Auto Italia 2002 was another great success!

While numbers were slightly down (c. 180), (because of being on the same day as the Clipsal 500?), the standard was better than ever.   The new Modified class drew some very interesting cars, notably the winning Fiat 500 which had been converted to a convertible.  The display of winning vehicles for the prize presentation also worked well.

For the third year running we had the Canberra District Ducati Club involved in organising, and over 100 bikes turned up.  I will post details and photos from the bike and scooter side of the event shortly.

Thanks to the Lamborghini club for its great support, to the Maserati club for going as far as moving the date for a major function of theirs to prevent a date clash, and to the many individual Ferrari owners who turned up.

Thanks in particular to the three intrepid Queenslanders who came down in convoy with a trio of Fiats!

Highlights for cars included:

• an ASA 1100 - an exquisite miniature Ferrari!

• a Maserati Ghibli SS, driven up from Melbourne by a member of the Lamborghini club!

• a Maserati Quattroporte I

• four Lamborghini Espadas and a couple of Uraccos

• V8 Ferraris galore:  3 x Dino 246, a couple of 308's, a 348 and a 355.

• Ferrari Boxer and Lamborghini Muira

• Two Lancia Lambdas

• three cars from Queensland; a Fiat 2300S coupe, a Fiat 1500 cabriolet and a Fiat 131 wagon!

• a Lancia Thema 8:32, (yes, the one with the Ferrari engine!), the only on in Australia and fresh off the boat from Italy

• three Fiat 130 coupes

• an early '50's Fiat 1900

• three Fiat 1500's (one just like the one my father owned in the late '60's!)

• the aforementioned Fiat 500 convertible, complete with mock wind-up key sticking out of the engine compartment (and which rotated when the car moved!)

As with last year, I've split the photo album into separate sections:  exotica and vintage and more mainstream Italian cars.  This is just the first installment; there will be more to follow soon!

Malcolm Street
Auto Italia Webmaster

Auto Italia 2002 Photo Albums

Vol 1:  Prizewinners

Vol 2:  Exotic, Vintage and Rare

Vol 3:  Coupe, Sedan and Modified models

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General Information on Auto Italia

Auto Italia is a display of vehicles (including motorcycles and motorscooters) of Italian origin held each year in Canberra, Australia's national capital. It started as a joint FIAT and Alfa club picnic day inthe early '80's and got totally out of hand. It attracts over 200 cars and bikes and several thousand spectators, and has grown to be one of the largest events specific to Italian marques in Australia. 

In addition to the display on Sunday, there is also a pre-event dinner at the Italo-Australia Club in the Canberra suburb of Forrest. 

The main purpose of Auto Italia is to provide an opportunity for Italian car and motorcycle enthusiasts to meet and raise public awareness of Italian motorbikes and cars. Therefore we extend an open and warm invitation to all owners of Italian vehicles and all members of the general public interested in looking at them!

Auto Italia is a joint effort by the FIAT Club of the ACT, the ACT Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners' Club of Australia (NSW) and the Canberra and District Ducati Club. It is a fun occasion for the ordinary enthusiast.

For a shamelessly subjective inside look at what makes this event tick have a look at my piece on Auto Italia 1995

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Previous Auto Italias

Auto Italia 2001 Report and Photo Albums