The Cortile
  • Home
    • Media Registration
    • About
    • History >
      • Proiettore 2022
      • Proiettore 2021
      • Proiettore 2019
      • Proiettore 2018
      • Proiettore 2017
      • Proiettore 2016 >
        • Friday 2016
      • Proiettore 2015 >
        • Wednesday 2015
        • Thursday 2015
        • Friday 2015
      • Proiettore 2014
    • Contact
    • Event Rules
    • Trailer Parking
    • Staff info >
      • Volunteer Form
      • Set up & Staging
      • To Do
      • Receiving Tent
      • Reception Tent
      • Parking
      • Clubhouse
      • Westinghouse
      • Emergency
  • News
  • Cortile Cup
    • Judging
    • Definitions
    • Cortile Cup 2021
    • Cortile Cup 2017
    • Cortile Cup 2016
    • Cortile Cup 2015
    • Cortile Cup 2014
    • Cortile Cup 2013
    • Cortile Cup 2012
    • Cortile Cup 2011
    • Inception
  • Marques
    • Carrozzeria >
      • Bertone
      • Ghia
      • Pininfarina
      • Scaglietti
      • Vignale
      • Zagato
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Bandini
    • Bizzarrini
    • Cisitalia
    • De Tomaso
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Innocenti
    • Iso Rivolta
    • Lamborghini
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Moretti
    • Siata
    • Stanguellini
    • Taraschi
  • Sponsors
    • Ferrari of Philadelphia
    • Maserati of Pittsburgh
    • Pitt SAE Race Team
    • State Farm
    • Become a Sponsor
  • Events
    • Proiettore 2023
    • Saturday
    • Sunday

2015 PVGP Marque of the Year – The Cars of Italy

2/15/2015

0 Comments

 

"Marques of Italy"

Pittsburgh, PA. The 2015 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is celebrating “The Marques of Italy”.  There are so many beautiful Italian cars that it is just too difficult to select just one to recognize. What’s your favorite? Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Abarth, Lancia or maybe one of the lesser known brands like Iso, Bandini, Siata or Stangueillini. They are all welcome and we hope to see more than 400 cars!

Italian cars of all years and all will be featured throughout all ten days of our event, including an All Italian race at Schenley Park on Sunday July 19. If you own a new or vintage Italian car or are just a fan, the 2015 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix this is the place to be this summer! The PVGP is the nation’s largest vintage race event, covering ten full days that includes racing, car shows and parades.
Picture

Fiat FreakOut

Picture
To add to the excitement the Grand Prix and the Cortile are also hosting the Fiat Club America’s "FreakOut" Annual North American Convention during the July 17-19 Schenley Park weekend. This event typically draws 200+ Fiats and Lancia from all over North America. Combined with our Italian Marque we are expecting to fill the 18th fairway!

The Italian Cortile will host all Italian Car events this year from its location at the Pittsburgh Golf Club on the 18th hole of the golf course. The Cortile was formed by the PVGP’s Bernie Martin in 2009 in response to the overwhelming success of the 2008 Marque of the Year which also honored all Italian cars. Now in it’s 7th year the Cortile has grown into one of the PVGP's most popular car shows.

Our 2015 Race Week is slated for July 10 through 19 with July 18/19 slated as the featured Race Weekend at Schenley Park. This will be your homepage to track all Marque activities. The button below is for on-line registration. 

Social Media
Follow the hashtags for the most updates: #PVGP #FFO15
The cost is $125 to participate in our Marques of Italy, the Cortile and the Fiat FreakOut.  Register and pay on-line here. All proceeds benefit the Grand Prix Charities. If you are with the Fiat FreakOut you must register on the Fiat Club America website in order to have your car qualified for judging.

2015 Grand Prix Race Week Schedule

Here are the events during our ten day festival where Italian car’s will take center stage:
  • Kick-Off Rallye Sunday, July 5 While driving your own Italian car you can participate in this three hour tour through Pittsburgh and the countryside. There will be special awards for Italian competitors. Details
  • Blacktie & Tailpipes Gala, Friday, July 10 This grand affair will celebrate in formal black tie style at South Hills Country Club. Details
  • PVGP Historic Weekend at Pitt-Race Complex – July 10-12 Come on out to watch our historic races at the newly expanded track at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.  Details
  • Invitational Car Show on Walnut Street – Monday, July 13 This invitation only show will feature more than a dozen significant Italian cars. Details
  • Waterfront Car Cruise – Tuesday July 14 Join 700 other car owners for a cruise at the Waterfront Mall in Homestead.  Details
  • Downtown Race Car Parade & Display – Wednesday July 15 There are opportunities for 20 Italian cars to participate in the 100+ car parade and plaza display including a special display at Point State Park. Details
  • Grand Prix Tune-Up at Atria’s  – Wednesday July 15 Plan to attend this exclusive event downtown at Atria’s at PNC Park. – Italian cars of all years will be parked on the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Details
  • Countryside Tour – Thursday July 16 Travel through the back roads of Western PA for an unforgettable journey. Italian cars manufactured before 1984 are welcome. Details
  • Concert at the Hard Rock Cafe – Thursday July 17 The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is excited to hold this event for the third year at the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square featuring a night of fun and music. Bands to be announced in the spring.  Details
  • Schenley Park Race Weekend – July 18/19 The main event on Saturday and Sunday features a special display area for 400 Italian cars as part of the 2,000 car International Car Show. Throughout the weekend watch vintage races on the nearby city streets. Details Many events will occur during this ten day event, so please don’t hesitate to contact Bernie Martin if you have any questions.

Picture
Artist Dwight Knowlton has created a masterpiece poster to help us commemorate the Marques of Italy
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to hold a world-class vintage automotive event for charity. 

It is the region’s premier summer event for hundreds of thousands of automotive enthusiasts in that it combines charitable fundraising with car shows and vintage sports car racing on city streets. 

Since 1983 this volunteer-driven event has raised $3.85 million for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School.
0 Comments

Tom Frasca: NEW CORTILE CUP JUDGE FOR 2015

12/17/2014

1 Comment

 
Wayne Long, Chief Judge and Founder of the Cortile Cup has announced that he has selected a new Judge for the 2015 Cortile Cup Competition.  Tom Frasca will be joining the judging team for the 2015 annual event at the Pittsburgh Golf Club on Saturday during the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
For almost 24 years, starting in 1971, Tom Frasca was Dipendenti Ferrari for the North American Racing Team, more commonly known at NART. 

The North American Racing Team (NART) was created by Luigi Chinetti to promote the Ferrari marque in United States through success in endurance motorsport.

Luigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen. He was a driver in 12 consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans races, winning 3 times, and also won the Spa 24 Hours race twice. Enzo Ferrari appointed Chinetti as his Ferrari factory agent in the United States. Chinetti opened the first—and for a while the only—Ferrari dealership in the country. 

Tom Frasca served as Luigi Chinetti's right hand man and was a witness to much of the history that has made Ferrari an iconic name today.
Picture
om Frasca NART Cortile Cup Judge PVGP.
Prior to his acceptance of taking on the role of "Guidice Anziano" (Senior Judge) at this years Cortile Cup Competition, Tom developed a very robust resume. From 1969 through 1974 was a member of the SCCA and competed in Open Wheel & Sports Racing. He worked with Ferrari in North America on their racing team until 1994 and then served on the Architectural Review Board for Southeast New York.  Design and engineering course through Tom's veins.  

In August of 2012 Tom created "Scuderia Ferrari Club of Denver" with the help of Gabriele Lalli, Piero Savazzi and Dr. Mauro Apicella of Ferrari GeS. This club had been in the workings since 2004 and is the only official sanctioned Ferrari F1 team club in North America.

We are very honored to welcome Tom as one of our elite group of judges for the Cortile Cup. He brings a wealth of automotive experience in design and engineering.  Be sure to stop by and pick his brain: He has some wonderful stories and is an 
encyclopedia of Italian Racing history that he quite literally lived through.


Picture
"This is Sebring 1969. This is 250 P # 0816. That was the car we had about a week to prepare for Sebring. Added "Lightweight" fiberglass rear deck and a three liter motor to comply with the new regs. Pedro and Chuck Parsons took it to a DNF in like the tenth hour. This after Pedro tried everything he could to break it so he could go home early." ~ Ted Johnson
NART 312P
"Thanks Tom Frasca for the picture post of the NART 312P #23 I drove with David Piper at 70 Daytona 24 hr. It was my first Ferrari drive and what a great one to remember . We drove 5.5 hrs with NO water in the engine and finished 2 nd in class . The No. 24 was Michael Parkes and Sam Posey who won class. ~ CIAO Tony Adamowicz"
Picture
"Did you know Sir Sterling was a NART driver...the inaugural Daytona...1962: Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodriguez finish second overall in a Ferrari Dino 246SDP . Stirling Moss finishes fourth in NART Ferrari 250GT and wins S+5000 class. NASCAR star Fireball Roberts finishes 12th in a NART Ferrari 250GT." ~ Tom Frasca

1 Comment

Sponsor Profile:  Algar Ferrari's Racing history

5/17/2014

2 Comments

 
Compiled written & edited by Bernard Martin, Updated and re-editied January 18, 2023
There is an undeniable historical link between the Philadelphia area and Marenello, Italy’s unparalleled world championship Formula 1 racing tradition. It begins with Luigi Chinetti Sr., the original United States dealer for Ferrari automobiles. The famous race car driver and American immigrant convinced his close friend Enzo Ferrari that tapping into American affluence was the ideal means to fund Ferrari’s most competitive racing effort.

​Timing was important. Italian teams dominated from the beginning of Formula 1 in 1950, winning eight titles in the first nine years. Yet, when a separate championship title was awarded to the constructors of the cars in 1958, only two titles were won by Italian racing teams – both by Ferrari – in the next seventeen years. 


But we're getting a bit ahead of the story...

Derham Custom Body Company

Picture
The Derham factory, which was the nation's longest running custom coach builder became Algar headquarters win 1962.
In 1887 Joseph Derham opened Derham Custom Body Company and became known throughout the world as the coachbuilder of the finest motorcars ever produced.  Founded by Joseph J. Derham, an Irish immigrant, the company catered to Philadelphia's Main Line, an string of towns in the city's suburbs where the affluent gathered in private clubs – on their sprawling estates – to escape the city's hustle and bustle.  In the early days of the car, bodies and chassis were constructed separately. 

​At the time it also wasn't unusual for a wealthy auto-owner to have an auto-body for both summer and winter months. Of the classic custom coach-builders, only Derham survived the Great Depression in the 1930s.


​For 85 years the company built custom coachbodies for cars, from some of the earliest cars ever made to some of the most sought-after vehicles by collectors. During the early part of the last century, Derham bodies graced Duesenburgs, Packards and Pierce-Arrows – all crafted by hand in Philadelphia and Rosemont.  Cars that rolled out of their carriage works chauffeured kings and dictators, Popes, presidents and movie stars like Josef Stalin, Pope Pius XII, King Farouk, President Eisenhower, and Gary Cooper owned Derham-built automobiles. 

Algar Ferrari

 By the 1960’s, Derham Custom Body Company was deriving much of its revenue from retrofitting automobiles with fiberglass bulletproofing. Al Garthwaite had his eyes open for new opportunity.  Al Garthwaite Jr. became the owner  of Derham Custom Body Company in 1962 and renamed the company Algar, short for AL GARwaite.

In 1972, Garthwaite partnered with Luigi Chinetti  to create an automobile importing company fundamental in giving birth to the East Coast American Ferrari Dealer Network.  Luigi Chinetti was one of the key figures in Ferrari's early success in America.  In 1949, Chinetti drove a 166 M to Ferrari's first win in motorsports during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Chinetti had been appointed as the official importer of Ferrari cars to the United States in the late 1940s. Chinetti's passion for the brand, and his belief in the potential of American drivers and teams, led him to establish the North American Racing Team (NART) in 1958.  NART was the only American team to ever compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and it was also involved in other international motorsports events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona. The partnership between NART and Ferrari was key in promoting Ferrari in the American market, through the team's numerous racing successes and its lasting impact on the sport.

Chinetti and Garthwaite established retailers from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River and through the lower half of Texas, the Chinetti-Garthwaite enterprise imported over 1600 Ferraris to this network through a distribution facility in Paoli, Pennsylvania. 
Picture
Niki-Lauda-1976:F1. The Ferrari 312 T (Transversal) was greatly superior to the competition cars and Niki won 5 races in 1975.
The success of the Paoli-based distribution partnership contributed measurably to the restoration of Ferrari racing greatness. In a contest where dollars produce horsepower, Chinetti’s idea paid off with a Formula 1 title merely three years after the Chinetti-Garthwaite partnership was established.  The Scuderia Ferrari team won the coveted Formula 1 World Championship three more times in the next four years. They won thirteen Formula 1 titles over the last thirty- three years and fifteen since the Constructors award was presented. The next closest competitor won nine. 

​Chinetti-Garthwaite partnership disbanded in 1980 when Ferrari established a factory controlled entity for US distribution. Under the name Algar Enterprises, Inc., (from AL GARthwaite) Garthwaite continued as a dealer for Ferrari automobiles. 

​In 1995, Garthwaite sold his business to Bob Segal, a young motorsport enthusiast who brought racing to Algar in the form of the Ferrari Challenge Series and sponsorship of Ferrari Club of America track events. 


It was a time when exotic car manufacturers and retailers were recoiling from the impact of a recession and the implementation of an ill-timed federal luxury tax. Maserati left the market in 1990 and Alpha Romeo in 1995, leaving Segal with a single brand in his show room. Yet, in the last half of the 1990’s, Ferrari was the automobile line to have. Pre-sold production runs and long waiting lists at the factory were common throughout the country. This trend continues today with waiting lists as long as two years for the current Ferrari product line up.

Algar Ferrari of Philadelphia

Algar’s long association with Ferrari gives them a unique distinction worldwide. Left over from the Chinetti-Garthwaite partnership, parts for many of the earliest Ferraris are only available from the stock held by Algar. 

Every week, shipments of “new” old-stock from an inventory valued at over one- million dollars leave Algar to destinations like Japan, Egypt, Russia and even Italy. 

2023 Update: FErrari of Philadelphia

In December 2021, RDS Automotive Group, a premier luxury and exotics dealership group owned by Robert DiStanislao  acquired Algar Ferrari of Philadelphia and renamed it Ferrari of Philadelphia in keeping with the brand standards of Ferrari dealerships. ​

Throughout the Americas and world-wide, no other building has a richer history in the advancement of automobiles designed and crafted for the discerning motorist. It’s where the world’s greatest cars, Ferrari should be sold. 

Both the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix and everyone at the Cortile is very pleased to welcome the great folks from Ferrari of Philadelphia as a sponsor at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's Cortile!

Sources

Hershey historic auto auction features two cars with Pa. ties
Algar - Behind the heritage of a Formula 1 Championship
2 Comments

1977 Ferrari 308 GTB #21039 Restoration

3/22/2014

1 Comment

 
George Vosburgh of Pittsburgh, PA is restoring his 1977 Ferrari 308 GTB with NJB Automotive in Columbus, OH.  It's going to be a full ground up restoration and shown for the first time at the Cortile in 2014.

According the George, the paint, suspension are done, the engine is complete.  They've used high compression pistons, steel valves, electronic ignition. 

You can stay up-to-date on George's restoration on Ferrari Chat 77GTB #21039 Restoration
1 Comment

First Showing: 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

7/16/2013

0 Comments

 
Written by Bernard Martin

Hahn & Vorbach Associates recently completed a ground up restoration of this 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. Regarded as one of the most beautiful Ferrari's of its time, the 250 GT Lusso's Pininfarina design and V12 power makes a statement all its own. Featuring a double wishbone front suspension and live axle rear end all tied to a tubular frame, the steel bodied Lusso was virtually identical to its aluminum bodied racing cousin. Only 350 of these cars were made and it's making it's way to the Cortile in 2013 for it's first showing since restoration.
Chassis # 5165 Engine# 168
Restored by: Hahn and Vorbach Auto Restoration – Harmony, PA

Painted a beautiful “Azzurro Metallic” blue and featuring chrome Borani wheels and a black leather interior, this 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso is nearing completion of a full, ground-up, every nut and bolt restoration. One of 350 examples built between January 1963 and August 1964. Equipped with the 245 horsepower 3.0 liter v-12 engine and mated to a 4 speed transmission, the car will do 0 to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds (which was quite impressive in its day).

Designed by Pinninfarina and built by Scaglietti, the 250GT Lusso was the last of the 250 series cars offered by Ferrari.

The body/frame of this car have been alkaline dipped to remove all rust and corrosion. Extensive bodywork followed to repair any damage and new aluminum door skins were fabricated to replace the original ones that had deteriorated. 
The engine, drivetrain and suspension have been completely rebuilt. The gauges have been rebuilt and a new carpet and interior installed. The final major component to be installed will be the distinctive eggcrate grille and then the car will undergo final testing and tuning before final delivery.

This beauty will make it's first judged appearance at the Cortile 2013

0 Comments

Ferrari "One Lap of North America" makes it's final lap at the 2013 Cortile

1/16/2013

0 Comments

 
Written by Bernard Martin

Ferrari Club of America is currently celebrating a major milestone, its 50th Anniversary! 

50 Anni di Passione Tour

Under the motto “50 Years of Passion – One Lap of North America”, a specially prepared 599 Ferrari relay car, sponsored by a private donor, is carrying a symbolic “baton” and is visiting all Ferrari Club of America (FCA) regions and chapters, every Ferrari dealer in the U.S. and Canada. This is a year one-year, 20,000-mile relay of North America and it's coming toPittsburgh for it's public stop before the FCA Annual Meeting!
The relay began on August 17, 2012, at the Concorso Italiano in Monterey, California, and will end on August 4, 2013, at the FCA 50th Annual Meet at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where the FCA was originally founded. 

Along the way the relay will visit the such prestigious locations as Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Saratoga Auto Museum, AND the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix! All FCA members are eligible to participate in the relay in Ferraris both old and new and should contact their regional FCA chapter’s director for information on how to participate.

FCA’s designated charity for our year-long anniversary celebration is Ronald McDonald House which was chosen because it is a highly worthwhile organization, has a location in every one of the cities being visited on the tour and enjoys a very positive image.
Leading the One Lap of North America will be a specially prepared Ferrari 599 driven by a volunteer FCA member from each chapter. The relay is led by a special, one-off Ferrari 599GTB-HGTE built specially for Passione. This unique Ferrari, the very last North America specification 599 produced, has been made possible by Jim Taylor, FCA member and Patrono Principale of the FCA’s 50th Anniversary, and by Ferrari North America. The 599 has a unique paint scheme and interior design, as well as custom graphics representing the 50-year history of the FCA.
Picture
0 Comments

Sergio Pininfarina, Designer of Sports Cars, Dies at 85

7/3/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
By PAUL VITELLO, New York Times
Published: July 3, 2012

Sergio Pininfarina, whose design firm created the rakish and elegant auto bodies of some of the most popular, and fastest, cars ever made by Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Fiat, died on Tuesday, [July 3, 2012] at his home in Turin, Italy. He was 85.

His death was confirmed by a spokesman for Ferrari, where Mr. Pininfarina was a board member for many years.

Mr. Pininfarina took the reins of the company in 1961 from his father, Battista, who founded it under the name Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 and then rebuilt it virtually from scratch after Allied bombers destroyed its plant along with the rest of Italy’s industrial base in World War II.

The younger Mr. Pininfarina, who brought a flair for marketing as well as design to the family business, scored his first successes in collaboration with Ferrari, the racecar maker known for its lucrative business in rich men’s toys.

Convinced that a new consumer market was emerging, Mr. Pininfarina urged Ferrari to let him design two auto-body prototypes for a new 12-cylinder racecar-quality vehicle under production in the early 1960s.
The first, known as the 250 GTO, was an extremely expensive racecar built mainly for sheiks and movie stars. (Of the 39 cars built in 1960, one sold recently for $35 million.) The second was a production model, known as the 250 GTE. A slightly powered-down version of the original, it sold for $15,000. And though it cost a small fortune, it became one of Ferrari’s first big sellers.

The success led to one of Mr. Pininfarina’s best known Ferrari designs, the Dino series of midengine cars produced from 1968 to 1976. The Dino’s bug-eyed front, grading gently to a curvaceous rear end, became a signature of the Italian look in sports cars. Designed to compete with the stark line of the new Porsche 911, the Dino series propelled Ferrari and Mr. Pininfarina into the mass-market car business.
Picture
1965 Ferrari 250 GTO at the Cortile
“Ferrari would not be Ferrari without Pininfarina,” said Michael Sheehan, founder of the online Ferraris’ collectors newsletter, Ferraris-online.com. “Ferrari built the machines, and basically Pininfarina clothed them.”

Mr. Pininfarina’s firm worked with many other carmakers over the last 50 years, including some in the United States. The Pininfarina stamp — an “f” surmounted by a crown — has appeared in millions of cars by Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Bentley, Volvo and Peugeot. But for most of that time Mr. Pininfarina was, in effect, the design department of Ferrari. Only a handful of car models made by Ferrari were designed by other companies.

For a while, Mr. Pininfarina stood as the chief custodian of Italian styling in cars. His firm designed prototypes for models that sold about 50,000 units a year by the mid-1980s, compared with about 500 in the early 1960s, and the success gave him freedom to design not only “affordable” cars but high-end and even one-of-a-kind vehicles for the very wealthy.
“I am a lucky man, because I design cars for a few people,” he said in a 1981 interview with The New York Times. “So in my life, I always design what I like. I sell cars to people who like that kind of car.”

But by 2000, the landscape of car making had changed considerably. A shift in the market toward economy and fuel efficiency reduced the base of Mr. Pininfarina’s carmaker customers, and shifted his firm’s work toward Asia and the market for subcompacts.

In a 2000 interview with The Times, Mr. Pininfarina described the trajectory: “We have gone from being tailors to selling to consumers,” he said.
Picture
1973 Ferrari Dini at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
By 2008, the family had lost control of all but a small share of stock to creditors, though family members continue to operate the firm.

Mr. Pininfarina was born in Turin on Sept. 8, 1926. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from the Polytechnic University of Turin in 1950, and became the firm’s managing director in 1961. His father died in 1966. He turned over control of the company to his son Andrea in 2001. After Andrea’s death in a motor scooter accident in 2008, Mr. Pininfarina’s younger son, Paolo, became head of the company.

Besides his son, he is survived by his wife, Giorgia, and daughter, Lorenza.

A courtly and stylish man of wit and charm, Mr. Pininfarina taught car body design at his alma mater for several years, and was often invited to speak to engineering and design groups in the United States. On one visit in 1981, an interlocutor asked, “What makes a good design?”

He replied with a long list of criteria, including “good harmony, classic style, proportion, grace — and honesty,” adding with a small smile, “Then, if you have good taste, the battle is won.”
Picture

Sources

Article from New York Times
Header Image from Road & Track

0 Comments

Proiettore Macchina: A Tribute to Sergio Scaglietti

5/16/2012

1 Comment

 
Written and compiled by Bernard Martin

Sergio Scaglietti, who used intuitive genius and a hammer — seldom blueprints or sketches — to sculpture elegant Ferraris that won Grand Prix races in the 1950s and ’60s and now sell for millions of dollars, died on Nov. 20, 2011 at his home in Modena, Italy. He was 91. At the PVGG Cortile 2012 his designs are honored as the 2012 Proiettore Macchina.
Picture
Sergio Scaglietti 1920 - 2011
Sergio Scaglietti (1920-2011) of Modena began his career in the automotive industry at age 13. His father had suddenly passed away, so Sergio’s older brother lied about Sergio’s age to get him a job at the carrozzeria that employed him. Sergio, who enjoyed working with his hands, became a quick study.

When Sergio was 17, his older brother and another employee formed their own coachbuilding company and took young Sergio with them. They set up shop in downtown Modena across the street from Enzo Ferrari’s Scuderia Ferrari, and in a short time they were repairing the Scuderia’s cars.
World War II interrupted further development of the relationship. In the years after the war, Ferrari was comfortable enough with Scaglietti’s maturing talent that he frequently brought him crashed cars for repair. Then in the early 1950s, a gentleman racer from Bologna commissioned Sergio to rebody his damaged Touring Barchetta. “Enzo Ferrari saw this and said ‘That is not bad,’” Scaglietti remembered. “From this, he entrusted me with a new chassis.”
Mr. Scaglietti (pronounced skahl-YET-tee — the “g” is silent) lacked the kind of formal education acquired by his patron and best friend, Enzo Ferrari, the race driver-turned-automotive-impresario. Both believed in speed, power, utility, superb craftsmanship and sleek, sensuous beauty, and they abhorred mass production. By craft Mr. Scaglietti was a “coachbuilder,” but others use loftier descriptions.

By 1954, Scaglietti was a sanctioned Ferrari coachbuilder who received a number of chassis directly from the factory for coachwork. He designed all his shapes “by the eyes alone,” he said, letting his own “good taste, understanding of aerodynamics, style, and function” dictate his designs.
Picture
Ferrari 375MM
Ferraris, with their hair-raising acceleration and sleek lines, bespoke postwar modernity in the manner of the Color Field paintings of Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko or the architecture of Eero Saarinen. Mr. Scaglietti in the 1950s designed the blood-red skin of the 375MM sports car, picture above, that the film director Roberto Rossellini, the master of neorealist cinema, gave to his wife, Ingrid Bergman.

Before long, the Ferraris emanating from the shop would be ranked among the most beautiful and memorable competition cars ever made. The honor roll included such top-flight sports-racing cars as the 500 Mondial and 500 TR and TRC, the classic pontoon-fender 250 Testa Rossa, the winning 290 MM, 315 and 335 S, and the immortal 250 GTO.
In the late 1950s, with Enzo Ferrari setting him up with the banker and cosigning the loan, Scaglietti greatly expanded his enterprise. He began building numerous street Ferraris to designs by Pinin Farina. His business prospered, and Scaglietti enjoyed the rewards and prosperity the expansion brought him.

In the late 1960s, however, with labor troubles a constant, Scaglietti leapt at the opportunity to join Ferrari in a sale of his business to Fiat. Scaglietti continued to manage the carrozzeria until his retirement in the mid 1980s. Ferrari’s 612 Scaglietti model, and the Carrozzeria Scaglietti customization program, were named after the humble artisan.
Picture
Scaglietti’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.4 million
In August 2011, Mr. Scaglietti’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $16.4 million, said to be the most ever paid for an automobile at auction. His 250 GT California Spyder was the vehicle in which the teenage heroes of the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” cavorted. (The Ferrari in the movie was actually a fake: the producers couldn’t afford a real one.)

He drew broad praise for the pontoon fenders on the 250 Testa Rossa, of which 34 were built from 1956 to 1961. The fenders’ design allowed cool air to flow into the brake area to prevent overheating. On a visit to Allentown, Pa., in 2000, Mr. Scaglietti told the newspaper The Morning Call that the Testa Rossa got its name almost by accident.
“The chief of production came to Mr. Ferrari and said, ‘We have to stop production because we have no black paint to paint the engines,’ ” he said.

Mr. Ferrari asked what color paint they did have. The answer was red. Mr. Ferrari said, “Paint the engines red and we’ll call it the Testa Rossa,” which means redhead in Italian

Mr. Scaglietti’s method was to receive a prototype from the legendary designer Battista Farina or one of his associates and “interpret” it in aluminum, rarely using a drawing. He made a wire frame, then hammered the metal into the shape he envisioned. He did this on bags of sand, because wood proved too hard. He did everything, he said, “by the eye.”

He followed the designers’ concepts to varying degrees. Many sources give him considerable personal credit for the overall look of the 250 GTO in 1962-63. Just three dozen were made, and Mr. Ferrari, who died in 1988, approved every sale personally. The car was one of the last front-engine cars to remain competitive at the top levels of sports car racing. (Most racing cars today have the engine behind the driver.)

Motor Trend Classic in 2010 called the car the greatest Ferrari of all time, and some people consider it the most beautiful automobile ever made. There have been reports that one sold for $50 million during the classic car boom of the 1980s, and the Web site Supercars.net called that figure not “entirely unrealistic.”

Sources

Ferrari 275mm image from Ultimatecarpage.com gallery
Excepts from NY Times, 
1 Comment

The Cortile: "An event you SHOULD anticipate

8/30/2011

0 Comments

 
There is a wonderful review of the Cortile and the Cortile Cup in the August issue of the Ferrari Market Letter.  Be sure and read it over.  We are honored!
Picture
"...Then there are the events that subscribers SHOULD anticipate, know about, attend and afterwards fail to let go of. We’ve become enamored with events like the Crescent Classic, Keeneland Concours, the French Quarter Classic (on hiatus) and the latest entry to this wonderful list… The Italian Cortile at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix"  ~Chad Ensz, Ferrari Market Letter, August 2011
0 Comments
Forward>>

    Atribution

    This is a compilation of articles from a variety of sources and contributors.  Attrition and sources are always provided at the top and/or the bottom of the posting.

    Archives

    August 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    January 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    250-gt-lusso
    50-anni-di-passione-tour
    Alex Wakefield
    Alfa Romeo
    Alfa Romeo Giulia
    Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce
    Algar Ferrari
    Alpine
    Amelia Island
    American Lancia Club
    Amy Burns
    Artist
    Auriana
    Baierl Fiat
    Bandini
    Bernard Martin
    Bertone
    Bizzarrini
    Bobby Rahal
    Bugatti
    Cavallino Rampante
    Citroën
    Concorso Italiano
    Convention
    Cortile
    Cortile Cup
    Cortile Della Corsa
    David Adams
    Derham-custom-body
    De Tomaso
    Dwight Knowlton
    Ferrari
    Ferrari-308-gtb
    Ferrari-328-gts
    Ferrari Club America
    Ferrari-market-letter
    Fiat
    Fiat-club-america
    Fiat-freakout
    Formula One
    Ghia
    Giorgetto Giugiaro
    Greenbrier Concours
    Hahn-and-vorbach
    Huracana110f686eb
    IndyCar
    Innocenti
    Innocenti Mini
    Insurance
    Iso Autoveicoli
    Iso Rivolta
    Ivan Ruiz
    Jason Moka
    Jeff Mahl
    John Campion
    John Walko
    Juan Manual Fangio
    Kate Gundlach
    Lamborghini
    Lancia
    Lancia 037 Rally Evo
    Lancia 037 Rally Evo Group B
    Lancia Beta Montecarlo
    Lancia Delta HF Integrale 8V
    Lancia Delta S4
    Lancia Flaminia Gtl
    Lancia LC1
    Lancia LC1 Group VI
    Lancia LC2
    Lancia LC2 Group C
    Lancia Stratos HF Works
    Lanica Fulvia 1600 HF
    Little Red Racing Car
    Luigi Chinetti
    Marque-of-the-year
    Maserati
    Maserati-300o-gt-tc
    Maserati-century
    Maserati-of-pittsburgh
    Mazza Winery
    Miura
    Monterey Historic
    Monterey-motorsports
    Muira
    NART
    New York To Paris
    Peugeot
    Pitt Race
    PoloStorico
    Proiettore Macchina
    PVGP
    Pvgp Racing
    Ralph Gilles
    Renault
    Renzo Rivolta
    Restoration
    Rob Straw R7 Photography
    Ron Lewis Alfa Romeo
    Sergio Marchionne
    Sergio-pininfarina
    Sergio-scaglietti
    Siata
    Sponsor
    Stanguellini
    State Farm
    Stephan-winkelmann
    Test Drive
    Through The Gears
    Tom Bungay
    Tom Frasca
    Tom Tjaarda
    Vintage Racing
    Walt Spak
    Wayne Long
    Westinghouse Memorial
    Wine On Nine

    RSS Feed

Picture
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association is a federally registered 501c (3) non-profit organization with a mission to hold a world-class vintage automotive race event for charity. 

Since 1983 this volunteer-driven event has raised over $6 million to benefit autistic and developmentally disabled individuals through the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix remains North America's largest vintage race event, the only one run on city streets, and the 8th largest car show in the World.

© 2023 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. 
All Rights Reserved.

Created by Rapid Production Marketing
  • Home
    • Media Registration
    • About
    • History >
      • Proiettore 2022
      • Proiettore 2021
      • Proiettore 2019
      • Proiettore 2018
      • Proiettore 2017
      • Proiettore 2016 >
        • Friday 2016
      • Proiettore 2015 >
        • Wednesday 2015
        • Thursday 2015
        • Friday 2015
      • Proiettore 2014
    • Contact
    • Event Rules
    • Trailer Parking
    • Staff info >
      • Volunteer Form
      • Set up & Staging
      • To Do
      • Receiving Tent
      • Reception Tent
      • Parking
      • Clubhouse
      • Westinghouse
      • Emergency
  • News
  • Cortile Cup
    • Judging
    • Definitions
    • Cortile Cup 2021
    • Cortile Cup 2017
    • Cortile Cup 2016
    • Cortile Cup 2015
    • Cortile Cup 2014
    • Cortile Cup 2013
    • Cortile Cup 2012
    • Cortile Cup 2011
    • Inception
  • Marques
    • Carrozzeria >
      • Bertone
      • Ghia
      • Pininfarina
      • Scaglietti
      • Vignale
      • Zagato
    • Abarth
    • Alfa Romeo
    • Bandini
    • Bizzarrini
    • Cisitalia
    • De Tomaso
    • Ferrari
    • Fiat
    • Innocenti
    • Iso Rivolta
    • Lamborghini
    • Lancia
    • Maserati
    • Moretti
    • Siata
    • Stanguellini
    • Taraschi
  • Sponsors
    • Ferrari of Philadelphia
    • Maserati of Pittsburgh
    • Pitt SAE Race Team
    • State Farm
    • Become a Sponsor
  • Events
    • Proiettore 2023
    • Saturday
    • Sunday