15 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

Reading Doug's 'Racing Mavericks' book, courtesy, yet again, of Roger Clark, I came upon the ATS story. Doug says that Count Volpi, who was originally part of the ATS organization (the cash!), was from Venice, which used to be in the old republic of Serenissima, so he called his team Scuderia Serenissima.

Some time later, he fell out with other members of the organization, left, and took his Serenissima name with him. Now, my problem is that in the 1960s, as well as Scuderia Serenissima, there was also IIRC, a Suderia Venezia, who ran a Porsche 718. What confuses me is, are these 2 actually the same team or were there 2 separate teams, both of which had this Venice/Serenissima connection? And was Count Volpi involved with both of them?

[Doug Nye]

Barrie, from memory the team badge in its latterday form read Scuderia SSS di Venezia - and the mercurial, capricious young Count Volpi might be in with them at breakfast, out from them by lunchtime and then back in again at tea. I have been confused as any by his linkage/lack of it with this team. Volpi's Serenissima car company, however, was a separate undertaking from the team.

DCN

[David McKinney]

I thought the team was just SS Republica di Venezia, for Scuderia Serenissima Republica di Venezia (the stable of the Most Serene Republic of Venice)
But I stand to be corrected ;)

[Doug Nye]

DCN

[alessandro silva]

I seem to remember that the triple S stands for Serenissima

[starlet]

You remember well, Alessandro.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia - is'nt this i beautyful name for a racing team?
The same goes for many of the Italian and French teams. German listees may excuse me, but names like "MC Betonwerke Karl-Marx-Stadt" is not very romantic, don't you think?;)

Stefan

[Barry Boor]

In preparation for making the decals for my Venezia Porsche, I had a go at making the badge, from Doug's image shown above....



It'll do!

[WINO]

Count Volpi ran his team as Scuderia Serenissima in 1960 and 1961, with a variety of other people's designs. The team decals reflected only that name. By 1962 he was gearing up to become his own manufacturer. Planning to use the name Serenissima exclusively for his own designs, the team name changed to Scuderia SSS Repubblica di Veneza. In that capacity Volpi ran the 2-liter, 8-cylinder works Porsches in the 1962 Targa Florio.


WINO

[rudi]

The first badge (1959/60).

From Automodelisme #2.

[WINO]

Obviously the wrong image used by that magazine or the models covered in that issue. I have many photos of Volpi's cars in 1960 and all decals on these cars have th words "Scuderia Serenissima" listed under the Italian flag.

WINO.

[WINO]

Just noticed a photo of Count Volpi's Testa Rossa in the inaugural issue of Auto Aficionado. Now part of Ralph Lauren's collection and on display in Boston, the car is your typical overrestored glossy trailer queen. But it also features incorrect "Serenissima" decals, missing the word Scuderia.

Volpi raced the Testa Rossa first at Nassau 1961, with Graham Hill. Not sure if he had changed the team logo from "Scuderia Serenissima" to "Scuderia SSS di Venezia" for that event already, but he sure did for the next race, Sebring 1962, where the car won. Either way, the current decals are wrong.

WINO

[Bjorn Kjer]

Having some colour questions , I thought it would be convinient to continue under this "decal" thread. As far
as I have been able to see Ferrari and Maserati works car colours did not differ very much if at all. But it seems that Serenissimas red was different , what would you call that ? Also the works Porsche coupe at Targa in 62 was Serenissima red ? and the spyder not ? Any infos ?

[Scuderia SSS]

Maybe if you all put some appropriate questions together i can ask him.
Dont be surprised if he doesn't wish to elaborate on certain questions.

[Sharman]

Barry
I have not seen this thread before, all in all you did very well with Doug's image but I NEVER realised that he had wings, four legs and a tail
John

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by Sharman
Barry
I have not seen this thread before, all in all you did very well with Doug's image but I NEVER realised that he had wings, four legs and a tail
John