The Iso Rivolta Chronicles is a series of short films about the cars of Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A, and the modern collectors who keep them alive. For the uninitiated, Iso was a refrigeration company until after WWII when they branched out into cars and motorcycles, one of their most famous early creations was the Iso Isetta…
A Short History of the Lamborghini Countach LP400 When the bright yellow prototype of the Lamborghini Countach LP400 was first shown to the public at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show many wondered if designer Marcello Gandini had lost his mind. How could this angular, trapezoid-based design have come from the same hand as the almost obscenely…
The Lancia Delta S4 is a car designed to race in the most compelling, and dangerous, form of rallying ever devised – Group B. Both supercharging and turbocharging were used on the Delta S4, a system commonly referred to as twincharging, and in full race trim the 890 kilogram car was capable of over 500…
The Ferrari 250 series was built from 1953 till 1964, they included some of the most iconic cars of all time as well as the most expensive car sold at auction (to date), the Ferrari 250 GTO. The Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Series II As with most of the Ferrari 250s, the 250 GT Series…
A very brief history of Officine Rossopuro Filippo Barbacane started Officine Rossopuro in 1998 as a small shop that sold custom motorcycles, as well as parts and apparel. Based out of Abruzzo in the mountainous region of East-Central Italy, the little shop quickly made a name for itself in Italy and around Europe, and today…
The first generation Ducati 900SS was the successor to the bike that saved Ducati from oblivion in April of 1972 when Paul Smart won the Imola 200 aboard a 750cc Super Sport prototype, with fellow Ducati rider Bruno Spaggiari finishing second. Ducati in the 1970s The early 1970s were an exceedingly challenging time for European motorcycle…
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA was the out-and-out race version of the Giulia Sprint GT road car – just 500 GTAs were built for homologation and today they’re highly sought after by collectors and vintage racers. The Story of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA The “A” added at the tail end of the…
The Vespa SS90 is much sought after by collectors due to its extreme rarity, just over 5000 were made between 1965 and 1971, and most of these have been lost to the ravages of rust, time, and overly ambitious riders. Vespa is Italian for “wasp”, a well-chosen name for a company that started out making buzzy…
The Intermeccanica Italia Spyder is an Italian/Canadian/American sports car with a fascinating albeit complex history. Just 400 or so were built between 1966 and 1972, and surviving examples have been skyrocketing in price due to their rarity, good looks, and inexpensive maintenance costs (thanks to their American drivetrains). The Story of Intermeccanica Intermeccanica was founded by…
The 365 GTB/4 Daytona is a car built by the Italians at Ferrari to win back the “World’s Fastest Car” crown from the Italians at Lamborghini. It was never intended to be known as the Daytona, rumour has it that Enzo Ferrari hated the name, but after the marque’s decisive 1-2-3 finish at the February 1967 24…
The Ferrari 166 MM was to be the first Ferrari that would ever win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – taking outright victory in 1949. It was a busy year for Ferrari, and before it drew to a close the 166 MM had also taken victories at both the Mille Miglia and the…
The Moto Guzzi Le Mans began life on the race track back in 1971 when Dutchman Jan Kampen decided to build a racing Moto Guzzi for the Zandvoort six-hour race. Kampen’s bike had the Moto Guzzi V-twin engine’s capacity increased to 810cc. As Kampen and Moto Guzzi engineer Lino Tonti were in regular communication with…
