Over the last 28 years, the Italian Car Day at Brooklands (run by Ginger Beer Promotions) has become well established as the UK’s premier event for owners and admirers of Italian cars.
The great thing about the Italian Car Day is that you never know exactly what you will see, but it is always spectacular—and there are inevitably some intriguing surprises. Rarely do you find such obscure and exotic Italian machinery, even at the most exclusive (and expensive) static events. Yet at Brooklands, the most fantastic cars are not only running, but running at speed—up the test hill and, often, on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World test track. Visitors can also get closer to the action than at almost any event, anywhere in the world.
Some of the many unique Italian machines that will be exercised on Saturday May 3 include “il drago ruggente” (the roaring dragon), a 1925 aero-engined leviathan that combines a Delage chassis with a 27-liter Isotta Fraschini V12 engine from a Caproni—an Italian heavy bomber. Another great car is the Ferrari 212 F1 raced by Dorino Serafini to 2nd place at the 1951 Syracuse Grand Prix in Sicily.
Among the countless other attractions are the car clubs and registers that have their own dedicated display areas. Expect to see everything from Ferrari supercars to quirky little Fiats, plus Alfas, Maseratis, Lamborghinis and a vast range of more obscure marques, from Abarth, Bizzarrini and De Tomaso, to Innocenti, Moretti and Siata.
Meanwhile, visitors arriving in any Italian car, be it a Fiat or a Ferrari, will be able to park in the areas dedicated to the relevant marque, and thus become part of the show.
Finally, of course, there’s the historically fascinating Brooklands Museum itself. For so many reasons, it’s a day not to be missed.
