The Westchester Italian Cultural Center celebrated Italian heritage and horsepower with its second annual Concorso d”™Eleganza car show Oct. 2 in Tuckahoe.
The event drew more than 2,000 people with Italian music, food and, of course, new, rare and classic car models representing the best in design and engineering.
The show featured some 90 cars from premier brands including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat.
With no ropes, guests were welcome to ask owners questions and photograph their stunner autos, which ranged from a sleek, black 2012 Lamborghini Aventador coupe ”“ featuring an incredible 700hp v12 engine ”“ to Peter Greenfield”™s 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 50013, the only complete, original surviving one in the world. That 1935 beauty is a piece of history visitors could touch ”“ it raced everywhere, including Monza, Modena, Brno and Monaco, twice.
Mount Vernon resident Cesare Defeo finds there is something about classic cars that makes restoration worth the price tag and the wait. He showed a metallic gray 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB and a 1961 four-door silver Lancia Flaminia, but that”™s just the start of his collection.
He owns about 35 cars, mostly Italian, and some that even still have their window stickers.
“For some reason, I”™ve always been attached to the older cars from the ”˜60s, just like young American kids who loved the muscle cars from the ”˜60s. When they were kids they couldn”™t afford to buy one and now that they can afford, they”™re buying all muscle cars.”
Now, he says, “My problem is that I kept buying them” and he struggles to find a very good local restorer. One of his cars has been in the shop for 11 years ”“ “it”™s really mind-boggling to me. I cannot get it back!”
Other issues are finding a place to store them, the time to take leisurely drives and a safe place to park. “It”™s a great hobby but I am slowing down,” he insists, although he knows a good car when he sees one.
But while cars like these serve as artifact and art, others, new and old, are active racecars.
Greenwich, Conn., resident Lawrence Auriana owns a 1962 white Maserati Tipo 151 designed by Guilo Alfieri, one of just three ever made. Joe Colasacco, along with Derek Hill, is part of his Auriana Racing team. Two weeks ago they took third place with this restored car in the two-driver historic RAC TT Race at England”™s Goodwood Revival.
“Oh, it”™s really a beast,” said Colasacco. “Back in the ”˜60s they hadn”™t perfected aerodynamics but this was their closest try at it.”
He detailed just what a “total restoration” meant before it was ready to race.
“The engine was rebuilt, we went through the brakes, gearbox, suspension, exhaust system, fire system, fuel tanks, fuel cell, oiling system. Basically, the body stayed in its configuration, except the front nose was brought back to look original after it was modified for street driving.”
Greg Caldararo of White Plains sits on the board of the Ferrari Club of America. He takes his nephew and his red 2006 F430 Spider to rallies and tracks.
Caldararo said picking the “it” car “definitely goes on emotion and impulse a lot of times, but then secondarily, you have to do research.”
“You have to have a passion for the breed and this is my third Ferrari.” And, “I”™m Italian,” he added. “I was always into cars as a kid. Unless you have the money to throw around, you evolve into this car and once you hit this, I don”™t know what the next goal would ever be.”
Dan Zonan of Chappaqua said he was “very impressed” with the show. “You get to see so many different models in one place without running from dealer to dealer. You normally don”™t have the opportunity to compare them side-by-side ”¦ the Italian cars are beautiful.”
He said he owns a 2011 black Maserati Gran Sport convertible. “And I drive it to work.”
