The doors of the four-day "Auto e Moto d'epoca" trade fair in Padova opened for the 30th time on October 24. It is the most important classic car exhibition in Italy and over 60,000 visitors from all over Europe make the pilgrimage to Padua every year. More than 3,000 classic vehicles were presented on over 90,000 square meters of exhibition space. The range on display in the exhibition halls was impressive - Italophiles would call it "bellissimo".
50 years of the Porsche 911
The Porsche stand was also impressive. In 2013, the 50th anniversary of the 911 dominated Italy's largest classic car trade fair. The new Porsche 911 50th anniversary edition celebrated its Italian premiere in Padua. And because the original 911 world premiere took place at the IAA in 1963, this anniversary edition of the 911 Type 991 is limited to exactly 1,963 units.
There was also a 1973 Porsche 911 RSR racing car from the Porsche Museum on display, as well as the second oldest Porsche 356 from Stuttgart and a beautiful VW Porsche 914, under whose windshield you could read an Italian magazine with the following article "Di VW ne aveva soltanto il nome" ("From VW he only had the name...")!
Huge anniversary parade
A parade of the "Italian Tour" organized by Porsche Italia, in which more than 1500 911s took part, drove past the trade fair. The most beautiful examples, including two beautiful original 911s, were even allowed to park in front of the trade fair. A total of more than 820,000 Porsche 911s were built, 38,300 of which are currently on the road in Italy, according to Porsche Italia AG at the "Auto e Moto d'Epoca".
Large mix of vehicles and brands
Of the more than 2,000 vehicles on display, everything was there: from the brand new Mercedes S-Class (Mercedes-Benz showed its entire history of luxury-class model series in Padua) to youngtimers such as the Nissan Figaro to a rare Fiat Cinquecento convertible from the 1990s or rare pre-war Lancia. Many local cars were on display, especially small cars such as the Fiat 500 and 600 (including many 600 Multipla models in both the normal and estate versions).
Hardly any bargains
Bargains were the exception rather than the rule. Prices for Porsche 356s were higher on average in Padua than north of the Gotthard. There were dozens of original Porsche models for sale at the "Auto e Moto d'Epoca". For a Porsche 356 1500 Pre-A Coupe with a 1.6-liter engine, for example, an exhibitor from Austria asked 159,000 euros.
An Alfa Romeo RZ from 1993 was cheaper (one dealer asked 39,000 euros for the 22nd of 286 Zagato roadsters built).
The price tag on a 1968 Fiat 850 Lucciola by carrozziere Francis Lombard was also comparatively low. The Fiat 850 Lucciola is to the Fiat 850 what the Renault 7 is to the R5 or the VW Santana is to the Passat and the Jetta is to the Golf: a four-door notchback variant. In the case of the Fiat, however, this variant could only be purchased from a specialist coachbuilder.
Individual parts and restoration objects
You could also buy body parts, even extremely rare ones, namely the plastic panels of a rare 40-year-old Formula 1 Marlboro-BRM racing car, which was driven by Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda and Jean-Pierre Beltoise in 1973. After all, you had to invest 12,000 euros for it, certainly something for the Ikea furniture fans...
Also very rare but ten times cheaper, a Renault 4 assembled by Alfa Romeo under Renault license was for sale for 1,200 euros, albeit in heavily "patinated" condition.
Many believe that the Alfasud was the first Alfa Romeo below the size of what is now known as the mid-size class. But as early as 1959, Alfa Romeo built the Dauphine and the R4 (from 1962) under license for the Italian market in Pomigliano d'Arco (southern Italy). The Alfa Romeo Dauphine and Alfa Romeo R4 were equipped with Italian accessories, but otherwise presented themselves technically and externally like the Dauphine and R4 from Renault.
One-offs from earlier and later
The Stola GTS, a Porsche Boxster modified by Italian designer Alfredo Stola, is also extremely rare. The car exists exactly once and celebrated its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003.
Another coupé, which only exists once, was exhibited in Padua. It was the Lancia Flaminia "Speciale". This coupé celebrated its premiere at the 1963 Salone di Torino, was then exhibited at the 1964 Motorshow de Bruxelles and took part in the 1965 Concours d'Elégance in Alassio and Cortina d'Ampezzo before Battista Pininfarina, one year before his death, ennobled this beautiful coupé as his personal company car. The Lancia Flaminia Speciale later ended up in the Matsuda Collection in Japan. It has been back in Italy since 2011.
Another one-off to admire in Padua was the 959 Cabriolet. Even if it never left the factory halls in this form, there is still one example as a convertible. According to Wikipedia, the first delivery of the car delivered as a coupé was to racing driver Jürgen Lässig. He was involved in a rear-end collision with an Audi 80 on the highway near Singen, in which the 959 was severely damaged at the front right and on the side. The wreck went to Auto Becker, where it was converted into a convertible and then exhibited at the IAA in Frankfurt. In addition to the necessary newly welded-in stabilizers, the car can be converted at any time into a normal convertible, a speedster and, with the original roof retained, a hardtop coupé - in just a few simple steps and by replacing the windscreen and soft top.
Ferrari and Maserati too, of course
Last but not least, Ferrari and Maserati exhibited a selection of beautiful vehicles at the show (288 GTO, F40, Gilles Villeneuve's F1 126 C, F1 90, F1 2000 and Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder, Ghibli SS Coupé and the Maserati 6CM).
Finally, the range of high-priced vehicles available from the relevant dealers and restorers was almost immeasurable. And the range of parts dealers, automotive suppliers and booksellers also meant that some people spent longer at the trade fair than planned. And then there was the excellent Italian food and heavenly coffee ....
Padua was definitely worth a visit!
