Sergio's Nationalistic Bluster doesn't impress me

"Alfa Romeo is not for sale," said Sergio Marchionne this week, batting down repeated rumors and rumblings about VW buying the brand from FIAT, which continues to face financial woes.  Any reader of this site knows that I believe strongly that Alfa would be better off in the brand portfolio of the German giant than in the hands of incompetent Italian management.

My heart of course likes the idea of "keeping the brand Italian." But the historical record has shown that in every industry in Italy, foreign management has saved Italian brands from their own ineptitude. FIAT is one of the last major Italian companies that isn't a subsidiary of a foreign corporation.

But Sergio, in the sort of blatant rhetorical posturing one would expect from a politician rather than a captain of industry declared that "Counting on foreigners to act as Italy's saviors is the greatest idiocy I have heard in my life." Was it idiocy in World War Two when the allies liberated your country from its own self-inflicted tyrrany?  And when Nestle and other major brands bought up all of your food and beverage brands and offered them to the world market, was that idiocy?

The only idiocy I observe here is the willfull ignorance of fact that all of the new Lancias are re-badged American cars, and Sergio's plans for the new Alfa roadster are based on a Mazda platform!  So let's cut this nationalistic bullshit and call a spade a spade.  This isn't about Italy. This isn't about national pride. It's about your ego and the self-delusional force-field you wear on a daily basis.Sergio receives a shoulder rub and advice on political posturing from il maestro.What Sergio did to Lancia is not only unforgiveable, it is concrete evidence that he doesn't mean a word of what he says.  Sergio, the sooner you realize that your false patriotism is killing what's left of Italy's noble car brands, the better off those brands will be. 

via jalopnik

E-types at Goodwood

I'll be honest with you. I have seen too many E-types for my own good. They're gorgeous cars but having seen too many of them sitting still at concours events over the years, they had begun to lose their magic.  Thankfully, watching them race at Goodwood rekindled the excitement for me. Lightweight E-types have such an aggressive stance, with their hunkered down look and rear fender flares, you just can't help getting a little excited.  Then there's the fixed hard top the trunklid vents, and exposed fuel filler cap, adding that unmistakably purposeful feel.  Lastly, there is the sound.  The Jaguar inline six in all its glory is really something to behold, even in a field with Ferrari V12s.  And of course besides the lightweights, there was the ultra-sleek Low Drag coupe, which is just sublime.  The E-types don't just look good. They dominated the race. The #25 Martin Brundle/Adrian Newey car --shown up top in white and red-- crushed the opposition, with a 30 second margin of victory.  Of course one must assume that given Newey's god-like aerodynamic prowess (he used to design all the best F1 cars for Williams then McLaren, in case you hadn't heard of him), the car was probably better set up than anyone else's!  Notice how much lower it is, and I don't think the slightly open trunklid is an accident. I think it's a subtle attempt at getting less lift over the rear wheels.My favorite Jag in the race, aside from the Low Drag, was the grey number 10 car.  In a storming drive from 11th place to 4th, one could observe the inside front wheel lift clear off the ground under hard cornering!  You see that in old movies, but to see it in person was just magic!And of course through the magic of youtube, here is a video taken from inside the #10 car!

Back at Last! Goodwood Revival galleries galore!

My friends, the demands of running my own company have meant increased business travel, so I apologize for these periods of quiet and I appreciate your patience in checking back to make sure we're still here!  But I am trying to make the posts I put up that much more exciting to compensate for your loyalty.I am back from the Goodwood Revival with some really great photos to share with you. Our first gallery is from the Sussex Trophy race, which was the final race of the event.  The driving level at this event is top notch, and the racing was just thrilling to watch.  Stay tuned for more extensive description of the Goodwood experience, and photos from the other events, the paddock, and the Silver Arrows demonstration. Video too.  Lots to share. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SUSSEX TROPHY GALLERY

Alfa dogfight at Lime Rock

I attended the Lime Rock Vintage festival this weekend and had an absolute blast! My friend Santo (pictured below), who with his brother Frank runs the Dominick's foreign car shop in White Plains, NY, posted this wonderful video of himself dicing with another Alfa. Grab some popcorn and watch the race!

Riding Shotgun: BMW M1

When you see an M1 gliding down the street towards you, you may have to rub your eyes, because it isn't a flying saucer.  But the sight is certainly otherwordly. Giugiaro's clean lines are a familiar sight, and the resemblance to the Lotus Esprit S1 and the Delorean are not coincidental.  But somehow the BMW looks more racey than the other Giugiaro wedges, and has some really stunning proportions that blow the other two cars away.  Performance-wise, there is obviously no competition. The M1 wins, hands down.Particularly when seen from the side view, the M1 just looks right. Many wedge cars look too long in front and too short in back, but the overhangs are just the right balance with the M1.  The minimalist campagnolo rims really set the car off in period-perfect fashion. Phil was very eager to take the M1 out and stretch its legs. He confided that of his 4 lovely machines, the M1 is probably his favorite.  He praised its comfort and usability, but also its power and outright speed. Similar in temperament to the much later Acura NSX, the M1 is a docile pet when driven round town, that transforms into a feral beast when uncorked on the open road.Unlike my rides in the Stratos and the A110, which were on local roads, my experience in the M1 was enriched by Phil's decision to take it on a quick sprint up the NJ turnpike for some fuel.  As we rocketed off the onramp, we could see slack-jawed New Jersey motorists craning their necks in their cars as our teutonic space craft flew effortlessly past.  When on the cam, the race-bred straight 6 engine produces a fierce, howling exhaust note that you just want to hear more of.  Phil obliged by dropping the hammer at every opportunity. Every downshift is announced with a deep, single backfire that sounds like a howitzer firing from a distant hilltop.When we brought the car back to the garage, some neighbors were out, and asked what kind of car it was. I think most people would be surprised, as they were, to learn that it is a BMW, and not a Lamborghini or Ferrari.  Obviously the car wears Italian clothing, and other than the wedge-nosed 8 series and europe-only Z1, it is certainly an aesthetic outlier within the BMW family.  Yet it is arguably the most iconic, desirable BMW since the original 328 or the 507. Though the 2002 and the 3.5 CSL may have defined the 70s for BMW, the M1 is in its own league of supercars that no BMW since has really come close to.  It's in the pantheon of true mid-engined exotics, and had its own PROCAR single-make race series to boot!  And although I commend BMW for focusing on the core competency in sport sedans, one only wishes to see them produce a car this special once again.  The recent i8 concept certainly alludes strongly to the M1, but production reality is still far behind the dream.Click HERE for the entire BMW M1 gallery!

Thanks a lot, Phil. A morning most well spent!