10 replies to this topic

[corsaresearch]

Diego Capelli crashed his Fiat 8V Zagato Spider at the 1953 Cagliari - Sassari - Cagliari race,
held on the Isle of Sardinia. Unfortunately, he did not survive this tragic accident.
For my book on the Fiat 8V and Siata automobiles I'm trying to find some photographs
of the remains of this car, and on the race itself.
Any help ?

[Yorgos]

Unfortunately no reply but another question. Any news on your book on the 33?

Regards
Yorgos

[David T.]

Hallo, in the last number of The Manovella magazine there's a feature on the race you are interested in, with a couple of photos of the restored car. Moreover I have some photos of Mille Miglia Fiat 8Vs. They may be of some interest for you.

[dretceterini]

If you don't mind, I would like the photos too...I count something like 32 Zagato bodied Fiat 8Vs (no Siata 8V Zagatos), but Tony probibly has a more exact number...

I have all the books, including the post war MM book that has a few photos, but would be VERY intertested in any photos you have that are not in the books...

Thanks,
Stu

PS: I will be happy to pay for them; jpeg scans are good enough for my purposes...

[corsaresearch]

T/33 book not for the near future. First I want to finish these two volumes (8V Fiat & Siata) and next
book to come then will be on the Fiat Grand Prix cars. T/33 a little to modern for me ...

Thanks for the info about La Manovella. I have been a subscriber for several years on this magazine.
Unfortunately, they do not have an image of this (crashed) car either. Of course I'm interested in the
8V photo's you have. Maybe there is something in there that I want to use. Please email me.

[dretceterini]

Tony (and all) :

I was under the impression that the next two books are to be on (1) The Fiat AND Siata 8Vs (2) ALL the Siatas, from the Topolino based cars, through the period of the Siata "Spring".

Am I mistaken?

There is actually quite a bit out there on the Alfa T33s, if you look; it's just that it's not all in one place...

As to books I would like to see...

(1) The Coppa Intereuropa

(2) A book on the Targa Florio, similar to Orsini's book on the Mille Miglia, with FULL entry lists, and at least SOME photos of the small displacement cars.


Stu

[alessandro silva]

Photographs of the 8V Zagato spider at the MM 1953 and after reconstruction, 1954, in Curami-Vergnano "la sport ed i suoi artigiani" GiorgioNada 2001, page 322.

[Yorgos]

Originally posted by dretceterini


..............
There is actually quite a bit out there on the Alfa T33s, if you look; it's just that it's not all in one place...
..................

With the emphasis on 'not in one place' as in scattered.
What I hope to see one day on the 33 is a combination of Alleggerita and Ronnie Spains GT40 book.
Is that asking too much?

Yorgos

[corsaresearch]

I plan two publish two books in one slipcase - one book on the Fiat 8V and the other one on Siata, starting form its most early days - 1926 onwards - to the mid-fiftees. I do not intend to write about the Siata cars that came after the 208 series and the 1250 GT Zagato. So from the Fiat 514 onwards to the mid-fiftees. No Spring, no 1500 TS etc.

If all goes according to plan these two books will be in the specialized shop by the end of next year.

Coppa InterEuropa and Targa Florio are all very exciting.
I'm working on a Targa Florio 'project' with a good friend of me - the Targa will be 100 years in 2006 - and we are trying to work to that deadline.

You have to understand that it is not easy to 'just' make a book... There are a lot of difficulties and I can assure you all that it sometimes takes a lot of guts to go on. And money too. I'm working on the 8V project for almost 8 years now. I have a family, I have a normel daytime job - these books are a labor of love - something you work on when the time is available.

There is the production cost of the book itself, but don't underestimate the cost of period photographs and other period material. I perfectly understand why you have to pay almost 400$ for Simon Morre's Alfa 2.3 book. So many unpublished photographs and such a beautiful printing quality with a layer of varnish over every photo...I wander if you have noticed this but this is an extra print...and an extra cost. But the result is magnificent.

But sometimes it takes more - something you haven't been able to find. For example - I have a collection of original 6x6 negatives on the Rallye Sestrieres from 1951 to 1959. I have thousands and thousands. I wanted to make a small book about this, using my own photo's but I couldn't - and still can't - find complete entry lists for all these events. You probably want to know who is in the picture, who is driving that car don't you ... ? But I wasn't lucky to find it so there is no book...

Many people have asked me when they will be able to find the T/33 book. Let me try to explain you why I still haven't started on this one, although I have collected a wealth of period photographs.
Personally I feel that - apart from the two-litre models - the T/33 looks too modern for me. I prefer older sports and racing cars, even vintage and veteran so the '70s TT12s absolutely don't fit in that. I'm sorry. This may sound stupid, but if I'm not interested in a certain car it is difficult to pay much attention to it. From the '60s onwards my interest goes down.
Another important factor is that nothing is available on chassis and engine numbers, and isn't it just that piece of information what we all are waiting for ?

[dretceterini]

Tony (and all) :

I TOTALLY agree. I could have written La Sport E I Suoi Artigiani myself, if it weren't for the virtual imposibility of getting "etceterini" photos here in the US, and/or the cost of buying the rights to them from people like Corrado Millanta's widow.

In general, it's the lack of photos that make doing a book on an obscure subject difficult, if not impossible.

What I do NOT understand about someone not having done a REALLY good book on the Targa Florio already is that I would think it would be one of the easiest to find records and photos on.
The Garcea book is "OK", but I would really like to see a TF book with the full entry lists each year, along with photos of some of the smaller displacment cars.

Sure, Ferraris and Maseratis are "more" important to the average enthusiast, but true race coverage should include at least something on the little cars...
Stu

[dretceterini]

Tony:

I know you are as obsessive about doing things "right" as I am, but a Sestriere rally book, eeven without all the details, is better than none...I know I would buy it...

Stu