17 replies to this topic

[DNQ]

I am researching for information about the farcial Andrea Moda efforts of the 1992 season, for an article I will be writing for my website (http://cfm.globalf1.net).

So far I have read the articles about the team at GrandPrix.com and F1Rejects.com. In addition I have trawled through newsgroups from the early 1990s on Google, and found some quotes from John Watson at the time, in his 1992 season preview:

"Andrea Moda Judd was formerly Coloni and both cars will have to pre-qualify. I regret to say that this is as far as they will get".

I also have a plentiful supply of photos, and so-forth, and am looking to buy a copy of Perry McCarthy's book.

What I am interested in is any comments or memories TNFers may have from their efforts, and any specific examples of their farcial nature. In addition I'd love if anyone had any articles written at the time. I'd also love to hear about Sassetti himself, I can not find much information other than that he was an eccentric, wealthy, Italian playboy.

I also dug up some pictures from 1993 Indy 500 that show Andrea Sassetti didn't totally turn his back on motorsport - there was a car emblazoned with the ANDREA logo entered in that years '500.

Cheers

[Frank Verplanken]

Originally posted by DNQ
I also dug up some pictures from 1993 Indy 500 that show Andrea Sassetti didn't totally turn his back on motorsport - there was a car emblazoned with the ANDREA logo entered in that years '500.

Andrea Moda sponsored one of the EuroMotorsport cars in the 1993 CART Championship series. I think that was the one Andrea Montermini, Andrea Chiesa and others drove along the year. I vaguely remember justice issues there as well.

[Frank Verplanken]

edit : double posting sorry

[canon1753]

IIRC, Montermini actually raced the car reasonably well several times that season. I don't think it finished well, but it raced well a few times (Detroit i seem to remember).

[ensign14]

Sassetti sponsored Indycar after the F1 effort went tits up IIRC. Get Perry McCarthy's book for more SP from someone who was particularly affected...

They turned up with Colonis but were banned from using them cos of the customer car rules (I think Caffi had half a practice session or so in one). They had their own car - a sort of proto-Simtek - ready after the first couple of races. I still maintain it was not totally hopeless a la Life, Moreno got it to a grid, but was hampered by a team that seemed to be winging it. I do wonder whether they might have done better had they been able to enter one car. Certainly the number 35 entry seemed to be a bit of a pointless distraction.

[FLB]

Originally posted by canon1753
IIRC, Montermini actually raced the car reasonably well several times that season. I don't think it finished well, but it raced well a few times (Detroit i seem to remember).

Fourth at the finish at Detroit was a nice result indeed!

[Victor]

I stongly recommend F1 Rejects.

http://www.f1rejects.com/main.html

There is an article about Perry McCarthy that goes through his amazing Andrea Moda adventure.

See http://www.f1rejects.../biography.html

Cheers

[DNQ]

Originally posted by Victor
I stongly recommend F1 Rejects.

http://www.f1rejects.com/main.html

There is an article about Perry McCarthy that goes through his amazing Andrea Moda adventure.

See http://www.f1rejects.../biography.html

Cheers

Cheers for the replies everyone.

Victor, yes, you are right, good read, it was the first site I went to. Love that site, wish they did more team profiles.

Does anyone know what Sassetti does these days? I can not find a single mention of him after 1992 despite crawling through google results. I can only find 1 or 2 really low resolution pictures of him too. Somewhat of an enigma. I did find an article from Joe Saward that says he used to always wear black clothes and pointy shoes.

Does anyone know what happened to the chassis? I imagine they were scrapped?

[DNQ]

One more real long shot ... does any TNFer know any forum-goers, or have any contacts, with anyone that involved in the project at all?

[Neil Smith]

DNQ

there is a 6-page article in issue 13 of this year's Autosprint (Italian equivalent of Autosport or Auto Hebdo). The last 2 pages contain a recent interview with Andrea Sassetti.

The article is available on Autosprint's excellent website at www.autosprint.it. Double click on the front page of the current issue and then on the Archivio tag - you can then select issue 13 and view the article... of course, all you then have to do is to be able to read Italian!

Sassetti says he now runs some restaurants and nightclubs and does construction work. He also says that he spent 6 million lira on the project and never got a penny from any other sponsor.

BTW, he says that he still has the 2 cars - one in Milan and one in a 'capannone' - a shed or a barn - in the Marche. He also says that he is going to drive one at Misano once he has enlarged the cockpit so that he can get in ...

Neil

[DNQ]

Originally posted by Neil Smith
DNQ

there is a 6-page article in issue 13 of this year's Autosprint (Italian equivalent of Autosport or Auto Hebdo). The last 2 pages contain a recent interview with Andrea Sassetti.

The article is available on Autosprint's excellent website at www.autosprint.it. Double click on the front page of the current issue and then on the Archivio tag - you can then select issue 13 and view the article... of course, all you then have to do is to be able to read Italian!

Sassetti says he now runs some restaurants and nightclubs and does construction work. He also says that he spent 6 million lira on the project and never got a penny from any other sponsor.

BTW, he says that he still has the 2 cars - one in Milan and one in a 'capannone' - a shed or a barn - in the Marche. He also says that he is going to drive one at Misano once he has enlarged the cockpit so that he can get in ...

Neil

Excellent Neil, good on ya, cheers for that. Interesting to hear Sasssetti is still willing to talk about the project.

Now I need to find someone keen to translate for me LOL

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Neil Smith

. He also says that he spent 6 million lira on the project

I can translate that figure - 38 pence!

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

Perry McCarthy's book, "Flat Out, Flat Broke" has stacks of stuff.

[Arjan de Roos]

Originally posted by Neil Smith
He also says that he spent 6 million lira on the project

In euro that would be now about 2.500,-. Never call Moda a cheap team effort again!!
Neil, I guess he said 'billione' or 'miliardo lira'.

[fausto]

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos


In euro that would be now about 2.500,-. Never call Moda a cheap team effort again!!
Neil, I guess he said 'billione' or 'miliardo lira'.

Yes, he said six billions (or miliardi, in italian), roughly 3 millions euros...

[gio66]

Hi! I'm a new entry of this wonderful forum.

Sorry for my bad English, I'm italian...

Andrea Moda sponsored one of the EuroMotorsport cars in the 1993 CART Championship series. I think that was the one Andrea Montermini, Andrea Chiesa and others drove along the year.

Yes, Sassetti sponsored the Antonio Ferrari's team but the driver (or one of the drivers) was Davy Jones.
I have seen a picture of the 1993 Indy 500 in the factory of an italian F3 team (Target racing). The "boss" is an ex-Minardi's mechanic and now is working in Spain (Epsilon Euskadi team).

I'll ask about Sassetti when he will return in Italy.

[DNQ]

My completed article on this intriguing little team is now online: http://cfm.globalf1.net/?page_id=157

No doubt there are lots of minor factual errors, but unfortunately it is a very difficult topic to research. It meant that a lot of what I have written is perhaps only backed up secondary sources, meaning there may be some discrepancies with the truth.

[bigbrickz]

Entertaining read. Thanks DNQ