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I never thought I would be a driver. I loved speed and mechanics, but I never imagined that I would have a career in racing. My family worked in the construction field, and my father made no mystery of the fact that one day I was to carry on the business. And in fact, it all happened by chance, after the first race, the Coppa FISA d’Autunno in Monza. I still remember the exact date: 14th June 1962. I was racing in the family Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce, wearing race number 300, and I stood my ground against the many more expert drivers and more competitive cars in the race. At that time, the benchmark car was the Giulietta SZ, and after that first race I convinced my father to buy the one that I call the “drop” model, with the round tail. It was white, and to give it a sportier look I painted coloured circles on the bodywork where the race numbers could be applied. The circles were orange or green, and I matched them with a set of wheels in the same colour. I remember that all this work was done at the Pirovano body shop in Erba. The owner’s son was a friend of mine, and on Saturday afternoons, when the business was closed, we could use all the equipment to freely express all our creativity. I also remember that they were the first in the area to have a jig for repairing the Giulietta. It all seemed like science fiction. The first race I took part in with the SZ was the 1963 Coppa Intereuropa. Then I went on to the Tour de Corse, which went something like this: first bend, second bend, end. I went off the road. It was really embarrassing, and you have no idea how difficult it was getting the car home. Then Mario Angiolini, founder of the Jolly Club, called me. He was one of those people who at the time we called “patrons”. Just like in the art world, he was someone who scouted and supported talented young drivers. And he gave me the chance to take part in the Rally of Sardinia, and paid for the petrol, the trip and the hotel. It was my first official engagement, and I was in seventh heaven. I came first in the “GT up to 1300” category. A few days later, a registered letter addressed to me was delivered to my house (in Civenna, in the province of Como ed.). My mother signed for it. “Here,” she said, “let’s see what you’ve been up to this time.” I was twenty years old, and I must admit I was a bit of a tearaway. In the envelope there was a cheque for 1,750,000 lire: it was the prize money from the Rally of Sardinia. To give you an idea, the average salary of a worker at that time was around 80,000 lire. I was still getting over the joy of feeling like a professional driver when I received a phone call from the Jolly Club. They asked me to go in as soon as possible and hand over the cheque, because the prize money belonged to the Club and not the driver. I went in the following Wednesday, in the evening, when the weekly meetings were usually held. I found myself in a room with some of the legends of the time, drivers who raced in some of the most important competition cars. Mario Angiolini was there too. Well, I’d always been a bit of a rebel and so in front of everyone I said that the cheque had my name on it, so it was mine. I left, closing the door behind me, certain that that was the end of my career. Waiting for me in the car downstairs was Anna, my future wife. At that moment, I had my whole life ahead of me. (To be continued…)

A legendary Miura stripped to metal during its revival. Photo by EanoFoto

Photos by Alessandro Barteletti (IG: @alessandrobarteletti) We met Nicola a few weeks ago in Milan. We'd spotted his car on Instagram in June --a Ford GT40 replica with its own profile, detailing the passion and dedication he's put into the project. After a brief exchange of messages and a phone call, we knew we'd have to talk in more depth. You can immediately recognize people who are passionate about cars even from the first call. A few words to introduce ourselves, then a deep dive into the story of the car itself. Here's what we talked about when we met up in Milan: "The GT40 is a legendary car, an icon" SpeedHolics: The Ford GT40 is something of a milestone car in motor sport history. It's the embodiment of the very human passion for speed, races and cars. How would you sum it up? Nicola: The GT40 is a legendary car, an icon. Even someone with no concern for sports cars can see this. If you saw it in the GULF livery, without even knowing it's a Ford, without even knowing about those 4 consecutive Le Mans victories, you'd still recognize that it's a symbolic car. I first recognized this when I was a child, and it's stayed with me ever since. SH: So how did you come to own this replica? Nicola: My passion for cars has led me to having an understanding of their value, so actually owning one was always beyond me -- it was just a dream. But over the years, thanks to some of my own achievements, as well as some fortunate events, I've been able to own a few cars great sentimental and historical value for me. These have alternated between Italian super sports cars and American muscle cars, both of which I'm deeply fond of. Of course, the GT40 is one of these. "I had to own a GT40 MKI Wide Body." SH: What is so special about the GT40? Nicola: As I said, the GT40 has been always in my dreams, and I still believe she represents the two aspects that I like the most in cars: the instinctive and unfiltered driving feeling of super sport racing cars, and the charm and elegance of a classic car. Then there's the legacy of the car -- its most famous victory is certainly the one at Le Mans in '66, also known for the popular movies made about it. However, the most incredible and unexpected victories came with John Wyer and the legendary GT40 p1075, the only car that won for two consecutive years at Le Mans with the same chassis number. In 1968, a change in regulations increased the allowed engine cubic capacity to 3 litres for prototypes and to 5 liters for sports cars. This resulted in the abandonment of the MIRAGE, and the JWA team resumed the "old" GT40 MKI, modifying it and widening it heavily, and coming to mount rims with 10" and 14" channels. It was a project born four years before in 1964 which had to compete with the Porsche 908, and in 1969 with the brand new 917 long tail! Nevertheless, two wins came which are somehow unbelievable, two romantic victories, so I never had doubts: I had to own a GT40 MKI Wide Body. SH: Few companies make good replicas of the GT40, as is often the case for extraordinary cars built in very small series. Where did you find yours? Nicola: During my research, in which I scoured the world, the replicas I found did not properly represent my idea of the GT40. In my personal opinion, 17" rims, electronic injections, internal alcantara, and A/C do not do justice to a car born and developed to race on the track. So buying one of those replicas with the intention of re-building it from scratch anyway made no sense to me. At the end of 2015, in my obsessive search on the web, I found a Tornado chassis + body kit of an MKI to be built from scratch. It was for sale from a mechanical workshop, they were experts in vintage car restorations. I immediately gave them a call and the day after, I drove to Veneto. When I go there, I fell in love with that rough piece of a GT40. I also met its owner, a wonderful man called Giampaolo, a true enthusiast and lover of the GT40. He sold it to me with a broken heart, but the good news was that the rebuild project was underway! The goal of the restoration and construction project was set from the beginning: create a GT40 that "smelled" of races, that drove like the original one from the late 60s -- a tribute to the incredible victories of 68 and 69. "There is no original GT40 with a perfectly symmetrical camber." SH: There seems to be something special with the wheels? Nicola: Yes. The normal commercial kits, even if they're a wide body, do not exceed 10 inches of channel. We therefore turned to a specialized company and had the replica of a single-nut BRM, able to accommodate 345/35 R15 tires. However, to accommodate such wheel size, the rear suspension tie rods had to be optimized and reinforced with more generously sized arms and new pivoting heads. The entire front axle has also been redone from scratch, creating a castle to attach the triangles of the front suspension, as the original one was undersized. Having to widen the rear fenders, instead of giving in to the convenience of a kit for sale, I preferred to modify the fenders by hand, as it was done at the time. This is why, as is well known, there is no original GT40 with perfectly symmetrical camber, simply because they were not derived from molds. "The use of an electronic injection or a classic single carburettor was unthinkable." SH: What about the Engine, and the injection? Nicola: The engine is an original Ford 302 which I got disassembled from a '69 Mustang. It has been completely revised and prepared for racing up to stage 2. We expect a power of about 430 hp, a test will be done after proper run in. Another strong point of the project was the carburettors. The use of electronic injection or a classic single carburettor was unthinkable! The car required the eight trumpets. Being a racing car, the choice was obligatory: Weber IDA 48, notoriously difficult for carburetion. But after a couple of specific jet kits for the characteristics of the 302 Ford and the mounted camshaft, they started to perform better. The engine mounts have also been cut and modified to lower the power plant as low as possible, thus lowering the center of gravity of the car, significantly increasing the dynamic balance. "Driving this car is a visceral, physical sensation." SH: How does it feel on the road? Nicola: Direct steering without power steering, without electric aids, can be terribly hard to maneuver, but also perfect in movement. It's almost as though you're touching the asphalt with your hands. Through the steering wheel you can perceive every little imperfection of the road. No power steering, no air conditioning and, at the beginning, NO power brakes. It was hard, and after various tests and modifications I had to give in to make the car safer. But, I can still turn off the brake master cylinder from inside the passenger compartment, to give a driving experience as similar as possible to the original one. The control is located right next to the mechanical braking distributor. The driving experience is enhanced by the interiors, no alcantara, no leather on the dashboard, just painted metal and written commands made with the dynamo in vintage style. I could keep describing details of construction and design but I would still not be able to convey the intensity of the driving experience. It is not just driving a super sports car or a vintage car -- it's a visceral, physical sensation, where everything brings us back to a lost era dominated by the smell of gasoline, passion and madness. SH: Will you ever bring her to the race track? Nicola: Of course yes, she was made for that purpose "After this GT40, another GT40!" SH: What's next for you after this GT40? Nicola: Another GT40?! SpeedHolics carried out this interview in July 2020 in Milan, Italy. Our special thanks go to: Nicola, (IG @gt40milano) who made the car available and contributed to the texts; Alessandro Barteletti, (IG @alessandrobarteletti) who brought it to visual life. The effort he spent on the photo shoot was remarkable, as well as the study of light and shadow and the scenery. Everything he did brought even more life to this GT40, like it was just out of a racing mechanical garage; GP Autofficina, (www.gp-autofficina.com) who supported Nicola on building the car and on making it available for the shoot.

The race-ready version of the Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato was built in only 27 examples. One of those was apparently lost, until some time ago. Photo by Alessandro Barteletti (IG: @alessandrobarteletti) The Lancia Fulvia is a multi-faceted phenomenon -- a car that, in its various guises, is inextricably linked to the cultures of both motor racing and everyday life in the 60s and 70s. Those who lived through that era may remember it as the sedan for family outings. Others may remember it as the Coupé that fanciful young men took for a spin along the busy promenade -- the road their catwalk. Characters like Sandro Munari, Sergio Barbasio and Harry Källström will think of the HF versions and see it as the vessel that delivered them to pinnacle of the rallying. And for those who really wanted to stand out there was the Sport, the version developed by Zagato. Launched in 1965, the Fulvia Sport was a coupé as elegant as it was original and successful. The first series of car built by Milan-based Zagato with over 7,000 units, it was also the very first Zagato car with a to boast a steel body. Only the first 900 built were hand-beaten aluminum, as per tradition. But not everyone knows that among these, there are 27 that are even more special and precious: The unofficially titled "Sport Competizione". It's a cult object today and an extremely rare specimen, and it's one we're lucky to have some great images of. The Sport, and more particularly the "Competizione", was built in a light aluminum frame, reminiscent of the poetry of Italian motoring in the late 60s. A blend of beauty and performance as the signature, refined look of Zagato chief stylist Ercole Spada meets the genesis of the Lancia Racing Department, whose birth and success owes a great deal to the Fulvia Sport. Elio Zagato himself played a role in the origin story of the Sport. It was he who followed his intuition and tasked the young Ercole Spada, a promising young talent with some pedigree, to design a more aerodynamic profile for the Fulvia. Spada took up the challenge with gusto, tying everything together with a characteristic sharp edge which runs around the perimeter of the car. This served a dual-purpose, stiffening the panels and emphasizing the geometric component of the design, including the grille shape and headlight fairing. When it debuted in 1965, the Sport inherited the mechanics of the 1.2 Coupé. While the horsepower remained at the standard 79, the lighter weight peraluman bodywork coupled with the new aerodynamics and new bridge ratio boosted the Zagato's top speed to 168km/h. It may only have been an 8 km/h improvement, but it was enough to pique the interest of Cesare Fiorio, sporting director of the Chivasso company at the time. Cesare suggested to his father Alessandro, himself a Lancia manager, to commission a first "laboratory" car with lightened bodywork to spearhead a small series for the Racing Team and interested private racers. Thus, the first "Competizione" was born. The car was assembled to several specifications, including the plexiglass windows (except for the windscreen), the enlarged wheel arches with riveted tail ends, and Campagnolo 6Jx13 magnesium alloy wheels. The most evident feature of the Competizione would be the drilling of the sheets, performed by hand by the Zagato engineers. Side members, cross members, steering box, sills, the works -- even the left and right sides were often treated differently, based on the tracks on which the cars would run. The first three Competizione featured a customized “Amaranto Montebello” livery, already seen on the Fulvia HF. On the fourth, the brand new "Rosso San Siro" made its debut -- a deep orange that would characterize the rest of the production (with the exception of one white offering). The interior was reduced to the essentials -- door panels, side bolsters and seats covered in nautical-inspired stretch vinyl fabric and characterized by an unusual bright turquoise color. Althrough created for competition, the Sport Competizione was supplied to customers by hiding the more modest Fulvia mechanics under the hood. The 1.2 and 1.3 liter engines were on occasion prepared to obtain different cubic sizes and powers. This was the case for the most famous Competizione, the 1911 chassis. It was the very last Sport with an aluminum body. Equipped with an upgraded 1.6-liter engine and 154 horsepower, Claudio Maglioli and Lele Pinto won their class in 1969 at the 12 Hours of Sebring (11th place overall) and at the 24 Hours of Daytona (17th overall) in this model. The following month, the same crew also took first place in their class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Sport Competizione also earned itself respected in Europe, collecting several category victories in grueling endurance races such as the 1000 km of Monza or the 1000 km of the Nürburgring, as well as the always fascinating Targa Florio, won in 1968, 1969 and 1971. Owning an original “Competizione” today is a privilege for only a select few. It's a car for true lovers and connoisseurs, the kind reserved for those who are willing to wait years before owning it. In some cases, chasing it by following scattered clues traces left by the vicissitudes of a specific chassis number. This is the story of the Fulvia Sport 1.3 Competizione, chassis 1904 -- featured in these images. Sold new in March 1968 by Saicar of Milan, the only dealership in charge of dealing with the Lancias built by Zagato, the car was purchased by Stefano Salvi, a gentleman driver in force at the famous Jolly Club. The engine was then developed according to the regulations of the time by Gino De Sanctis, and it included a side exhaust, a short-ratio gearbox for uphill racing, roll bar and an increased 90-liter tank, useful for "long" races such as the Mugello Road Circuit. Salvi and his "Competizione" (with the original plate "Roma", as shown here below) competed for a couple of seasons on the circuits and hill climbs all over Italy: Mugello Grand Prix, Svolte di Popoli, Rieti Terminillo, Camucia Cortona, before finally stepping away from racing. Photos by Archivio Actualfoto Bologna The car then ended up in the hands of a Roman playboy and sports car collector. An amateur driver, he had the Fulvia further developed at the famous Macciocca workshop in Rome, adding oversized carburetors, a short-lever gearbox, lowered set-up and other tricks for use on the track. But the new owner was fickle, and quickly fell for other models. Thus, he sold the Fulvia not long after investing in it. Our Competizione then changed hands a couple of times before finding a home, in 1975, in the garage of a certain Claudio Grazioli, who converted it for road use. He removed the roll bar, added a rear seat and repainted it in an unlikely metallic green. Alas, it was in an accident, and had to be dismantled and abandoned in a field. Then came the years where the Fulvia Sport lost value and was bought and sold for pennies. What no one suspected was a rare racing specimen hiding under the hood of that ruined, abandoned car. Nobody except Giorgio, the current owner, that is. A Lancia Fulvia enthusiast, Giorgio says that at least twenty have passed through his garage. But for Giorgio, the "Competizione" had long been an unfulfilled obsession. Giorgio painstakingly searched for Chassis 1904 in speciality books, and patiently traced its movements over the years. After 40 years, he located the 1904 in the exact spot where Grazioli has left it -- falling into ruin. It was in a pitiful state, but the original plates and documents had survived. Giorgio entrusted his adopted "Competizione" to the skilled hands of the Ligurian specialist Roberto Ratto, a reputed name in the Lancia restoration world. Ratto, in turn, sought out the help of Gianni Tonti, at the time technical manager of the Racing Department. Thus, work began. And now it is done. Thanks to rigorous research, and total care, "Competizione" chassis 1904 has been returned to its former glory, meeting the technical configuration set up in Rome by Macciocca in 1970. The result? 128 horsepower, 850 kilos, countless value.

Porsche Carrera RS by Stefan Kotze Photography http://ow.ly/oixQ50C8tIM

Once the Miura was out, the automotive press coined the term— the supercar. In fact the Miura wasn’t the first mid-engine car nor the first performance car, but the numbers were nothing short of impressive: 4.0-liter, transverse V12 pumping out 350hp and rocketing the beast to 60 in just six seconds. After that point, most performance cars became mere GTs. The photos of this 1970 Miura P400S were taken by Dennis Noten (Dennisnoten.com Photography) for MILES Magazine.

BMW 850i by Drehwerk

The 1974 De Tomaso Pantera. Photographer: Angus Taylor Photography

2005 Kirkham Cobra 427 'Side Oiler' shot for The Market Auctions by Angus Taylor Photography: https://bit.ly/3dkEOCb

BMW M1 Procar at the Nürburgring Photo by Marcus Krüger http://ow.ly/KdjQ50EIkUR

1986 Porsche 930 934.5 Courtesy: Avant-Garde Collection Photo: Josh Bryan at The Image Engine

There are many ways in which speed can be considered in automotive design. The first and the most obvious one that comes to mind, especially when dealing with brands that have strong racing connotations like Alfa Romeo, is the contribution that design brings to the car's final performance. Photos courtesy of Automobilismo Storico - Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo Every aspect of the future car's design, intended in the most complete way, from the initial design brief to the commercial launch of the model, has a strong influence on its final performance. The most important decisions, that are almost impossible to change later, involve the general layout of the car. The overall dimensions are set at the very beginning, they result from the car's market class and hence the number of occupants and luggage compartment volume. The mechanical components like engine, drive train, suspensions etc. are placed following the maker's engineering tradition. So it is the careful disposition of given elements that makes the difference. At Alfa Romeo efficiency has always been the most important goal. Alfa has never made big cars with big engines to achieve high performance, just the opposite, every car had to be just big enough to carry the required occupants and their luggage. Just. Not more. It is easy to understand that this design philosophy was strictly related to Alfa's racing activities that have always accompanied it through the history, there is no place for superfluous on a racing car. Consequently, every new car had to be as compact as possible as that would result in limited weight and cross section. The weight conditions the acceleration and braking times and cross section, multiplied by the aerodynamic coefficient of the form, influences the maximum speed. Both factors condition the fuel consumption. But it's not as simple as that. When considering weight, it is not only the total number that matters but also the distribution of weight within the car's volume, because it greatly influences car's handling and road holding. The heaviest components need to be placed as low as possible to keep the center of gravity low, but also should be well distributed to achieve good weight balance between front and rear axles. Furthermore, the weight should ideally be concentrated as close as possible around the center of gravity to reduce the polar momentum of the car. And it is not finished yet. There are fixed elements of a car which weight and position never change and there are variable elements, most importantly the occupants, not only their number changes from the driver only to the maximum number for which the car is designed, but also the weight of every occupant may vary considerably. Then there is the luggage that may vary from zero to maximum capacity and the fuel tank, from full to reserve. Also here the variable weight elements should ideally be located as close as possible to the center of gravity to affect as little as possible the weight distribution between fully loaded and just the driver on board conditions. Also in case of the aerodynamic drag it just isn't enough to achieve the smallest cross section and the best Cx coefficient which influence “only” the maximum speed. The high speed without stability and safety are highly dangerous and hence unacceptable in any car, let alone in one that is intended to be driven fast often and in full control. Aspects as aerodynamic lift and its distribution between front and rear are of extreme importance if the full adhesion to the ground is to be guaranteed at high speeds. That is why a negative lift or down-force, appropriately balanced between front and rear, are necessary to achieve, even, and almost always, at the cost of losing some Cx efficiency and consequently the maximum speed. These considerations help to understand the difference between cars “designed” to obtain best “on-paper” performance values as quoted in standard road-tests and which are often downright dangerous when driven fast in real-world conditions, and well-designed and balanced cars that are safe at all speeds in all circumstances. Again, something that you learn best in racing. Variable ambient factors such as lateral wind should also be considered to keep under control the sensibility and reaction of the car to that phenomenon. In rainy conditions the road dirt should be kept away from windows and windshield wipers efficiency should be retained also at high speeds. Another fundamental aspect of car design is ergonomics. It's about fitting different size human beings inside the car, offering them enough space to comfortably sustain even longest journeys. But it is how you do it that makes the difference. First of all, Alfas have always been driver's cars. From the family four door sedan, through two door coupes to the spiders, the same basic ergonomic design principles were adopted. Always starting from the most important (and always present) occupant: the driver. First of all the best possible control of the car must be guaranteed. And that's intended through all the senses. In an Alfa you are never isolated from the car but on the contrary, it should feel like the virtual extension of your body, you should be able to impart directly your commands and receive the equally direct feed back, without filters. The steering wheel, the pedals, the gear lever and the “seat of your pants” should not be the mere areas of contact with the car but the very points of extension of your nervous and muscular systems. Just the opposite of the sensory-deprivation, drive-by-wire isolated experience that more and more today's cars are offering the “driver” (?). A gradual introduction to the driver-less cars? Another aspect of ergonomics and undoubtedly the most important one of sensory control of the car is the visibility. The upper and lower limiting angles of forward visibility and the sideways visibility angles and amount of obscured angles, together with the optical quality of the windshield and the area swept by the wipers in rainy conditions are of utter importance for keeping the car under full control at any speed and in any weather condition. You learn that best when you drive fast on the mountain switch-backs. At night. When it's raining. These are just the basic requirements of car design to be strictly observed if you want to build a serious fast car (and notice we didn't even mention the engine!). At Alfa they have always been a natural and indispensable part of every new car development. It is quite obvious that all these notions come directly from the long and rich experience in motor racing. There is no doubt that if you follow the same rules that you apply to your successful racing cars in all your production cars, they will be safe at any speed. You were probably expecting to hear from a car-designer the importance of how the reflexes flow on the shiny surfaces, or about the Speed-Forms inspired by nature's beauty observed in fauna and flora examples as the origin of the new car's shape... Or, hopefully, the secrets of how to make the car appear fast even when it's standing still? Or, maybe you wanted to know how we strive to make the new cars more environmentally sustainable? I'm sorry if I deluded your expectations but you will find all those things explained elsewhere much better than I ever could... At Centro Stile Alfa Romeo we used to approach design in a quite pragmatic way, we used to call it Bellezza Necessaria or Necessary Beauty.