LITTLE ITALY

Apart from a Lancia Beta Coupe many years ago the only Italian vehicle i have owned is this 70s Cinzia chopper. It came to the UK with a consignment of Italian classic bikes and i bought it 10 years ago at Newark Autojumble just because it is so mad. I restored it and Ellis wobbled with a friend on the back into a load of nettles in the nearby churchyard, since then it has sat on top of a wall in my workshop. I have never even been to Italy.
The point of all this is that i have just bought and read issue 1 of Italian Motor a new magazine devoted to Italian motorised classics and it has made me want a little MV or Ducati single to languish in my shed. The mag is produced by freelance motoring journalist and photographer Adam Bolton (brother to Guy of GKM) so as you can imagine its a good read even if you have (or had) no real interest in Italian bikes. You can get a copy through his blog, look right to my blog list.
The photo at the bottom is of a Maserati 50cc and the story of the amount of time and money that went into its rebuild is fascinating, the owner even went to the lengths of having a new frame made in a country thousands of miles away and had all the fasteners turned by hand to match the originals. I think i am going over the top when i paint my exhausts with PJ1.





Recommended reading.