, and be won over by a country that, bend after bend, always manages to amaze. The Collector: Elias Lederach My name is Elias Lederach, and I have loved classic cars since I was a child. Our grandfather drove us around Switzerland and Europe in his old Mercedes 190 SL. Wonderful memories. I drove a 1961 Giulietta Sprint up to the Klausenpass. A splendid car. I love this model in particular because of her balanced style. For me, she represents car manufacturing perfection. I bought her three or four years ago, and since then I have only changed the interiors: they’re not original, but I wanted to cover her with beautiful brown skin, that’s how I like her. I love the Alfa Romeo brand and its cars. I have loved all the models they have made, and I hope that in this new electric era they can infuse all the personality the brand deserves. My passion for Alfa Romeos is based on their design. I adore the driving dynamics and the feeling of control at the wheel, both in classic and recent models. This is why my everyday car is a Giulia Quadrifoglio. I love its sporting line, and even though it is a sedan, it offers true sporting performance. I just love her.

Grandson of the Modenese entrepreneur who owned Maserati from 1937 to 1968, Adolfo Orsi, born in 1951, is among the most respected automotive historians in the world. A judge at Concours d’Elegance events across the globe, an expert appraiser, and exhibition curator, he is also the publisher of the only yearbook that documents every classic car auction transaction worldwide. Words by Marco Visani Photography by Leonardo Perugini Video by Andrea Ruggeri Archive courtesy of the Adolfo Orsi Archive It ’s a small street overlooking Piazza Santo Stefano — Via de’ Pepoli. We’re in the heart of medieval Bologna. And it was in this narrow lane, barely two hundred metres long and just a few steps from the Seven Churches, that in 1914 Alfieri Maserati opened a workshop. Difficult to imagine, with modern eyes, a less “automotive” location. Yet that’s how it began: Maserati, contrary to what many believe, only became Modenese later on. By birth it was from Bologna — and even further back, Lombard, since the Maserati family hailed originally from Voghera. Think of its emblem: the trident. It was Mario Maserati, the brother more sensitive to art than to engines, who suggested it. The design, chosen in 1926, deliberately took inspiration from the statue of Neptune that dominates Piazza Maggiore in Bologna — a symbol of strength and power. A fitting image, though in its original home it would not last very long. Despite brilliant successes on the track, the Maserati brothers soon faced serious financial difficulties. Their true calling lay in designing cars, not managing a company that was beginning to grow and present all the complications that growth brings. Those were problems for a born entrepreneur — someone like Adolfo Orsi, a self-made Modenese industrialist born in 1888, who had built a small empire in the steel industry — and who loved cars. Proof of that passion came in 1935, when together with his brother Marcello he opened the Fiat dealership A.M. Orsi in Modena. Two years later he took over Maserati’s operations, signing a ten-year consultancy contract with Ernesto, Ettore and Bindo Maserati. Omer, Adolfo’s son, was appointed to run the company. [click to watch the video] In the winter of 1939–1940 the headquarters were moved to Modena, partly for practical proximity to the group’s other businesses. These were the years in which the new management began to dream of broadening the company’s focus beyond pure motorsport to include small-series grand-tourers — much as Alfa Romeo was already doing. The plans were there, but so was the war, forcing Maserati to fall back on less ambitious yet more profitable products: batteries, spark plugs, electric trucks and machine tools. Only in 1947, with the launch of the A6 1500 (built in 61 examples up to 1950), did the road-going Maserati finally become reality, without ever abandoning the racing commitment. These were the years of Formula One (and not only that), with Juan Manuel Fangio as the leading driver. A Family Heritage That long preamble helps set the family scene into which, on 20 May 1951, Adolfo Orsi was born in Modena — Omer’s son. His name was an homage not to a single grandfather but to both: as fate would have it, his paternal grandfather was also called Adolfo. Today, when people mention Adolfo Orsi, they almost certainly mean the grandson. Not only because of chronology — his grandfather passed away in October 1972, by which time Maserati had long since been acquired by Citroën — but because the younger Orsi has become one of those names that anyone interested in automotive history or car collecting will encounter sooner or later. For no one else, as far as we know, has managed to combine so many of the trades linked to the four-wheeled world: entrepreneur, racing driver, auction organiser, concours judge, appraiser, publisher. Sometimes he alternated between these roles, other times he accumulated them — with an appetite that, as anyone who spends half an hour in conversation with him quickly realises, is driven by a visceral passion — one that seeks knowledge and breeds expertise. It is a wonderful way of honouring his family’s legacy — and by no means a foregone conclusion, given how often dynasties falter by the second generation, let alone the third. A Childhood Among Engines As a child, he often cycled to the factory, eager to see the new cars coming off the production line. He soon became the “co-driver” of test driver Guerrino Bertocchi and learned to recognise suspicious noises and vibrations during road tests. As a teenager, he accompanied his father to the Turin Motor Show at Torino Esposizioni, or to visit the coachbuilders around the city. In his early twenties he spent a couple of months working for Bob Grossman, Maserati’s importer on the American East Coast. Grossman raced in the Trans-Am series, and at weekends they went to the circuits; when Bob wasn’t competing, young Adolfo joined another Bob — Bob Dini, the workshop manager — who raced on dirt tracks. He was allowed to take any car from the showroom to reach the motel or, at weekends, to make a dash to New York. He drove everything: Lincoln Continentals, Ferraris, Corvettes, Cobras — and with petrol at just fifty cents a gallon: a dream come true. Back in Europe, he cut his teeth as a rally driver, behind the wheel of a Fiat 125 Special Group 2 and an Alpine A110 Group 3. In his twenties, he even took part in the Monte Carlo Rally. Yet it was only a brief episode: he had too much respect for the cars entrusted to him, and with the brutal roads of that era he couldn’t bear to see them damaged. When that youthful illusion faded, it was time to buckle down and get to work. A Calling Becomes a Career At first, his professional life seemed to take a very different path: a solid education — including a grounding in languages such as Latin and German, insisted upon by his father — and a degree in Law, led him to a senior position in one of the family businesses. The world of transport was not unfamiliar, but not in the way Adolfo had imagined it. Accessauto, the company he worked for, distributed spare parts for Fiat cars and trucks across Emilia-Romagna and the Marche region. But Orsi junior was not the kind to settle. “As long as one is restless,” wrote Julien Green, “one can be at peace.” And in the still-young Adolfo that restlessness was a defining trait — it had many faces but invariably smelled of mineral oil. While still at university, between exams, he had begun restoring Maseratis for collectors — among them a 4CM and an A6GCS — coordinating craftsmen who had originally built those cars almost half a century earlier, such as the Bertocchis or Medardo Fantuzzi. Why not, he thought, turn this passion into a profession? In 1987, at the age of thirty-six, came the turning point: he left everything else behind to devote himself fully to what truly fascinated him — the history of the automobile in all its forms, with a special focus on what had happened within the Motor Valley. That inevitably meant knowing racing as well as production, drivers as well as engineers, in an intricate weave where men and machines, thought and piston, became an irresistible, inseparable blend. The Historian’s Instinct In fact, his historical curiosity linked to mechanics had surfaced as early as secondary school. At the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, Maserati — by then under Citroën control but still partly owned by the Orsi family — was to unveil a new grand tourer designed by Carrozzeria Vignale. A name had yet to be chosen. Adolfo reminded his father that it was exactly thirty years since Maserati’s first of two consecutive victories at Indianapolis (the marque had won in 1939 and 1940). “Why not call it Indy?” he suggested. Said and done. That wasn’t his only direct contribution to the marque that once belonged to his family. A second would come much later, in 1994. By then Maserati had passed from French to Italian hands — from Citroën to Alejandro De Tomaso in 1976, and to Fiat in 1993. The newly appointed CEO, engineer Eugenio Alzati, was preparing to celebrate the brand’s 80th anniversary with a retrospective at the Bologna Motor Show. Orsi met Alzati at the exhibition and proposed creating a single-make racing series for the Ghibli, the latest offshoot of the prolific Biturbo lineage, and offered to organise it himself. The result was twofold: a special road-going version, the Ghibli Cup, which breathed new life into a structurally dated model, and a promotional championship that was both highly engaging and genuinely competitive. Legends of motorsport such as Luyendyk, Tambay, Alén, Nanni Galli and Nesti took part as guest drivers, at the wheel of Ghibli Open Cup racers provided by the organisers. Collector, Restorer, Enthusiast Not merely a theorist but a practitioner of automotive passion, Orsi keeps in his garage several Maseratis from his family’s era, all acquired long after their direct involvement ended: the 1959 3500 GT Vignale Spider prototype (the very car shown at the Turin Motor Show), a 1965 Quattroporte once owned by Marcello Mastroianni, a 1967 Mistral, and two ongoing restoration projects — Il Muletto, a small truck powered by a two-stroke twin-cylinder Maserati engine from 1950–51, and the prototype 3500 GT Touring known as the “Dama Bianca”. And then there are a couple of toy pedal cars — reminders that life is lighter and lovelier when treated as a continuous game. The World of Auctions But man does not live by Maserati alone. The first chapter of Orsi’s new life began with the auction world — then an emerging but little-known sector in Italy. Through an association with Finarte he organised several auctions in Modena between 1988 and 1991. In 1992, when the Italian government introduced an additional tax on auctioned vehicles, he decided to withdraw. Not, however, before having sparked genuine public interest — for the first time in Italy — in the field of automobilia. The experience proved formative for the many chapters of his later life in the labyrinths of car collecting. Working inside the auction system lit a new idea. Why, he wondered, was it so difficult to trace transaction values? The answer was simple: there was no comprehensive record — no Annales to catalogue them. He began to organise scattered data for his own use. Then, in 1993, he was contacted by the late Alberto Bolaffi, the publisher whose name is synonymous with Italian collecting culture. Bolaffi asked Orsi to help improve an existing tool, the Bolaffi Catalogue of Collectable Cars, first issued a couple of years earlier. Orsi explained that the commercial value of any car varies dramatically depending on its history — and the first strand of its DNA is the chassis number. Moreover, to have international relevance, prices should be expressed not only in lire but also in pounds and dollars. With Raffaele Gazzi’s collaboration, the New Bolaffi Catalogue appeared in 1995 and continued until 2006. When Bolaffi chose to discontinue publication, Orsi set out to continue independently as publisher under the Historica Selecta imprint — for many years still with Gazzi’s support. The successor became the Classic Car Auction Yearbook, published exclusively in English. The 2024/25 edition, to be unveiled this October, marks the thirtieth instalment — an over-400-page volume known in Britain simply as “The Bible.” And if the British call it that, they know what they’re talking about. Expert Witness and Curator Alongside his auction work and publications, Orsi also served for many years as a court-appointed expert. Whenever a questionable car was seized, courts across Italy called on him to determine whether it was genuine or a fake. A classic example — though far from unique — was the appearance of two cars bearing the same chassis number: inevitably one of them was “invented”, however skilfully. Behind such high-profile judicial investigations there was often the painstaking work of Adolfo Orsi — time-consuming but vital. Then there were the exhibitions. One of the most famous was Mitomacchina, staged between 2006 and 2007 at the MART museum in Rovereto. The museum had enlisted illustrious names — Giorgetto Giugiaro, Sergio Pininfarina and others — but they lacked the time to engage fully. When director Gabriella Belli called him in, Orsi overturned the table: he replaced half the cars already selected and imposed a rigorous curatorial logic on the show. With 130,000 visitors, Mitomacchina became one of Europe’s most successful automotive exhibitions. The British magazine Thoroughbred & Classic Cars described it as “the most brain-tingling exhibition of cars ever assembled in the name of art.” Over the years he also curated shows on Bugatti (with American historian Griff Borgeson, whom he calls his spiritual father), on great drivers such as Fangio in Modena and Nuvolari at Palazzo Te in Mantua, and naturally on Maserati itself — notably the marque’s centenary exhibition in 2014. The Judge By the time all these ventures were in full swing, another role had emerged: Adolfo Orsi the concours judge. He has been walking that particular lawn for more than twenty-five years, with ever-greater responsibility. He is a founding member of the International Chief Judge Advisory Group — which unites the world’s leading head judges — and has served as Chief Judge for the FIVA Trophy class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance since its inception in 1999. He has attended twenty-seven consecutive editions of Pebble Beach, and around 150 concours worldwide — from Russia to China, Australia to Japan, the US to India, Morocco to Romania. He clearly enjoys bringing his decades of experience to emerging markets in the field. What makes his contribution particularly significant is his long-standing campaign against so-called over-restoration — that excess of zeal which once led owners and their technicians to make cars too perfect. Today it is widely accepted that a car’s value increases with its originality, and that presenting a vehicle as though it had just left the showroom is historically misleading. Much of that shift in mindset is due to Adolfo Orsi, who in the late 1990s championed the FIVA Award for best-preserved car at concours events. At the time, the idea seemed eccentric; today it’s mainstream. In 2024 both Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este awarded their top prizes to preserved, unrestored cars. The numbers speak for themselves: in 1999 there were only five cars dans leur jus at Pebble Beach — to borrow the French expression. Today, that category — not an official class, but a cross-section of the field — typically numbers at least five times as many. A Philosophy of Value Up to this point, we have spoken of the automobile in its historical, documentary and cultural dimensions. But of course, every car also carries economic weight — sometimes enormous, especially when prestigious marques are involved. When collecting becomes investment, the market is subject to the same fluctuations as any share certificate. Asked what advice he would offer to prospective buyers, Orsi gives an answer that may disappoint anyone already fingering their mental abacus in anticipation of profit — yet one that will delight those who see cars as expressions of passion: “ The car you love gives you a steady return — the pleasure of admiring it or driving it. That’s the only guaranteed yield. I can’t tell you whether the car you’re about to buy will gain value in ten years. It may rise a lot, or only a little, or not at all. But if you love that car, you will have enjoyed it. And if it has given you the joy of owning it — that, in the end, will be the true value of your purchase. ” About the author, Marco Visani. Born in Imola in 1967, he has been a journalist since 1986. After beginning his career as a reporter for Il Resto del Carlino and other local newspapers, he has been writing about automobiles since 1992. He has worked with magazines such as Quattroruote, Ruoteclassiche, TopGear, Youngtimer, Auto Italiana, Auto, AM, Sprint, InterAutoNews, and EpocAuto; with TG2 television; the portal Veloce.it; and with the English publisher Redwood Publishing, active in the field of customer magazines. He is currently the Italian correspondent for the French classic-car magazine Gazoline, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly ZeroA, and contributor to L’automobileclassica, Youngclassic, Quadrifoglio, and Tutto Porsche. He also manages heritage communication for Volvo Car Italia. His writings have appeared in Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Avvenire, Tecnologie Meccaniche, Rétroviseur (France), and Top Auto (Spain). He has published and co-authored several books for Giorgio Nada Editore other publishers from 2016 to 2021.

The thrilling realm of classic car events and motorsport in a curated calendar of the most prestigious and revered gatherings, a gateway to the pinnacle of racing heritage by SpeedHolics. Stay in the Fast Lane events CALENDAR Our Ultimate Guide to Classic Motorsport A curated selection of the most prestigious and revered gatherings. Write to add your event Share this page on Facebook Tier-1 extraordinary CLASSIC CAR EVENTs IN THE CALENDAR 90 CAVALLINO CLASSIC - MIDDLE EAST United Arab Emirates Yas Island Abu Dhabi CANOSSA EVENTS Up 5 - 7 Dec 2025 Mail CAVALLINO CLASSIC - PALM BEACH USA-Florida Palm Beach CANOSSA EVENTS Up 13 - 16 Jan 2026 Mail WINTHER MARATHON Italy Madonna di Campiglio VECARS S.n.c. Up 22 - 25 Jan 2026 Mail RETRO MOBILE PARIS France Paris Comexposium Up 28 Jan - 1 Feb 2026 Mail RALLY MONTE-CARLO HISTORIQUE Principality of Monaco Valence Automobile Club de Monaco Up 29 Jan - 7 Fab 2026 Mail BREMEN CLASSIC MOROTSHOW Germany Bremen MESSE BREMEN M3B GmbH Up 30 Jan - 1 Feb 2026 Mail THE ICE ST. MORITZ Switzerland St. Moritz Not Disclosed Up 30 - 31 Jan 2026 Mail RETRO CLASSICS STUTTGART Germany Stuttgart Retro Messen GmbH Up 19 - 22 Feb 2026 Mail TARGA CLASSICA Australia Melbourne Targa Classica Up 2 - 5 Mar 2026 Mail RALLY COSTA BRAVA HISTORIC Spain Girona RallyClassics Up FIA - Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile 5 - 7 Mar 2026 Mail COPPA DELLE ALPI Italy North Italy 1000 Miglia Srl Up 12 - 15 Mar 2026 Mail RALLY STORICO COSTA SMERALDA - TROFEO MARTINI Italy Costa Smeralda Automobile Club Sassari Up ACI Sport - Automobil Club Italiano 11 - 12 Apr 2026 Mail CALIFORNIA 1000 USA-California Various cities Hagerty Up 19 - 23 Apr 2026 Mail SIMOLA HILLClIMB South Africa Old Cape Road, Knysna Knysna Speed Festival (Pty) Ltd Up 30 Apr - 3 May 2026 Mail ALFA REVIVAL CUP - RED BULL RING Italy Austria CANOSSA EVENTS Up Apr 2026 Mail Date to be announced RECHBERG Austria Rechberg Rechbergrennen GmbH Up FIA - Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Apr 2026 Mail Date to be announced SORRENTO ROADS BY 1000 MIGLIA Italy Sorrento 1000 Miglia Srl Up Apr 2026 Mail Date to be announced PAU CLASSIC GRAND PRIX France Pau Asac Basco Béarnais Up Apr 2026 Mail Date to be announced 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 ... 5

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Discover the premier curated marketplace on the web - SpeedHolics Market, where luxury sport cars find their perfect showroom. Notably, some of these exceptional cars deserve more than just a display - they deserve an exclusive editorial article, proudly signed by SpeedHolics Featured by SpeedHolics this month 1984 De Tomaso Pantera GT5 Speed8 Classics View SELECTED BRANDS The Ultimate Refined Automotive Marketplace Online. Showcasing 2356 Exclusive Offerings, Selected with Passion by SpeedHolics. Explore Featured Vehicles Tier-1 CARS & STORIES Racing Through Time: The Legacy of the 1954 OSCA MT4 #1143 Tracing the Journey of a Motorsport Icon: The Chassis number 11431954 OSCA MT4's Epic Tale from Italian Tracks to Classic Car Renaissance... Sean Campbell Porfirio Rubirosa: The “Real” James Bond & His Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe A diplomat, a race-car driver, a pilot, a polo champion, an alleged assassin, and a notorious ladies’ man, Porfirio Rubirosa is believed... Sean Campbell The Story of Bob Akin, Captain of Industry & Racecar Driver, and his 1982 Porsche 935 L1 “You can’t make a racehorse out of a pig. But if you work hard enough at it you can make a mighty fast pig” Bob Akin Find this car listed... Sean Campbell 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder: A Film by Auxietre & Schmidt “This is just the purest of…” Automotive designer Anders Warming trails off, trying to find the right words, “I have to go rob a bank!”... Sean Campbell 1 2 FEATURED PERFORMANCE CAR S 1984-Ferrari-288-GTO-.jpg 1984-Ferrari-288-GTO-01.jpg 1984-Ferrari-288-GTO-10.jpg 1984-Ferrari-288-GTO-.jpg 1/10 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO United Kingdom D.K. Engineering Ltd 1975-Lancia-Stratos-01.jpg 1975-Lancia-Stratos-02.jpg 1975-Lancia-Stratos-20.jpg 1975-Lancia-Stratos-01.jpg 1/20 1975 Lancia Stratos United Kingdom The Classic Motor Hub 1976-Maserati-Khamsin-01.webp 1976-Maserati-Khamsin-02.webp 1976-Maserati-Khamsin-15.webp 1976-Maserati-Khamsin-01.webp 1/15 1976 Maserati Khamsin Germany Thiesen Hamburg GmbH FEATURED RACE CARS 1993-Lancia-Delta-HF-Integrale-Evoluzione-Group-A-01.jpg 1993-Lancia-Delta-HF-Integrale-Evoluzione-Group-A-02.jpg 1993-Lancia-Delta-HF-Integrale-Evoluzione-Group-A-20.jpg 1993-Lancia-Delta-HF-Integrale-Evoluzione-Group-A-01.jpg 1/20 1991 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione Group A United Kingdom Girardo & Co. Ltd 1978-BMW-3.0L-CSI-Gr.2-01.jpg 1978-BMW-3.0L-CSI-Gr.2-02.jpg 1978-BMW-3.0L-CSI-Gr.2-15.jpg 1978-BMW-3.0L-CSI-Gr.2-01.jpg 1/15 1978 BMW 3.0L CSI Gr.2 France Historic Cars 1968-Chevron-Repco-B12-01.jpg 1968-Chevron-Repco-B12-02.jpg 1968-Chevron-Repco-B12-20.jpg 1968-Chevron-Repco-B12-01.jpg 1/20 1968 Chevron-Repco B12 United Kingdom Duncan Hamilton Rofgo Ltd READERS' CHOICE 1974-Lamborghini-Espada-01.jpg 1974-Lamborghini-Espada-02.jpg 1974-Lamborghini-Espada-20.jpg 1974-Lamborghini-Espada-01.jpg 1/20 1974 Lamborghini Espada Pennsylvania LBI Limited 1972-Ferrari-Dino-246-GT-RHD-01.jpg 1972-Ferrari-Dino-246-GT-RHD-02.jpeg 1972-Ferrari-Dino-246-GT-RHD-20.jpeg 1972-Ferrari-Dino-246-GT-RHD-01.jpg 1/20 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT RHD United Kingdom The Classic Motor Hub 1999-Ferrari-550-Maranello-01.jpg 1999-Ferrari-550-Maranello-02.jpg 1999-Ferrari-550-Maranello-20.jpg 1999-Ferrari-550-Maranello-01.jpg 1/20 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello Canada Fantasy Junction View All Listings Catering to Your Passion and Business: A Niche Marketplace for Sports and Racing Cars. Contact Us for Listing Your Vehicle