Hard
to believe this was the seventh year of the largest Italian car
gathering in the Chicago area. From its humble beginnings
in July 2000 at The Car Club in Vernon Hills, IL where the cars
outnumbered the available spaces, Automobili Italiane has really
grown to become
a not-to-be-missed event in the Midwest area. Organized by members
of the Ferrari Club of America Central States Chapter, the event
features static displays of all types of Italian cars and motorcycles,
both judged and display-only categories, drive-by trophy presentations,
and several vendors exhibiting a wide range of products and services
including artwork and photography, car care products, and automotive
apparel.
As is so
often the case in the Midwest, the weather was a bit of a gamble
once again. The forecast called for possible rain during
the week leading up to the event, but luck prevailed and Sunday
remained dry, as it has since the event’s inception.
The kicker was on Saturday when the cars were to be placed
on the
fairway. The Eaglewood
catered a delicious outdoor welcome reception/buffet for event
participants Saturday evening, but the threat of late afternoon
thundershowers
kept some folks away. The threat of rain soon turned to reality,
but resort staff quickly gathered everything up and moved it
all into an indoor banquet room overlooking the fairway. Unfortunately,
it also meant another detail job for those who had already placed
their cars. By Sunday morning, the rain had passed but there
was
still a chance for another round of afternoon showers.
As the field
took shape, all manner of Italian cars made their appearance
to be admired by the spectators. The Ferraris made
up the largest
group, with a couple of highlights being a 333SP and a stunning
250PF Cabriolet, which ultimately won Best of Show honors.
Other clubs
showing large turnouts were the Allantes with their Pininfarina
bodywork, the Alfa Romeos and Fiats/Etceterini each with about
twenty examples.
Once again, the Maseratis were scarce with only two vehicles
eligible for judging, but beautiful cars they were. A carefully
prepared
red 1980 Merak SS and a 2006 GranSport vied for judges’ votes,
with the Merak taking class honors. Several other new Maseratis were
shown for display by co-sponsor Continental Ferrari/Maserati, including
a Quattroporte Sport GT and GranSport Spyder, thoughtfully positioned
in a trident pattern on one of the greens overlooking the fairway.
And the weather held out – sunny, 80s, and no rain! After
the awards were presented, the winners drove off with their
trophies, and the volunteers packed up the displays, the event
was declared
a success with bigger plans in store for next year..
So, why so few Maseratis at the Midwest events? I know the
cars are out there, but why aren’t they being shown? Of course there
are fewer Maseratis than some other Italian marques, but still...
these are special cars with a special history and deserve to shown
and admired by the public. They’re all welcome – racers,
GTs, Biturbos, and current models. If they’re dirty, clean ‘em
up. If they’re not running, fix ‘em. If they’re
not 95+ pointers, bring ‘em anyway. But please get the
cars out. If you have suggestions or ideas for events that
would increase
the numbers of cars at the Midwest events, please let me know. |
