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This is a real 1933 Voisin C24 completely disassembled and photographed by Bruno des Gayets (bdg@nikoja.com). His collection comprises Formula 1 as well as motorbikes portrayed using the same technique.
4 // TOP OF THE CLASSIC CAR WORLD
“Passione? Si può.” Passion? It’s possible
Curiosity. What’s that noise? Why are all those people lining the road? Interest. Cars with numbers, a race! Wonderful! Emotional response. Look at all those brave drivers! What risks they’re facing at that speed - Fantastic!
The boy is only eight, it’s a Sunday morning, and beyond the garden hedge, he discovers the Mille Miglia. He clings to the fence, entranced until the last car has passed. The sequence of feelings he has experienced are curiosity, interest, emotional response, reactions that turn into a persistent deeply felt involvement destined to shape his entire life: an absolute passion. Passion for cars, the world of automobiles, the challenge of racing. At school, behind his desk, with a razor blade, he fashions little cars out of blackboard chalk, then paints them at home. Those little cars the grown-up boy is showing us today still speak of a childhood passion that has never waned. For those who collect cars today, who take part in events, who look around and get the feeling that young people are not interested in automobiles, it might be helpful to think for a moment about the objective reality of the classic car scenario as it is today, and what has changed in the mechanisms that kindle the spark of this special passion. Objective reality is the fruit of endless and potentially excessive access to information. Most people know something about practically everything, but this rarely goes beyond the surface. The eightyear-old of yonder years would have known everything in advance today. He wouldn’t be intrigued, surprised, or thrilled because between him and his perceptions would be the flat screen of a tablet or a smartphone.
So, if we would like to see young people taking over and getting impassioned about automobile collecting, we need to take a serious look at what is really going on. For a start, it is simply not true that they are indifferent to classic cars. “The Key” came to this conclusion analyzing the data contained in over 600 interviews conducted during the foremost European and American classic car events. Another truth that came to light was that current changes in the transport sector have somehow contributed to a pleasantly reassuring and slightly nostalgic perception of the cars of bygone eras on the part of the digital generation. However, this attitude, which is the equivalent of the curiosity and interest of the past, needs to be transformed into emotional involvement. This is precisely where passion starts. And once it’s there, it will never wane. In other words, you become a devotee, a fan, a buff So what’s the best way to impart enthusiasm of this sort? For today’s collectors, who saw the cars they now cherish and love at the time when they were first launched, at motor shows and races, memory itself embodies deeply felt values that help keep the passion alive. But nostalgia mechanisms of this sort aren’t effective for young people who observe with curiosity the cars that speak for a world they never knew. The instrument through which they expand experience is the Internet, so it is here that that future flame must be ignited. What makes the Web so attractive? The fact that it offers a vast universe of experiences. For a young person, a De Dion-Bouton of 1903, a Bugatti Type 35, and a Ferrari 250 are all more of less coeval vehicles. Fascinating, interesting, intriguing. But also totally unknown. Museum items. Whereas if two kids in their early twenties could drive the De Dion in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run,
all this would change. They would experience the thrill of discovering what it was like to drive at the time, to take part in an adventure, to realize that being cold and short of sleep can actually fire the adrenaline required for the endeavor. Those kids would post endless photos and footage of their undertaking on the Web, and social media would spread information about a curious event throughout the digital universe. The experience of two young people and a crazy car unlike anything their peers had ever come across would become viral, turning the world of classic cars into an irresistible attraction, a focus for new energies, vision, and involvement. This is just one idea, perhaps an extreme example of what could be done. It’s no coincidence that in the survey carried out by “The Key” (see page 154-157), the classic car models that most appeal to the young are those that are best suited to adventurous projects, to commitment, to engaging the imagination. Many decades have gone by for the eight-year-old boy. But there’s been no cooling of the passion that began with those fantastic cars with numbers painted in white on the body, driven at full speed past his house. From the Mille Miglia to the time he spent carving cars out of chalk at school, and beyond to the races as an amateur driver, the experiences in journalism, the involvement with Renault and then with Ferrari: a true story of unending love.
Antonio Ghini Chief Editor Passion? It’s possible
// 5
Imprint
Authors
The Key - Top of the Classic Car World
Richard Adatto is a world-renowned expert on French aerodynamic cars produced before World War II.
is the official magazine of The Classic Car Trust
He is a member of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Advisory Board and the Board of the Mullin
and is published annually.
Automotive Museum, and has been since those bodies’ inceptions; he is also a judge at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and has been for more than 20 years.
Publisher The Classic Car Trust, Pflugstrasse 12,
Massimo Delbo is the Italian contributor for Octane magazine, a regular contributor of The Classic Car Trust
9490 Vaduz, Principality of Liechtenstein
Blog, of American Sports Car Market and Insider, the Pebble Beach Concours Magazine. Since years Massimo, member of the ICJAG (International Chief Judge Advisory Group) is part of the judging team in Concours of Ele-
Editorial Board Fritz Kaiser
gance for classic cars all over the world and, in his spare time, loves to research the hidden history of classic cars.
Antonio Ghini
Mark Dixon, Having trained as an archaeologist, he made the logical leap to writing about old cars in 1989
Duccio F. Lopresto
and has done so full-time ever since. He’s involved in every aspect of producing Octane, including a fair bit of photography, and his classics range from a 1927 Model T Ford to a 2001 Honda Insight hybrid, via 1964
Editor-in-Chief Antonio Ghini Market Intelligence Duccio F. Lopresto 21iLAB Translations James Knight Kate Singleton
Chevy van and 1970 Lamborghini Espada. Antonio Ghini is a journalist and brand marketing & communications specialist who started his career in racing. He worked first at Renault as Director of Communication for Italy and then as Global Director of Communication and Brand Management at Ferrari for more than 20 years. Today he works as a journalist and consultant in the automotive sector. Roberto Giolito, today Head of division Heritage FCA Italy, directing the activities of a dedicated team to protect the heritage of all the Group’s classic cars, has been head of Design for Fiat Group and FCA. In his career, he has always pursued prototype studies as well as mass-production models. His designs include the new Fiat 500 and the Fiat Multipla.
Project Coordinator
John Lamm was 15 years old when he decided to become an automotive journalist, and this decision turned
Pascal Rossi
out to be more than right. Writer for various prestigious international Magazines, such as Road & Track, he received the prestigious Ken Purdy and Dean Bachelor award for his achievements in the field of Automotive
Art Director
Journalism.
Pascal König Duccio F. Lopresto has had cars in his bloodstream since birth. Born into a collector’s family, he developed Printing Company
a taste for beauty and design thanks to his father, Corrado. He worked for Lamborghini, RM Sotheby’s and
Thurnher Druckerei GmbH
Hagerty, before joining The Classic Car Trust, where he is a member of the Market Intelligence team and the Editorial Board of The Key.
Copyrights & Credits Find all credits & copyrights on:
Jun Nishikawa Freelance editor and writer for more than 20 years, Jun Nishikawa is one of the most respected
classiccartrust.com/thekey/credits
Japanese car journalists. He was previously also one of the editors of Car Sensor Magazine. He graduated from Kyoto University, with a bachelor in Engineering.
Contact The Classic Car Trust reg. Pflugstrasse 10/12 9490 Vaduz Principality of Liechtenstein +423 236 52 22 office@classiccartrust.com classiccartrust.com classiccartrust.com/thekey
Donald Osborne, Accredited Senior Appraiser, automotive consultant, and remarkable author, loves to share his passion for cars and his considerable knowledge with other car enthusiasts on the CNBC Primetime show “Jay Leno’s Garage” as well as in his monthly column in the Sports Car Market magazine.
Stefano Pasini, born in Bologna on 28 April 1957, is an M.D. (ophthalmologist) who has been interested in historic automobiles since 1975, collaborating with various magazines, such as Auto Capital, Le Grandi Automobili, and others. An internationally recognized expert about Lamborghini and Porsche. He has been a member of the 2013 Honorary Committee of the Mille Miglia and is since 2012 a member of the Jury of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Rob Scorah is a writer and photographer based in the north of England. He writes mainly about classic cars and racing, watches and travel. Rob is a contributor to Classic Car magazine and a respected photographer worldwide.
Rob Widdows was brought up on racing, being taken to Goodwood as a small child and devouring his father’s copies of Motor Sport. During a career in newspaper, radio and TV journalism he created the ‘Track Torque’ motorsport show on radio and was IndyCar commentator for Eurosport before co-founding the Festival of Speed and Revival events.
6 // TOP OF THE CLASSIC CAR WORLD
Contents 4
Passion? It’s possible
8
I just wanted to tell you why
18
38
12
40
Piero Ferrari: In the name of the Father An encounter with Piero, Vice President of Ferrari and guarantor of the continuity of the family, and the young Enzo, his nephew.
50
69
74
80
90
26
96
From Z to one hundred Andrea Zagato explains why the Milanese Carrozzeria can look to the future with confidence after 100 years of success.
102
108
112
132
138
118
A Bugatti in Your Garage? The Key explains why there are at least ten reasons for having one.
Je ne sais quoi
A visit to Peter Mullin’s collection at Oxnar in California reveals how the typically French ability to transcend the concept of magnificence influenced the history of automobiles.
Recognition of accomplishment – Looking ahead
The first edition of The Classic Car Trust Circle Award goes to Giorgetto Giugiaro for his extraordinary contribution to fostering the passion for automobiles.
And the Best of the Best is...
Ginny and David Sydorick’s 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2.9 Touring.
Top 100 Collectors 2019
Who are the world’s most significant car collectors? What has changed compared to the 2018 edition.
Great things are born of dreams
Charles March has been consumed by the love for cars since he was young, as you can discover in this fascinating story.
Cars, Architects, and Designers
The ideas of famous architects, such as Le Corbusier, Giò Ponti, and Frank Lloyd Wright, have also enriched the world of automobiles.
Democracy? No, thank you
We asked 27 world leaders in the collector’s car business what are the ten cars for the garage of their dreams. Everyone’s dream garage is different, and for a number of interesting reasons.
Racing the History
The perfect brake at the Tertre Rouge chicane in the middle of the night, full throttle on the endless Mulsanne straight, the looming arc of the Dunlop Bridge, the overtakings...
Collier collection. More than a family passion
Race and engines are part of the Collier family since forever. The rare collection and the REVS, based in Naples, Florida, are a showcase of their commitment to the car culture.
British Mystique
You need to have the right spanners and be aware of the type of thread of your screws to understand why British cars are different.
Young Judges: Mainstays for the Future
The current generation of judges should prepare the way for newcomers by passing on the necessary skills and ethical guidelines to preserve and foster the passion and respect for classic cars.
Lucky to have been there
Federico Göttsche’s life is suffused with the scent of very special and romantic automobiles. He’s living proof that youth is not a hindrance to passion.
D on D
Dino e Dallara. Two car engineers steer us through 60 years of the history of engines, designs, ideas and inventions. A story that brings together the dreams of two geniuses.
Japanese people, and their subtle love for collecting
Discovere here the fascinating and secret stories of the most important Japanese collectors, preservers of cars that belong to history.
146 Cockpit
An insightful and analytical view on the top end of the classic car market focusing on the top 100 global collectors and their cars.
158 164
173
The collectors who foresaw the future
A very quick view into the history of auto collecting.
Secrets around the world
Every private or public museum hides interesting and rare cars. We present the first global guide of must-see classic car museums.
The Secret Archives of The Classic Car Trust
The One-Off Pininfarina Archive.
CONTENTS // 7