Encountering Historic Cars in the Land of Engines

There is a region in Italy known as the "Land of Engines" (Terra di Motori). It is the Emilia-Romagna region in the north. Many of Italy's leading brands, including Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, De Tomaso, Pagani, and Ducati,—were born here.

At the same time, it is also home to the renowned Imola Circuit, which once hosted the San Marino Grand Prix Formula 1 race.

In Imola, we visited Bruno Brusà (72), a classic car enthusiast known by all, and in his garage where treasured cars rest, he looked back on his automotive life.

—You are a founding member and now the chairman of the "Romagna Classic Cars & Motorcycles Club." I imagine being born in Imola, a "holy land" of motorsport, has been fortunate. What specifically sparked your interest in old cars?

It was in the early 1960s, when I was a student. I tagged along with my older sister, who was at university, to a campus festival. It was customary for rowdy university students to modify cars that were on the verge of being scrapped for a parade. But the moment I saw a pre-war Fiat "Ballila," painted in garish colors, I exclaimed, "Oh, what a shame!" That, in fact, was the beginning of my affection for old cars.

—What was the first car you owned after getting your license?

The SL Loved by a Footballer

—How did you come across that car?

Our first encounter was in 1968, when I was 25. I happened to see it parked on a street corner during my lunch break from the bank where I worked. When I spoke to the owner, a gentleman, he told me that Nielsen had given it to him when he transferred to "Inter Milan." That was the end of it at the time.

—And then what happened?

More than 20 years later, a lady came into the bank where I worked as a customer. As we chatted, it turned out she was the widow of the 190 SL's owner. I was astonished when she mentioned that the car was still stored in their garage. Fortunately, I was able to acquire it.



—By the way, the "Romagna Classic Cars & Motorcycles Club" is famous for its annual parts exchange event held around the entire Imola Circuit.

The club began in 1966 when I was 23, as an enthusiasts' group founded with local car lovers. One evening, while sharing pizza with friends, we discussed a common problem: despite this being an area deeply connected with automobiles, there was no venue for exchanging scarce parts for old cars.

—This was before the internet, so I can imagine the difficulties.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of a small parts exchange. That was in 1977. We borrowed a factory warehouse from an acquaintance and held the exchange in the morning, followed by a meal at a nearby casual restaurant (laughs).

Grown into the Town's Premier Automotive Event

—It sounds like a charming gathering.

It was a great success nonetheless. So, we planned to hold the same event at the Imola Circuit. We thought people would be delighted if they could walk the track, which was normally off-limits. At the time, the circuit was owned by the city of Imola, so we thought it would be easy to realize.

—So the dream quickly expanded.

However, when we began negotiations, the circuit management committee was reluctant to grant permission. Finally, through a connection with a Fiat engineer, we managed to hold the first "Imola Swap Meet" in 1977, the same year as our parts exchange.

—It has now grown into an event attracting 45,000 visitors. At the time, Italian radio even reported "Traffic jams are occurring around Imola!" But when I asked my wife, Grazia, who helps with the event every year, she said she didn't know. She's always been busy with tasks within the circuit and has never actually seen how congested it gets outside, despite nearly 40 years of involvement.

A while ago, to show my appreciation for her indulging my hobby and to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, we took a trip. We drove the 190 SL, which I had pursued for over twenty years before finally acquiring it.