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Forty years devoted to a brand representing Italian excellence in the sports car world. The stories of Valentino Balboni and Lamborghini have been entwined for a long time, in an extraordinary succession of coincidences and events Words Alessandro Giudice Photography Alessandro Barteletti Video Andrea Ruggeri Archive Courtesy of Valentino Balboni Archive Even if you live in the countryside, where perhaps doing the shopping, going to school or clearing snow from the road are more complicated, where when it rains everything floods and when it’s hot the air is filled with mosquitoes, not everything has to be troublesome. So, when Valentino Balboni – class of 1949, born and raised in Casumaro, a small farming town in the Po Plain just a stone’s throw from Cento, nestling in the Ferrara-Modena-Bologna triangle – finished technical school, the first thing he did was look for a job near home. No specific interests, no particular attraction for a given industrial sector, just a job that, in those days, meant that he could bring a bit of money home, contributing to the tight family budget. [click to watch the video]   When he heard that the car factory, set up by the tractor firm Lamborghini, was looking for staff, he turned up: not because he loved cars, not because he dreamed of becoming a mechanic, but simply because it was close to home and therefore convenient. But then for those who live in the countryside, convenience has a wholly different meaning: the 20 miles or so to Sant’Agata Bolognese didn’t seem far, even there and back on a bicycle or his father’s yellow Vespa, at dawn, in the spring sunshine or the winter frosts, in the fog and even the pouring rain. Anyway, he applied and they hired him. When do I start? Straight away!   And on 21 April 1968, his life changed radically. The department manager was explaining to him and another new colleague how the factory worked: “At one point, this very agitated guy comes into the office and starts shouting at the boss: “Get these young guys to work, stop wasting time.” “Why?” “Because we need people who work, not people who chat!”   It was Ferruccio Lamborghini and, far from daunted, the nineteen-year-old Valentino was charmed by the man’s force and determination, and this made him instantly feel an important part of this new company. A dynamic environment, squashed in the area between two legends, Ferrari and Maserati, yet full of the punch and vitality of its founder. And that’s how Balboni began, with a mechanic’s apprenticeship and the small tasks assigned to the new hires. Meanwhile, he, who didn't have a driving licence (“Doing the course was expensive and our family couldn’t afford it”) began to drive in the factory courtyard, in the only car available, used by the “experience” department to test new components. “I learned driving round the two sheds at the factory at the wheel of a Miura. Thinking back, it makes me shiver, but at the time there was nothing else and it was quite normal.”   The days passed, at the wheel he crunched the gears less and less and his driving became smoother. Also thanks to the advice of an exceptional tutor like Bob Wallace, the New Zealand engineer, tester and designer who had already worked with Maserati and Ferrari (he had been Phil Hill's chief mechanic in 1960, when the American driver won the F1 World Championship in the Ferrari single-seater) and who at the time was a key figure at Lamborghini.   In the meantime, Valentino Balboni became a mechanic, learning to work on all the car parts, from the engine to the transmission to the gearbox, following Wallace's guidance. And one day, on 5 September 1973, over five years after starting work, he was considered good enough to test the cars on the road, and for the first time, he left the factory at the wheel of a Lamborghini. “It was a black Miura SV, a masterpiece. I drove up to the entrance barrier, where the porter’s lodge was, and the porter, who years earlier had helped me to write my application, smiled at me. I was really, really scared. I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold the bends, or that I would go too fast, and in fact I drove really slowly for the first few miles. It was really embarrassing, and very tough. But then I fell in step with the Miura, and thankfully everything went fine, it was a thrill I will never forget.”   This marked the start of a new era in Valentino’s professional history, joining that exclusive club of the world’s most sought-after testers: “When I went out on a test drive, I often met colleagues from Maserati, Ferrari, De Tomaso. Near Sant’Agata, there was a place, an abandoned house with a huge tree in front that offered some lovely shade. Often, when I drove past, if a tester had parked there to check the vehicle, I would stop, and all the others did too. We would chat in the shade, and then set off again. Sometimes, out of curiosity, we would switch cars for the next three or four miles, and then of course everyone went back in their own car.”   As the brand grew in popularity, Lamborghini caught the eye of some rich and even some rather eccentric customers. “I still remember the man with a white Diablo with white seats and steering wheel: he came to Sant’Agata dressed all in white, socks and shoes included, with a tamed parrot - white, of course - on his shoulder.” And then, those who wanted to show him how well they drove - “A few scares, but luckily we never had an accident,” - and those who, on the other hand, could drive really well, like Renè Arnoux, who had a beautiful Miura, or Nelson Piquet. “He wanted to buy a Countach, and took it for a test drive on the motorway, at a speed that I didn’t think possible.”   In the meantime, Wallace confirmed how precious his advice and working method were (he drove from 5.30 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, and then reported back to the mechanics), and handed it all on to Balboni, passing him the baton. “Bob had incredible mechanical sensitivity and knowledge, a natural flair for understanding cars, ‘feeling’ them. In practice he passed that all on to me, and helped me develop this sensitivity.” “And what’s more, I was a mechanic, and the combination of the two things – mechanic and tester – gave me a huge advantage, immediately testing any changes and their impact on the car’s performance and behaviour.” And this is why, when Bob Wallace left Lamborghini to return to New Zealand, and from there on to Phoenix in the United States, Valentino Balboni became chief tester at Sant’Agata, a role he covered for forty more years, even during the most complex periods of the company history, which he also got through thanks to the awareness of the role he had acquired, having worked directly with the founder. Ferruccio always being there was a thrill, even if at times it was like a roller coaster, so many new ideas, sales strategies, mood swings that were sometimes tough to follow. A pragmatic, farming mentality, with his feet on the ground and full attention to the customer’s needs. Balboni tells, “I remember that Lamborghini often delivered cars to customers who came to collect them in Sant’Agata personally. While I did the final checks before getting the car on the road, he entertained the guests and, when they left the factory, we would accompany them all as far as the gate, which was (and still is) on a very long straight road: turn left for Modena, right for Bologna. The customer would drive off, and you could hear the engine roaring miles away". “Ferruccio Lamborghini counted the gear changes on his fingers, and when he heard fifth gear, he would say, ‘OK guys, we can go home now, it’s not going to break!’ He was an incredible character.” Balboni's alarm went off at 6.30 every morning, he would get to work early and his day began at 8. He and the other two testers waited for the cars to come off the assembly line, and personally oversaw the first checks, the set-up, the tyre pressure, topping up the oil, water and fuel before setting off on a road test. “The route was always the same, from Sant’Agata Bolognese to Altedo, at the motorway exit, and then back again, a 70-mile round trip, ideal for running in the brakes and checking the noise levels and vibrations, as well as any leaks.”    Compared to today, when simulations with virtual tests speed up the validation process, then there was a huge difference between testing and development, the former merely checking that everything on the car to be delivered was OK, while the latter was part of the design, the only way to check the actual product against what had been designed on paper. “It was great explaining the sensations and performance to the engineers. We didn't always agree, and I must say that often they were right, and all these situations helped me to grow and improve every day,” Valentino Balboni says today. The Sant’Agata models still have that spirit that drove Ferruccio to challenge the world of sports car manufacturers, first and foremost Enzo Ferrari, who had the nerve to treat him with disdain during their first and only meeting, when Lamborghini, already a wealthy industrialist thanks to his tractors, was a mere customer of Maranello (he and his wife had two Ferrari 250 Coupé Pininfarinas, one each).   Would Ferruccio like today’s Lamborghinis? “I think so. In my opinion, they still embody his spirit, his idea. Today, though, things have changed. In my day, people who drove this type of car had to develop a certain kind of sensitivity, but today electronics control their behaviour and reactions, so anyone who drives a Lamborghini can focus more on enjoying its performance, without so much manual effort.” In all these years, were you ever tempted to switch sides? “In the early ’70s I had some high-level contacts with our cousins on the other side of the river (Balboni never mentions Ferrari by name, but alludes to the river Panaro, which separates Sant’Agata Bolognese from Maranello), but I got the impression that rather than wanting me with them, they were more interested in stealing me from the other team, and at that time we were developing the Countach. So I decided to stay where I was, and I stayed there my whole life, the best decision I ever made.”   Lamborghini repaid this loyalty in its own way. “One day, the technical director Maurizio Reggiani called me and told me I had six months, an engineer and three mechanics to develop a Gallardo with rear drive rather than four-wheel drive and a manual gearbox. I tried to tell him I didn’t agree, that it was a step back compared to our exceptional four-wheel drive and very sophisticated technology, but he wouldn't budge. Then, in 2009, they asked me to do a few signatures, and they would choose the best one. ‘But why?’ I asked, and they replied: ‘To put on the Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni Limited Edition’. I was gob-smacked, amazed, and it’s hard to believe still today.”   Hundreds of thousands of miles at the wheel of dream cars, an infinite number of contacts with customers and enthusiasts around the world who called him for advice, events and restorations have not changed Valentino Balboni, who still lives in Casumaro, in the Po Plain where he was born, with all the habits and rhythms of the farming world. Regrets? “None, I would do it all over again, perhaps correcting just a few details.” But then he stops for a moment, and adds: “In fact, with hindsight, I should have bought a Miura, perhaps with a few knocks and scratches, to keep in the garage and do up at leisure.”

From the early 1970s to 2005 at Pininfarina—where he served for 17 years as Managing Director—Lorenzo Ramaciotti concluded his brilliant career as Head of Style for the FCA Group brands. This is the portrait of an engineer with a classical education and a profoundly global vision of automotive design—not merely in geographic terms. From prototypes to mass production, from one-offs to popular models, his philosophy of automotive form and design has shaped decades of Italian and international car culture. Words Marco Visani Photography Leonardo Perugini Video Andrea Ruggeri Archive photo courtesy of the Lorenzo Ramaciotti Archive He never says “I did,” “I designed,” or “I came up with it.” What strikes you most when speaking with Lorenzo Ramaciotti is how rarely he uses the first person. He never says “I did,” “I designed,” or “I came up with it.” And yet he could—given the hundreds of ideas and creations drawn from his hat over a long career, first as a designer and later as head of styling. [click to watch the video] Designing cars is a profession that easily feeds the ego: watered daily, it can grow luxuriant, inviting admiration—especially self-admiration. With Ramaciotti, instead, this was one of the least narcissistic conversations imaginable with someone whose résumé is so formidable. Even when he picks up one of the self-published volumes collecting memories from his long working life, he deflects praise: “It’s just a printed notebook. I didn’t have such an adventurous life to justify anything more.” Perhaps because, had it been up to him, Lorenzo Ramaciotti would not even have become a car designer. As a teenager, he had one ambition only: to do any job that would keep him close to automobiles. When he completed his classical high-school diploma in 1967, the only realistic option was mechanical engineering. Automotive engineering as we know it today did not yet exist, nor did modern design schools. Like many of his generation—raised on bread and Quattroruote magazine—he passed dull literature classes sketching car profiles in the margins of textbooks. We all shared that now-romantic idea that the automobile was the ultimate material aspiration: perhaps second only to housing, but far more attainable. That emotional foundation, grafted onto a rigorous technical education, shaped the engineer Ramaciotti into a rational thinker with a wide-angle view of both his own work and that of others—grounded in realism and immune to vanity. His character also reflects a dual “citizenship”: Emilian by birth—born in Modena, in the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley—and Turinese by adoption, having moved to Turin to study at the Politecnico. He never left. Even today, in retirement, he lives in the hills overlooking the city. Emilian warmth and creativity blend with Piedmontese logic, courtesy, and restraint—ingredients that seem hard to reconcile, yet yield extraordinary results when properly combined. Ramaciotti’s first paid job after graduating was at Pininfarina—the first to respond to his CV. He would stay there for almost his entire career, rising to Managing Director and Head of Styling from 1988 to 2005. Then came the call from Sergio Marchionne and a leap into a different but adjacent world: Director of Design for all FCA brands. Few designers have worked across such extremes—from Ferrari and Maserati to Fiat. Fewer still can claim both the Ferrari 456 and the Fiat Panda among their credits. Yet “designing” is reductive: Ramaciotti’s true role was directing those who designed—conducting an orchestra rather than holding the pencil. Even before that first job, there was a prologue. As a student, he entered the Grifo d’Oro competition launched by Nuccio Bertone. He presented a GT coupé model—still in his studio today. Seen sixty years later, its modernity is striking: taut lines, balanced curves, and low-profile tyres well ahead of their time. A clear sign of precocious talent. Design entered his life almost by chance. His true automotive idol was Colin Chapman—the man who made Lotus fast by making it light. Italy, he thought, focused too much on engines; Britain mastered handling. Why not do the same at home? That early international outlook would later define his career, even as his “less is more” philosophy found expression in exterior form—the first driver of desire in a car. At Pininfarina, Ramaciotti worked primarily with elite manufacturers and niche vehicles rather than mass-market dynamics. He directed the design of ten Ferraris, beginning with the Mythos concept of 1989, unveiled in Tokyo—a strategic move to assert Italian relevance in a design landscape increasingly dominated by Japan. The same logic guided projects like the Honda Argento Vivo of 1995, with its bold use of contrasting materials. Every car has its logic. The Peugeot 406 Coupé, for example, was born from manufacturing necessity, yet became an icon thanks to its elegance—enhanced by Ramaciotti’s insistence on preserving its proportions. This ability to maintain a strong, recognisable identity across countless designers is the Pininfarina miracle, sustained by just three heads of styling in over fifty years. Ramaciotti cites Touring Superleggera, Bertone, Giugiaro, and independent masters such as Mario Revelli de Beaumont, Franco Scaglione, and Giovanni Michelotti as pillars of Italian design. On the role of clients, he is clear: designers are not independent artists. True originality emerges not from isolation, but from dialogue—preferably with clients who love cars without believing they know better. Design today? He rejects claims that all modern cars look alike, noting an unprecedented diversity of styles. His eternal muse remains the Ferrari 250 SWB, alongside legends like the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Above all, two figures shaped his professional life: Sergio Pininfarina and Sergio Marchionne—very different men, united by vision and relentless work ethic. Before Marchionne’s arrival, Ramaciotti fulfilled a lifelong dream: designing a Maserati. His Quattroporte V became the official car of President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Later came its successor and the Ghibli. As for Turin’s decline as an automotive capital, Ramaciotti offers no nostalgia: history moves forward, guided by reason, not sentiment. On AI, his view is measured: artificial intelligence can recombine existing forms efficiently, but true originality—for now—remains human. For how long, he does not yet know. 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 and other publishers from 2016.

The incredible lifeof an extraordinary man,a skilled racing driverand a courageous entrepreneur,who lost his “revolution”but turned his dream,Cisitalia, into a legend. Words: Mario Simoni Photos Mario Simoni Archive Eighty years ago, two men were about to change the history of the automobile. The first, destined to become one of the most famous figures in the world, was in those immediate post-war months building in Maranello the first car to bear his own name: Ferrari. The other, Piero Dusio—equally talented, courageous and visionary, himself an accomplished driver, a successful entrepreneur, a manufacturer, team owner and president of Juventus in the 1940s—has instead been largely forgotten by history. Today he is known only to classic-car enthusiasts, and in particular to admirers of one marque, Cisitalia, and one model, the 202, conceived by two great designers just months after the end of the Second World War. Yet although his story has faded from public memory, Piero Dusio genuinely changed the automotive world. Without his desire to dream and to build, Abarth would never have existed, and the histories of Porsche, Pininfarina, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and celebrated coachbuilders such as Ghia and Vignale would have been very different. In the space of just three years, thanks to his ideas and boundless enthusiasm, Piero Dusio succeeded in bringing together at Cisitalia figures who were—or would become—the greatest designers in the world: Dante Giacosa, father of the Topolino and the Cinquecento; Giovanni Savonuzzi, creator of the most aerodynamically advanced cars of his time; Ferdinand Porsche and the entire technical team that gave birth to Porsche; Rudolf Hruska, father of the Alfasud and of many Alfa Romeo models; Carlo Abarth, founder of the House of the Scorpion; and, among many others, Piero Taruffi, Pinin Farina and Aldo Brovarone. With such talent at his disposal, it would seem that any goal was within reach—and yet… It is worth reliving the almost novel-like story of this man who started from nothing. In the 1920s he played for the Juventus first team (alongside Boniperti he remains the only individual to have been both a player and president of the club), then in the 1930s became Italy’s leading seller and producer of oilcloth, to the point of being described as the richest man in Turin after the Agnellis, of course. So much so that, passing through Piazza San Carlo—the city’s “drawing room”—people would say, with a mix of envy and admiration: “You see, this half belongs to Agnelli, and that half to Dusio.” A fine footballer, he might have enjoyed a great sporting future had a knee injury not ended his career at just 24. He was also an outstanding racing driver, crowned Italian amateur speed champion in 1934, going on to compete in Grands Prix and finishing third overall in the 1938 Mille Miglia. During the war years, Piero Dusio was therefore one of the most influential and respected men in Turin. Despite the countless hardships brought about by the conflict, he certainly did not stand idle. He “never bowed his head” and on several occasions helped the partisans, while at the same time maintaining relations—linked to military supplies—with the Italian authorities and the Germans. Thanks precisely to these contacts, moving heaven and earth, it is said that he accomplished one of the most difficult feats of his life: freeing his son Carlo from the clutches of the Gestapo, after he had already been loaded onto a “one-way” train bound for Germany. This episode alone is enough to reveal his character: his tenacity, his refusal ever to give up, and his courage in confronting any obstacle. These very qualities, far from common, were what lifted Cisitalia to such heights—and with equal speed sent it plunging down again. In 1945, at the end of the war, Piero Dusio was one of the few prominent figures in Turin with the credentials, the resources and the courage to become president of Juventus, a club whose leadership he had already joined during the conflict, when the team had taken to the field under the name Juventus–Cisitalia. That very name and marque would, less than two years later, become famous throughout Italy—not in football, but in the automotive arena—thanks to the success of the cars built in the Turin factory that had sprung from nothing in those same months. While most Italians in the grim years of war were simply trying to survive, in the autumn of 1944 Piero Dusio decided to hire the finest Italian engineer of the period, Dante Giacosa, to design a small single-seater racing car, followed immediately by a new sports car. As bombs destroyed Fiat’s factories, Giacosa, in the rooms of Dusio’s Turin villa, was designing a revolutionary single-seater, the D46: the first car in the world to feature a tubular chassis, a technical concept borrowed from aircraft construction that would dominate motor racing for the next twenty years. This car later became famous for one of the most iconic photographs in racing history: Nuvolari captured throwing the steering wheel to the mechanics and continuing the race regardless. The occasion was the D46’s debut, the Coppa Brezzi on the Valentino circuit, won by Piero Dusio himself in “his” single-seater, ahead of drivers of the calibre of Taruffi, Cortese and Chiron. The true jewel of Dusio’s career as a constructor, however, was the 202: a two-seater, also featuring a tubular chassis, which made the Cisitalia name famous worldwide. It was the unforgettable protagonist, once again with Nuvolari, of the 1947 Mille Miglia, where it came tantalisingly close to victory despite the clearly inferior power—just over 60 bhp—from its 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine compared with the far more powerful Maseratis, Alfa Romeos and Ferraris. Yet those months of 1947 were a whirlwind of extraordinary events, all centred on Piero Dusio. While his automotive industry was being created from nothing, employing hundreds of workers, engineer Savonuzzi was designing the beautiful 202 coupé, styled and built by Pinin Farina. Chosen for MoMA’s landmark 1951 ‘Eight Automobiles’ exhibition and celebrated as the supreme expression of automotive design, it soon became the preferred choice of figures such as Roberto Rossellini, Carlo Ponti, Henry Ford II and Prince Rainier of Monaco. But this was still not enough for the volcanic patron of Cisitalia. In those very months he was offered the chance to acquire Alfa Romeo, then in serious difficulty after the damage inflicted by the war. He turned down this tempting proposal, also because his “big coup” was already taking shape: the purchase of a series of highly advanced projects from Porsche, at that time little more than a design studio, whose head, Ferdinand Porsche—the “father” of the Beetle—was still imprisoned in France on charges of collaboration with the Nazi regime. For a sum equivalent to several million euros today, in 1947 Dusio acquired the project for the most sophisticated and revolutionary Grand Prix car ever conceived: the Type 360, with four-wheel drive and a supercharged 400 bhp flat-12 engine. The same package also included the designs for the Type 370 coupé, with rear-mounted six- or eight-cylinder engines, which anticipated the concept of future Porsche sports cars, as well as a tractor—later produced by the Stuttgart firm—and the famous synchromesh gearbox. What seemed a brilliant deal for Piero Dusio in reality marked his downfall and, at the same time, the birth of Porsche, which thanks to those resources was able to take its first steps as an automotive manufacturer. To develop these projects, and in particular the 360 Grand Prix, two technicians who would leave an indelible mark on automotive history arrived in Turin: Carlo Abarth, who, after inheriting much Cisitalia material—including exhaust manifolds and the famous silencers—founded his own car company; and engineer Hruska, who would later become one of Alfa Romeo’s leading designers and above all the “father” of the Alfasud. While in 1947 and 1948 Cisitalias were defeating Ferraris on the track and the 202 was conquering the Italian sports-car market and preparing to enter the United States, work began in Turin on the 360 Grand Prix, which day by day absorbed ever greater portions of Cisitalia’s finite resources. The project, conceived before the outbreak of the Second World War for Auto Union, would have been difficult to realise even for a major automotive manufacturer with dozens of experienced engineers, and was in reality almost impossible to complete in Turin at that time. Thus the debut of the 360 Grand Prix, planned for 1948 and then announced the following year with an exceptional driver such as Tazio Nuvolari, never actually took place. If in 1947 Piero Dusio appeared to be the undisputed star of the Italian automotive industry, with a brilliance that seemed set to eclipse Ferrari’s, less than two years later Cisitalia was on the brink of bankruptcy. The reasons lay in the production problems and costs of the 202, the endless resources swallowed by the Grand Prix programme, the suspension of the Type 370 coupé project, and something “mysterious” that occurred in those months in Turin. It is said that Dusio attempted a “raid” on Fiat, immediately blocked by chief executive Vittorio Valletta, who cut off supplies and financially isolated Cisitalia. Dusio’s final gamble was an agreement with Argentine president Perón to transfer Cisitalia production to South America. Thus, in 1950, Argentina’s first automotive industry was born: Autoar. The 360 Grand Prix was shipped to Buenos Aires, where, years later, it managed to cover only a few dozen kilometres. In Argentina ended both his career as an entrepreneur and, in 1975, the life of Piero Dusio—a man who feared nothing, as demonstrated by the famous remark he once made to his technical director Giovanni Savonuzzi: “Engineer, I may ruin myself, but I will build the Grand Prix!” And indeed… This was the swashbuckling life of Piero Dusio as an entrepreneur. As a man, he was no less remarkable: father of seven children, with two families—one in Turin and, in his later years, one in Argentina. “Always on the move and ready to face new challenges, an incredibly dynamic and charismatic personality,” recalls his daughter Carolina. “My father was a practical idealist; he knew how to turn dreams into reality. He was a kind of alchemist, able to transform raw materials into gold. Giving up was never in his nature. He was an entrepreneur fascinated by every challenge, but also a man of exceptional charisma, with a great sense of humour and an extraordinary musical talent.” In the life of Piero Dusio and in the history of Cisitalia, nothing was ever banal, ordinary or predictable—and even his decline, or one might say his shipwreck, was dramatic. His “dream” truly deserved to be told. Born in Imola in 1954, Mario Simoni has been immersed in the world of cars and racing since childhood. Growing up close to racing circuits, Simoni nurtured a deep passion for engines, which led him to a brief career as a driver in the Renault 5 Alpine Cup. However, he soon decided to leave the racetrack to pursue "real" professions, without ever straying far from his love for automobiles. Determined to combine his passion with journalism, Simoni began by publishing articles for a minor magazine. The turning point in his career came when he had the opportunity to collaborate with Autosprint, Italy's most prestigious motorsport weekly. In 1985, Simoni became part of the editorial team that launched the magazine Auto, a monthly reference for enthusiasts, where he became head of the service. In parallel, he continued writing for Autosprint, AM magazine, and contributed to the TV show Tg2 Motori on RAI. In 2001, Simoni encountered the legendary Cisitalia, a meeting that marked a turning point in his career. Fascinated by the numerous aspects of this historic car manufacturer, he dedicated himself to uncovering the brand’s still-hidden secrets, culminating in the publication of his book "Un sogno chiamato Cisitalia", an important work that sheds new light on the history of one of Italy’s most iconic car manufacturers.

Recent paint and mechanical service. An interesting and accessible modern classic. 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GT Fantasy Junction If you are interested in the content of this listing, please contact the Dealer. Contact details are indicated below in the section "Contact the Dealer." Should you require confidential support from SpeedHolics for your inquiry, kindly complete the section "I am Interested." This listing is provided by SpeedHolics solely for the purpose of offering information and resources to our readers. The information contained within this listing is the property of the entity indicated as the "Dealer." SpeedHolics has no involvement in the commercial transactions arising from this listing, and we will not derive any financial gain from any sales made through it. Furthermore, SpeedHolics is entirely independent from the "Dealer" mentioned in this listing and maintains no affiliation, association, or connection with them in any capacity. Any transactions, engagements, or communications undertaken as a result of this listing are the sole responsibility of the parties involved, and SpeedHolics shall bear no liability or responsibility in connection therewith. For more information, please refer to the "Legal & Copyright" section below. SH ID 24-0429011 FEATURED BY SPEEDHOLICS Sold SEARCH OTHER CARS United States Dealer This Car Contact the Dealer I am Interested Legal & Copyright VIN WP0ZZZ93ZBN700298 Exterior Color Silver Interior Color Black Engine 2L inline 4-cylinder Transmission 5-speed manual Fantasy Junction 1145 Park Ave Emeryville California Contact details SALES@FANTASYJUNCTION.COM +1 510-653-7555 Visit dealer's website If you are intrested in this car and you would like SpeedHolics to put you in touch with the right person, please fill in this form. Let us arrange everything for you. How to contact you? I'd like to receive weekly updates about new listings SUBMIT We take your privacy seriously. 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Dealers Support Are you the owner of this content and you want to make changes or to ask any questions to our editorial team? Write an email to team@speedholics.com. Copyright & DMCA Photos and texts are property and copyright of the respective owner as indicated in the section "Dealer" of this page. SpeedHolics has requested and obtained written authorisation to reproduce the content. Copyright holders who believe their rights under copyright law have been infringed are invited to follow our notice and takedown procedure as required by DMCA regulations. The notice and take down procedure is described here: https://www.speedholics.com/copyright Recent paint and mechanical service. An interesting and accessible modern classic. Other Cars from Fantasy Junction 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-01.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-02.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-10.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-01.jpg 1/10 1987 Ferrari 328 GTB Fantasy Junction United States 1963-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-01.jpg 1963-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-02.jpg 1963-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-10.jpeg 1963-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-01.jpg 1/10 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Fantasy Junction United States 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Spider-Veloce-01.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Spider-Veloce-02.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Spider-Veloce-20.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Spider-Veloce-01.jpg 1/20 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce Fantasy Junction United States Last Featured Cars 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-01.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-02.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-10.jpg 1987-Ferrari-328-GTB-01.jpg 1/10 1987 Ferrari 328 GTB Fantasy Junction California 1985-Lamborghini-Jalpa-P350-3.5-V8-01.webp 1985-Lamborghini-Jalpa-P350-3.5-V8-02.webp 1985-Lamborghini-Jalpa-P350-3.5-V8-15.webp 1985-Lamborghini-Jalpa-P350-3.5-V8-01.webp 1/15 1985 Lamborghini Jalpa P350 3.5 V8 Iconic Auctioneers Ltd United Kingdom 1988-Ford-Sierra-RS500-Cosworth-01.webp 1988-Ford-Sierra-RS500-Cosworth-02.webp 1988-Ford-Sierra-RS500-Cosworth-15.webp 1988-Ford-Sierra-RS500-Cosworth-01.webp 1/15 1988 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Iconic Auctioneers Ltd United Kingdom

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 1981 BMW Alpina B6 Speed8 Classics View SELECTED BRANDS The Ultimate Refined Automotive Marketplace Online. Showcasing 2515 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 1969-Ferrari-365-GTC-01.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365-GTC-02.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365-GTC-15.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365-GTC-01.jpg 1/15 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC United Kingdom D.K. Engineering Ltd 1978-Fiat-131-Abarth-01.jpg 1978-Fiat-131-Abarth-02.jpg 1978-Fiat-131-Abarth-10.jpg 1978-Fiat-131-Abarth-01.jpg 1/10 1978 Fiat 131 Abarth United Kingdom Duncan Hamilton Rofgo Ltd 1969-Ferrari-365 GT-2+2-Queen-Mary-01.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365 GT-2+2-Queen-Mary-02.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365 GT-2+2-Queen-Mary-20.jpg 1969-Ferrari-365 GT-2+2-Queen-Mary-01.jpg 1/20 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 Queen Mary Switzerland Oldtimer Galerie International GmbH FEATURED RACE CARS 1987-Ford-Sierra-Cosworth-RS-Gr.A-01.webp 1987-Ford-Sierra-Cosworth-RS-Gr.A-02.webp 1987-Ford-Sierra-Cosworth-RS-Gr.A-20.webp 1987-Ford-Sierra-Cosworth-RS-Gr.A-01.webp 1/20 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS Gr.A United States ISSIMI, Inc 1987-Sauber-Mercedes-C9-01.webp 1987-Sauber-Mercedes-C9-02.webp 1987-Sauber-Mercedes-C9-15.webp 1987-Sauber-Mercedes-C9-01.webp 1/15 1987 Sauber-Mercedes C9 Illinois Mouse Motors LLC 1991-Jaguar-XJR-14-01.webp 1991-Jaguar-XJR-14-02.webp 1991-Jaguar-XJR-14-15.webp 1991-Jaguar-XJR-14-01.webp 1/15 1991 Jaguar XJR-14 Illinois Mouse Motors LLC READERS' CHOICE 1971-Ferrari-365-GTB-4-Daytona-Spider-by-Scaglietti-01.webp 1971-Ferrari-365-GTB-4-Daytona-Spider-by-Scaglietti-02.webp 1971-Ferrari-365-GTB-4-Daytona-Spider-by-Scaglietti-15.webp 1971-Ferrari-365-GTB-4-Daytona-Spider-by-Scaglietti-01.webp 1/15 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti Ontario RM Sotheby's 1981-BMW-Alpina-B6-01.jpg 1981-BMW-Alpina-B6-02.jpg 1981-BMW-Alpina-B6-20.jpg 1981-BMW-Alpina-B6-01.jpg 1/20 1981 BMW Alpina B6 Belgium Speed8 Classics 1990-Ferrari-348-TB-01.jpg 1990-Ferrari-348-TB-02.jpg 1990-Ferrari-348-TB-20.jpg 1990-Ferrari-348-TB-01.jpg 1/20 1990 Ferrari 348 TB Switzerland Lutziger Classic Cars AG View All Listings Catering to Your Passion and Business: A Niche Marketplace for Sports and Racing Cars. Contact Us for Listing Your Vehicle

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