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110 Year-Old Fiat Targa Florio Race Car Coming to the NEAM Father’s Day Car Show June 18th

1907 Fiat 60HP Targa Florio Corsa owned by Manny and George Dragone of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Norwalk, Conn. – The first of the classic European road races was the Targa Florio, which began in 1906 and continued until 1976. The first course was three laps of 92-around the Madonie Mountains. Fiat’s entry in 1907 was led by Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro. At the end of the first lap Lancia was in the lead, but ultimately it was Nazzaro in the 60HP who won the second Targa Florio. That same year he also won the French Grand Prix and the German Kaiserpreis also in Fiat race cars. This is one of the five original 60 HP Fiat team cars from the Targa Florio. It was discovered with a touring body and has been restored to the specification raced by the great drivers of 1907 by Manny and George Dragone of Bridgeport.

In 1907, there were 51 entrants in the 2nd Targa Florio race in Sicily, including pioneer automakers Darracq, Itala, De Dietrich, Benz, Berliet, Gobron-Brille, Daimler, Clement, Junior, Star-Rapid, Zust, Diatto-Clement, Radia, Ajax, Isotta-Frashini, Rolland-Plain, Opel and the five 7.4 liter/60HP Fiats. Felice Nazarro won the race with a Fiat, followed by Fiat teammate, Vincenzo Lancia, just 12 minutes later and after nearly 8 ½ hours of racing. Lancia also posted the fastest lap of the race, with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, 8 seconds. A third Fiat finished in 8th place driven by Aldo Weilschott. The other two Fiat team cars do not appear in the race results, but Fiat established itself as one of the leading automakers in the world.

Vincenzo Lancia and mechanic and future superstar driver of the 20’s Pietro Bordino, pushing their Fiat F1 in the pits

In 1907, at the age of 26, Felice Nazzaro was the greatest driver in the world. With his effortless and immaculate technique, he stayed at the top, retiring from premier level racing in 1924 after almost 25 years in the most dangerous game in the world. A cagey driver, Nazzaro would often hang back at the beginning of a race, waiting for the leaders to fail and then would pounce into the lead, sometimes making the fastest lap in the process.

Nazzaro was very young when he started work in the workshop of the Ceriano brothers (Fiat founders) and he was soon competing for the new Fiat racing team. He won the Padua 200 km race in 1900 at the wheel of a red Fiat and the 1901 Giro d’Italia in a 6HP Fiat. The popular star of numerous Italian races early in the century; he even became an idol abroad, with a brilliant second place for Fiat in the Gordon Bennett Cup of 1905. Slight of build, gentlemanly of nature and immaculate in dress, his skill as a driver, mechanic and diplomat earned him the position of ‘works’ Fiat driver alongside Vincenzo Lancia in 1905.

The car resides in the Dragone Classics showroom in Westport, CT

While the Fiat Company has records of the serial numbers of the cars that were sent to the Targa Florio, it is not known which cars finished and which didn’t. Records show that the Dragone’s car was shipped to Argentina after the 1908 racing season, where it was fitted with a touring body. It was parked on a ranch in the 1920s and remained there until discovered by Californian Ben Moser in 1976. Moser was successful in obtaining its Targa Florio documentation directly from Fiat, but it wasn’t until 1990 that he was finally able to make its purchase. Unfortunately, Moser passed away before the car arrived in the U.S. The Dragone’s purchased the Fiat from the Moser estate in 1991.

The Fiat’s 4-cylinder 7.4 liter engine rated at 60 hp

The Dragone’s 1907 Fiat Targa Florio race car will be featured at the Father’s Day Car Show on Sunday, June 18th at Mathews Park in Norwalk. Anyone interested in showing a car at the show may pre-register online at the New England Auto Museum website at only $15/per car or at the gate on the day of the show for $20/per car. All show cars will be welcome with no cut-off year. Spectator admission is free. Prizes will include awards for the Peoples’ Choice, the Mayor’s Choice, Favorite in Show and many more. Dash plaques will be available for the first 100 cars to register.

New England Auto Museum
The New England Auto Museum will be an exciting new attraction for the state of Connecticut and throughout the Northeast. This non-profit organization will build a first class facility dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting historic automobiles and automobile artifacts. It will serve as both an educational learning center as well as a display center to highlight an ever changing evolution of car history and its impact on society. Find more information at www.neautomuseum.org

Sneak Peak! New Fiat 124 Spider on its way to Father’s Day Car Show in Norwalk on Sunday June 19

2017 Fiat 124 Spider (Photo Fiat)

Norwalk, Conn. – The Fiat 124 Spider first hit the road in 1966 as a 2+2 roadster based on the 124 Coupe’s platform. The model lived a long life, as it ran all the way through 1982. When Mazda announced that it was creating an all-new 2016 MX-5 Miata, it also revealed that it co-developed the roadster’s chassis with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, owners of the Fiat brand. Initially, FCA was going to use the chassis to underpin an Alfa Romeo roadster, but it later chose to use it under a Fiat model. Then, in March 2015 at the Geneva Auto Show, FCA announced that the new Fiat convertible would resurrect the 124 Spider nameplate starting in 2016. The roadster was finally unveiled at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Although it shares underpinnings with the new MX-5 Miata, the 124 Spider received an exterior styling of its own, sharing not even a single body panel with its Japanese sibling. The engine is also different, with Fiat opting to use one of its very own turbocharged four-cylinder units developed by Alfa Romeo.

If you’re among those who were complaining about Mazda not offering a turbo Miata, then the 124 Spider might be what you’re looking for. While they feature different exteriors and engines, the roadsters share an almost identical interior. That’s not to say Fiat was lazy and didn’t want to give the 124’s cabin an identity of its own. It actually has to do with reducing costs and the fact that the MX-5’s interior is very spacious and comfortable for a small car.

Styling of the Fiat 124 Spider has been termed “arguably the most beautiful, elegant, and well-proportioned neo-retro design seen in a very long time” by TopSpeed.com. What makes the 124 Spider such a beautiful car is that it borrowed several styling cues from the original model. Designed by Tom Tjaarda at Pininfarina, the first-generation 124 Sport Spider, which was launched in 1966, is widely considered one of the most beautiful roadsters ever built.

The very first 2017 Fiat 124 Spiders imported to North America are just now arriving in the Greater New York area and one will hopefully arrive in time for the Father’s Day Car Show in Mathews Park, Norwalk this Sunday, June 19 courtesy of one of the show’s Premium Sponsors, Alfa Romeo Fiat of Larchmont. The dealership is owned by Alfredo Gulla, an authorized Alfa Romeo Fiat dealer since 1961, who will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2nd Annual Father’s Day event supporting the nonprofit New England Auto Museum.

The show will run from 10 AM to 3 PM and is open to all years, makes and models of show cars. Owners can pre-register their cars at www.neautomuseum.org for $10 per car. Spectators’ admission to the show is free with a voluntary donation suggested to the New England Auto Museum, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization. Nearby attractions the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum and Stepping Stones Children’s Museum will be open during the show with special promotions for Father’s Day.

New Fiat 124 Spider with its vintage namesake (Photo Fiat)