Lost in a Reverie at the Museo Nicolis

Somewhere off the highway between Verona and Mantova, there is a museum that is a must for any car lover visiting the Veneto region of Italy. The Nicolis museum celebrates the legacy of collector Luciano Nicolis, who passed away a few years ago leaving behind an amazing and diverse collection of cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and machinery, as well as ephemera and even period clothing from the 20th century.

The Museo Nicolis is multiple floors of beautifully presented Lancias, Alfas, Maseratis and more, contextualized amid design objects and costumes that would have been used by their wealthy owners. Perhaps the crown jewels of the collection are the ex-Eva Peron Maserati A6 1500 coupe Pininfarina, and the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8, which was used as a display model to sell these sumptuous cars in the States.For Lancisti, this is probably one of the finer collections you could hope to see of pre-1970 Lancias. The most special Lancia would be the Astura that is still run in the classic Mille Miglia by the children of Mr. Nicolis.

There are also plenty of obscure Etceterini, and interestign one-offs and customs to dazzle the eye. Another incredible object on display is the Vanderbilt Cup, on loan from the Alfa Romeo museum. Produced by Cartier, It may be the finest trophy I have ever laid eyes on. Just two names are engraved on its base: those of Bernd Rosemeyer and local Mantovan hero Tazio Nuvolari.Have a look through the full gallery of the museum HERE.

Automobiliac visits the Alfa Romeo Museo Storico in Arese, Italy - HUGE GALLERY!

In an effort to bring all of you new content, I found myself at the Avis counter in Milan's Malpensa airport asking for an Alfa MiTo. Sadly they were out of them, but I got a new FIAT 500 instead.  It was far better than expected, with a surprisingly high standard of material fit and finish inside and out. The engine was a tad wimpy, but the handling was fun and the turning radius nothing short of miraculous.

I drove about 30 minutes on the A8 Autostrada to get to the Alfa museum in Arese, which is sort of like the same distance from Milan as Dearborn is from Detroit. Driving in Italian traffic was a lot more fun than I anticipated, and I soon found myself zooming through roundabouts with gusto. 

Please click on the image below to access my gallery of the visit, which contains about 130 photos.  The light was a little low, so a few of them are a tad blurry. Make sure you don't miss page 2 as well!