It’s Italy Day here on this back porch of mine:
…and here are some fine Italian things.
First up, a matched pair of Rizzini shotguns:
Next up, a 1955 Fiat 8V, styled by Zagato:
…and a 1967 Fiat 2400 Dino Spider:
Speaking of fine Italian models of yore, it’s about time we looked at Sophia again:
…and her younger compatriot, Monica Bellucci:
And speaking of yummy:
Where could one buy such things? Well, in Milan, for instance:
That’s all Italian style, folks, and it’s pretty much unbeatable.
I have mentioned before that New Wife used to drive a red MGB GT back in the days of yore, when she were a weeny in her early 20s. Unlike me, she has photos — well, one photo, anyway:
That’s her brother, upon whose shoulders many of the (frequent) repairs fell. In true Brit sports car driver fashion, however, she accepted that frequent breakdowns were just a fact of ownership: the joys of open-top driving in a perfect climate on the hill roads around her house were more-than-adequate compensation.
While she was swanning around like Lady Muck, Your Humble Narrator was chugging around in one of these, hauling band equipment (which was way heavier than the recommended top load):
…only it was colored in a sort of sickly bamboo yellow. Don’t laugh; I got over 175,000 miles out of it before it was stolen.
Here’s what Drummer Knob was driving:
…as part of his trainee-plutocrat program. It was never stolen.
Earworm: Those Were The Days
In a tangential post to the Goodwood Revival, I see the following bit of news:
Each California Spyder Revival will be built by hand from a donor car, using parts produced by GTO Engineering; the company is a renowned Ferrari restoration specialist, and aims to equal or better the quality standards of the original car. The iconic Scaglietti-designed body, for example, will be hand-formed from sheet aluminium using GTO’s own, bespoke tooling.
Despite the focus on authenticity, the California Spyder Revival will also be highly customisable. The customer can choose between three versions of Ferrari’s Columbo V12, from a standard 3.0-litre engine to upgraded 3.5 or 4.0-litre units. The original four-speed gearbox can also be swapped out for a five-speed item, and bespoke exterior paint colours can be specified. The interior is trimmed in leather of the buyer’s choosing, with the option of a smaller wooden steering wheel than the original car.
The purists may wail and shout a bit, but I think it’s fantastic.
…not Jerusalem (with apologies to Tribe Readers).
If there is one motoring event I want to attend — yeah, even more than the F1 GP at Spa Francorchamps — it is the Goodwood Revival weekend event, which took place last weekend. For those who are not familiar with the festivities, it is an annual event wherein respect is paid to times gone by in the automotive world, and it could also be called a long, large costume party, as people are encouraged to wear clothes from a bygone era. I even have clothing picked out for the occasion.
Before we look at the cars, though, let’s look at a sample of attendees from this year’s event:
And my absolute favorite outfit, for all the best reasons:
But enough of the finery; let’s get on with the real stuff, starting with the grid girls:
And they’re off!
Finally: it’s not all about cars, you know…
This is #1 on Ye Olde Buckette Lyst.
Next year, I promise.
Here’s a situation familiar to anyone who’s ever owned a classic British sports car:
She’s a lover of vintage cars, but Kate Moss suffered a set back when her beloved blue vintage MG broke down earlier this week. The supermodel, 47, was forced to abandon her vehicle on the side of the A361 near Burford on Wednesday.
Kate’s classic car had to be collected by a recovery truck from the grassy verge of the road, with a team of mechanics checking the inside of the car and lifting up the bonnet.
As much as I love the things, even I will acknowledge that beauty sometimes requires sacrifice in other areas. But seriously…
…and:
I know: they’re expensive to run and maintain, temperamental, prone to frequent breakdowns, need constant oiling and maybe even a cylinder re-sleeve. But hey, when looked after and in the right hands… pure fun.
With all the bollocks surrounding the miracle electric cars and how they’re going to Save The Planet, etc., anyone with half a brain knows that a.) electric cars need lots of juice to run and b.) the current electricity grid — in any country — would not be able to handle the surge in demand should a country (foolishly) decide to abolish gasoline-powered cars by x date (sooner rather than later).
So how would government handle the problem? Step forward the BritGov, with a wonderful idea:
Charging points for electric cars will be preset to turn off for nine hours a day amid fears they could cause blackouts with the government pushing the switch from diesel and petrol.
From May, every new charger will automatically not function at ‘peak times’ to ease the pressure on the national grid.
There is also set to be a ‘randomised delay’ of up to 30 minutes if there is high demand from motorists.
Yeah, that’s going to get just everyone to dump their Jaguars for Priuses, won’t it?
Fucking morons.