THE GOLDEN AGE OF RALLY - On October 27 MAUTO starts the great journey in the golden age of rallies 26.10.2022: In Turin the iconic cars of the great champions: from Pinto to Biasion, from Mouton to Kankkunen 50 years after Gino Macaluso’s victory of the European Championship, on display the cars of his collection Torino, 26 October 2022. The halls of the

In Turin the iconic cars of the great champions: from Pinto to Biasion, from Mouton to Kankkunen
50 years after Gino Macaluso’s victory of the European Championship, on display the cars of his collection




The halls of the Italian National Automobile Museum of Turin will host The Golden Age Of Rally, a journey into the golden age of this sport. An unreleased exhibition on the international scene, which puts on display for the first time, from 27 October 2022 to 2 May 2023, one of the most important collections in the world, that of Fondazione Gino Macaluso per l’Auto Storica, Gino Macaluso Foundation for Historical Cars.
 



This is a unique collection of its kind for the cars on display competed and won for some of the most prestigious racing teams in the world. The models, preserved in their original state, come from the personal collection of Gino Macaluso; entrepreneur, designer, and rally driver. A prominent figure in the world of engines and beyond, this exhibition will celebrate half a century after that mythical date of October 27, 1972, when the Rally Race with Raffaele Pinto earned him the European Championship.




MAUTO President Benedetto Camerana explains: “The Golden Age of Rally is a rigorous, complete, and spectacular celebration of the history of rallies that confirms the commitment and vocation of Mauto in the world of motor sport.


This unprecedented exhibition is also an enhancement and a tribute to the expertise of the Turin and Piedmont area that, in a particularly significant historical period, has been able to express cars and talents able to reach the top of the international rankings.



Local producers and teams, such as Fiat and Lancia, Abarth and Martini, but also designers such as Gandini, Giugiaro, and Pininfarina are the creators of the symbols of a car epic, that we now have the pleasure to show to the public".



The protagonists of The Golden Age of Rally are precisely the specimens selected and collected personally by Gino Macaluso. Mythical cars that, from the 1960s to the 1990s, won the most important races of the championship: from the Rallye Monte-Carlo to the Safari Rally, passing through the Rally of the 1000 Lakes (Finland) up to the Rallye Sanremo.



A real journey into the epic of mechanics, in which the team, the driver, and the navigator acted as gears perfectly synchronized with each other. And to cut the starting ribbon of this course could only be one of the most representative drivers in the history of this sport, Miki Biasion, the only Italian to have twice won the title of World Rally Champion in 1988 and 1989.



"In Turin, the history of Italian motoring was made: it was therefore right to start from here with this exhibition, which we will then take to other museums around the world," explains Monica Mailander Macaluso, president of the Foundation established with the family in memory of Gino Macaluso.



"The exhibition is not only intended to be an exhibition of prestigious cars, but aims to be an in-depth study of the humanistic culture linked to them: the models on display are a harmonious summary of technological innovation, craft tradition and the beauty of avant-garde design, which has been able to impassion and involve entire generations in the last century".





The Exhibition


A large arch on the ground floor of the National Automobile Museum, like the one at the start of the rally competitions, kicks off the exhibition path that, from one curve to another, leads along a time-line that goes from the origins of the discipline (the 1960s) to the great successes and involvement of the general public, which made this sport a real phenomenon of mass culture.



Spectators will thus have the opportunity to relive the emotions of the great challenges between car manufacturers and racing teams, from the legendary duel between rear-wheel drive (Lancia Rally 037) and four-wheel drive (Audi quattro) to the "monstrous" Group B, passing to intercontinental competitions, such as that between Toyota Celica and Lancia Delta Integrale 16 valves.



The exhibition, curated by Stefano Macaluso in collaboration with Federica Ellena, is conceived as an experiential journey through which the public can immerse themselves in the world of rallying, even in "physical" contact with the set-ups. Special stage platforms, specifically made for the exhibition, simulate the road surfaces on which drivers and cars have fought, from the sand of the Sahara to the snow of Col de Turini, up to the hard asphalt.



Thanks to a 180° projection of the videos of the most iconic races, restored and edited with exciting graphics, the visitor will be able to synchronize their heartbeat with the roar of mythical engines and let themselves be carried back in time, to an era dominated by mechanics, speed, the challenge of limits, which saw legendary cars and drivers as protagonists.



Names such as Biasion, Mäkinen, Kankkunen, Mouton, Pinto, and Sainz, whose deeds can be read in a special hall of fame set up on the occasion of this exhibition that, with its different focuses, aims to attract and involve different audiences, also offering new points of view to those who already love this sport.



"The exhibition aims to reconstruct the exciting atmosphere of the rallies in the phases of greater popularity of this specialty," explains the curator, Stefano Macaluso. "The exhibition of unique cars, both for the highest level, sports results and for the timeless design, is not simply chronological: the sections of the expositive path delve into issues such as the great competitive challenges between drivers; the technological revolutions launched by their application in the race; the importance of teamwork between drivers, technicians and organizers, essential to aspire to victory.



 This exhibition is dedicated to the genius of those who designed, curated, and drove the cars that made the history of rallies, but above all to the enthusiasts who dreamt of them. Our greatest ambition is to transmit this immense passion to the younger generations so that they can draw inspiration for their future achievements."




The cars on display


Nineteen iconic examples are the protagonists of the challenges that have become legend, which narrate the feats of drivers and racing teams, through the enormous success of the public that has accompanied this sport over the decades. Starting from the 1960s with the BMC Mini Cooper S (1966), the Ford Cortina Lotus (1966) and the Ford Escort RS Miki (1969), passing from room to room one can cross the 1970s, with the Porche 911 st (1970), the Lancia Fulvia Coupè HF 1.6 (1970), the Fiat 124 Spider (1971), the Alpine Renault A110 (1973), the Lancia Stratos (1976), the Fiat 131 Abarth GR.4 (1978). And then the protagonists of the great challenges between the 1980s and 1990s, the Lancia with Martini racing livery - Lancia rally 037 (1984), the Lancia Delta S4 (1986), the Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v (1990), the Lancia Delta HF Evoluzione Safari (1992) – with their antagonists the Audi quattro (1981), the Renault R5 Turbo (1981), the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 (1986), kindly given by the museum L’Aventure Peugeot in Sochaux (France) and the Toyota Celica GT-4 ST165 (1990).



The flagship of the exhibition is the very rare prototype of the Fiat X1/9 Abarth, whose development Gino Macaluso worked as project leader for the Fiat racing team, commissioned by engineer Aurelio Lampredi. A model designed for rallies, but which was retired before its series production and the homologation in Group 4: a strategic change of Fiat decreed the end of the project shortly after the end of the 1974 Giro d'Italia automobilistico, which Gino had just raced alongside Clay Regazzoni, in the X1/9 on display.



This car, rediscovered years later, was the spark from which the passion for research and restoration of the cars that have made the history of this sport burst, and today is part of the collection we can admire.



An outsider of the exhibition is the Fiat Punto S1600, winner of the Rallye Sanremo in 2001, the spearhead of the racing team founded by Gino to participate in the Junior World Rally Championship.



Particular care, as in the permanent path of the MAUTO, has been given to the accessibility of the contents within the exhibition path, thanks to LIS, the Italian Sign Language videos, panels, and tactile silhouettes with audio descriptions, and booklets with relief cars. The City of Turin has made available the LIS interpreting service for the press conference on October26.




Mariella Mengozzi, Director of MAUTO says: “With The Golden Age of Rally, MAUTO confirms its role as an international museum institution: the excellence of the artifacts on display, the creativity, and the quality of the set-ups express a production capacity that aligns us with the most renowned museums in the world.



We consider this exhibition the true starting point of MAUTO after the pandemic period; our growth strategy is based on the ability to attract the youngest audience, and motorsport – first of all, the rally – is certainly one of the most exciting themes, because it leverages the emotions of the challenges, the courage, the personality of its protagonists. A great opportunity not only for MAUTO, but for the whole territory."




Related events


The exhibition The Golden Age of Rally will be accompanied by an intense program of themed guided tours, meetings, and conferences that, throughout the duration of the exhibition, will feature the faces of the rally celebrities.



 
Calendar of guided tours during the exhibition period

•    Monday 31 October 11:30
•    Monday 31 October 16:30
•    Tuesday 1 November 11:30
•    Tuesday 1 November 16:30
•    Sunday 6 November 15:30
•    Sunday 20 November 15:30
•    Sunday 4 December 15:30
•    Sunday 18 December 15:30
•    Sunday 8 January 15:30
•    Sunday 22 January 15:30    •    Sunday 5 February 15:30
•    Sunday 19 February 15:30
•    Sunday 5 March 15:30
•    Sunday 19 March 15:30
•    Sunday 2 April 15:30
•    Sunday 16 April 15:30
•    Tuesday 25 April 11:30
•    Tuesday 25 April 16:30
•    Sunday 30 April 15:30

Guided tour: € 5.00 + admission ticket to the Museum according to rates
Groups must consist of up to 25 people
For info and reservations: prenotazioni@museoauto.it




The exhibition in the prestigious setting of MAUTO - MUSEO NAZIONALE DELL 'AUTOMOBILE



Founded in 1933, the National Automobile Museum is one of the most famous automobile museums in the world. It was Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia (Roberto's son), a Turin aristocrat born in 1879, who conceived and designed it, formed its initial collection, fought to open it, and worked all his life to give it a proper home.



Opened to the public in the autumn of 1960 in the headquarters designed by the architect Amedeo Albertini, it was completely renovated and expanded on the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy on a project by the architect Cino Zucchi.



In 2011, MAUTO reopened, after four years of closure, with the new route set up by the French-Swiss set designer François Confino, which effectively enhanced the extraordinary collection of cars: two years later the Times counted it among the 50 most beautiful museums in the world.




Contemporary and futuristic, it preserves a collection among the rarest and most interesting of its kind, with almost 200 original cars from 80 different brands, each contextualized by spectacular sceneries included in an inclusive and fully accessible exhibition itinerary.



In addition to the permanent path, MAUTO includes other important activities, including the Documentation Centre, which collects original documents relating to cars, people, and events that have made the history of the car, and the Restoration Centre, which carries out ordinary and extraordinary maintenance activities for the cars in the collection, following the scientific methodology in the diagnostic phase and the criteria for conservative restoration in functional interventions.



There is also the Educational Centre, which offers activities for schools of all levels and that has reconfigured its offer with a focus on the issues of the automotive sector (physics, safety, design, mobility of the future), the Congress Centre, which hosts more than 200 events every year including conferences and in-depth meetings on the car world, and the Open Garage, the store where about 70 samples of the collection are kept.




Fondazione Gino Macaluso per l’Auto Storica


Founded in memory of Gino Macaluso, by the will of his wife and family, the Foundation aims to enhance the automobile as an object of worship, capable of combining technological innovation and humanistic culture, craft tradition and beauty of avant-garde design, profoundly influencing the customs and society of the twentieth century.



The Foundation is a tribute to Turin, hometown of Gino Macaluso, who was a sportsman and European Rally champion in 1972, then architect and designer, entrepreneur and Knight of Labour: despite having completed most of his career and working life in Switzerland and around the world, Macaluso was closely linked to the city of the automobile and experimental innovation.



The birth of the Foundation in 2018 is a sign of the legacy that Gino Macaluso gives back to the city, through the commitment to young people and the new generations that approach the passion for the car, motor sport, innovation and car design.



The collection of the Foundation is a capital of rally history, which tells the epic of legendary races, great drivers, and the most winning cars. Built by Gino Macaluso, this collection is among the most important in the world and unique in its kind for the cars’ list of victories, the prestige, and originality of its models: historic cars for grand tourism, rally, and track that trace the period from the 1060s to 1990s of automotive design and motorsport, in addition to having taken part in the most important world events related to historic cars, becoming a point of reference for scholars, collectors, and enthusiasts.



Using the collection, the Foundation intends to follow up and give body to what were Gino Macaluso’s dream and passion, who considered the car "the most intense expression of the creativity of the twentieth century". Starting from the experience of Gino Macaluso as a designer and his passion for art objects, the Foundation intends to develop a cultural program capable of bringing automotive design into dialogue with modern and contemporary arts.




Opening hours and tickets


The exhibition will be open every Monday from 10:00 to 14:00, and from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 19:00.
The visit to the exhibition is included in the entrance ticket to the National Automobile Museum



FULL PRICE: €15
REDUCED (over 65 | aged 18-25 | groups of more than 15 people): €12
TICKETS WITH SPECIAL AGREEMENTS: €10
CHILDREN (aged 6-17): €5
SCHOOLS: €3
CHILDREN (aged 0-5): free



From 1 December a new rate dedicated to families will be active:
FAMILY RATE: 2 adults accompanied by one or more children between 6 and 17 years: 35€.



The ticket office closes one hour before the museum closing.


 
MAILANDER for MAUTO - Museo Nazionale Automobile Torino
Veronica Sisinni – also photos