Drive Italia: Lamborghini Countach

Epic engine, scissor doors, limited visibility, and wider than a Range Rover – the Lamborghini Countach was the quintessential supercar! Photo by Martyn Lucy/Getty Images Breaking with the tradition of naming cars after famous bulls and bull fighters, word has it that ‘countach’, an exclamation of astonishment in the Piedmontese dialect, was frequently used by […]

Drive Italia: Lancia Stratos

Short, low and wide, Ferrari-powered and beautiful from any angle – the Stratos was a winner from the start!  Photo by Getty Images The broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson once said that the Lancia Stratos was the only supercar built not just to parade around the streets of Monaco looking wonderful, but to get there cross-country ‘rally-style’.  […]

Drive Italia: Lamborghini Miura

Take a look at this stunning creation from Bertone – the car from which the ‘supercar’ phrase was originally coined… Photo by National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images The Lamborghini Miura was originally conceived in 1965 by Lamborghini’s young engineering team, Gian Paolo Dallara, Paolo Stanzani and Bob Wallace as a project during their spare time.  […]

Drive Italia: Fiat Barchetta

Originally coach-built by the Turinese manufacturer Maggiora, until their demise in 2003, FIAT’s Barchetta is pretty, peppy and very Italian! Photo by Getty Images In the 1990s, the choice for a small, cheap, two-seat roadster was limited to the Mazda MX5 and this little left-field beauty from FIAT. Developed between 1990 and 1994, the ‘Barchetta’, […]

Drive Italia: Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider

Where Enzo Ferrari first started – Alfa Romeo, the achingly beautiful connoisseurs’ choice… Alfa Romeo of Milan originally launched the Giulietta coupé in 1954. The gorgeous Spider was added to the Giulietta line-up during the following year. The Pininfarina-designed convertible remained fairly similar to Bertone’s coupé, but from the rakish windscreen rearwards the bodywork was […]

Drive Italia: Fiat Bertone X1/9

Say hello to this diminutive, mid-engined wedge from the 1970s with pop-up lights and targa roof… Photo by Nick Cornwell-Menzies In the 1970s, the choice for those wanting to dial into frugal two-seater sports car thrills was basically limited to mainstream MGs, some Triumphs, and just a small handful of other eclectic marques. FIAT then cleverly […]

Drive Italia: The Vespa – Piaggio’s Wasp

Defining every retro Italian holiday snap in ultimate style – let us present the Vespa: trendy, practical and iconic… Photo by Amanda Robinson Before the FIAT 500 appeared on the scene, Italy got about almost exclusively by motor scooter. At one point there were more than 100 different motorbike manufacturers in Italy. After the birth […]

Drive Italia: Lancia Fulvia coupé Tipo 818

Over-engineered, expensive and achingly pretty – Lancia always did things their way… Photo by Amanda Robinson The Lancia Fulvia Coupé Tipo 818 was a handsome, compact, two-door coupé introduced in 1965 and designed in-house by Lancia itself. Produced up until 1976, this small, beautifully engineered coupé was named after Via Fulvia, the Roman road leading […]