ITALY’S FINEST DESCEND ON LAGAN VALLEY ISLAND
The Northern Ireland Italian Motor Club (NIIMC) returned to Lagan Valley Island for the fourth time to host their annual display of Italian vehicles on 31st May. For the third year running the weather was perfect for a car show.
A team of eager club members arrived shortly after 8am to set up for the show and before long a taste of Italy had arrived in Lisburn. Italian bunting was swiftly strung from every available lamppost and promptly fluttered gently in the morning breeze. The early morning walkers and cyclists coming from the Lagan towpath looked curiously at the hive of activity in the Gregg Street carpark and the collection of shiny Italian metal that was assembling.
With the sun shining brightly, everyone was hopeful that this would be the critical factor to persuade drivers to make the effort to come along to the show. They weren’t to be disappointed. Donnelly Group and Charles Hurst Specialist Car Division had pulled out all the stops to support the event by supplying a number of their latest cars from Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Maserati and Ferrari. The Ferrari 458 Speciale looked menacing in its gleaming Ferrari red paintwork complete with black stripes and matching alloy wheels. It drew many admiring looks and proved to be the car that most children (and their dads) wanted to be photographed beside.
The range and quality of the vehicles that arrived was truly impressive, some old, some new, some familiar cars and some very rare examples too. The appeal of the show was the variety of vehicles that arrived – look one way and there was a humble Fiat 126, look the other way and there was a brace of Ferraris – an exquisite and much admired Dino Ferrari 246 sitting beside the elegant Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 330 GTC, both owned by the same family.
The variety of other cars was breathtaking and the display was proof that Italian cars can cater for all tastes and for all extremes – from small to large vehicles, from super minis to supercars. Their price and capabilities are all different but they all possess the essential ingredient which is style – style which other manufacturers often try to emulate but rarely better.
A favourite with the gathering crowd was the modern classic, the Lancia Delta Integrale and Robert Lambert, the owner of a rare 1970 Lancia Flavia 2000 Coupe was rewarded for making the journey from outside Dublin especially to attend by receiving one of the prizes awarded at the show.
Alfa Romeo was the best represented Italian brand, in part due to the welcome presence of members from the Alfa Romeo Owner’s Club, Irish Section who had brought an impressive variety of vehicles representing 5 decades of Alfa Romeo. It was a pleasing sight as they arrived in convoy and with military precision parked their vehicles side by side each other in the carpark prompting the onlookers to rush over for a closer look.
There were some real beauties among the Alfas – Spiders, GTV’s, Breras, GT Coupes, 1750 and 2000 GTVs, Mitos, Giuliettas, 145’s, 147’s, 156’s, 159’s and 166’s were all present as well as a number of extremely rare models which many of those visiting the show had never seen before – a 1974 Alfa Romeo Montreal, a recently restored 1968 Alfa Giulia Ti Saloon, a wonderful Alfa Romeo 2600 Cabriolet and the oldest car of the show, an early 1930’s Alfa Romeo 6C 1750.
Fiat’s were well represented too – from a 1964 1500 Cabrio to 500’s, Pandas, Puntos, Unos, Stilos, Multiplas, X/19’s, Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sports and several Coupes, not forgetting a small but beautiful proportioned Fiat 850 Coupe. A Maserati Quattroporte was a contender for best sounding car of the day as it rumbled into the show giving the Ferrari owners a run for their money.
In terms of the two wheeled attractions Ducatis and Motto Guzzi’s were the most popular bike on display but scooters from Piaggio and bikes from Aprilia also made an appearance.
Other non Italian models including a Ford Escort Cosworth, Mini Cooper S, Rover 3500S, Opel Manta, Talbot Sunbeam and even an Austin Allegro added further interest for the crowd and several Porsches driven by members of the Porsche Owner’s Club, including a rare and immaculate 1960 Porsche 356 were a welcome addition to the show.
Lisburn’s Mayor Margaret Tolerton officially opened the show and escorted by club Chairman, Cyril McMullen took the opportunity to mingle and chat with owners who were only too glad to tell her about their love affair with their Italian beauties.
The formal element of the day meant that some of those who had made the effort to attend were rewarded with a prize. In total four prizes were awarded and the honours were as follows;
Best Italian Car sponsored by Woodstock Autoparts
Won by Robert Lambert for his 1970 Lancia Flavia 2000 Coupe
Best Italian Motorcycle sponsored by Charles Hurst Motorcycles and Philip McCallen Motorcycles
Won by Stephen Waller for his Moto Guzzi and sidecar
Best non Italian vehicle sponsored by Mervyn Shannon from Shannon’s Jewellers
Won by Alan Kerr for his 1971 Mini Cooper S
Overall award for Best in Show sponsored by Charles Hurst Specialist Car Division
Won by Bryan Pearson for his 1968 Alfa Romeo Guilia Ti Saloon
Our thanks to the sponsors and exhibitors for their generosity in donating the prizes to the deserving award winners. It was apt that the cup for the overall best in show was awarded to Bryan by a gentleman and his daughter who had travelled from Cheltenham to attend our event. John and Emma Gardener discovered the event was taking place by reading about it in Auto Italia magazine.
Nothing would have it but they jumped on a boat on Friday evening to spend the day with us before heading home again on Saturday evening – we were delighted to welcome them and their Fiat Coupe to the show.
Back in Cheltenham John is a member of the Alfa club and has two 156’s, one of them a V6 and a GTV6. John marvelled at the friendliness of everyone who spoke to him and commented on the real buzz of excitement at the event and the intoxicating smell of petrol fumes that filled the Lisburn air.
John also paid us the ultimate compliment when he said “This meeting would hold its head up anywhere in the world. The way some of these vehicles have been prepared is absolutely fantastic. We will be back in force.”
Overall it was another truly memorable event for NIIMC – in total over 100 cars and motorbikes filled the carpark at Lagan Valley Island – a superb turnout. The support from Lisburn City Council and other sponsors coupled with the enthusiasm from all those who attended ensured that its popularity continues to grow.
As club members stayed behind to tidy up we reflected on the many highlights of the day. We all agreed that we are riding our luck with three consecutive years of superb weather for which we are extremely grateful – spare a thought for the Porsche Owner’s Club who held their annual show yesterday at Mountstewart – their event was a washout with persistent rain throughout the day. Maybe God really does love Italian cars!!
Tim Logan
Club Secretary
7th June 2014
