Sometimes it happens to discover places of my city I don’t know, or rather, that I’ve only heard but I’ve never visited. So when I find one, I am so happy to talk about it and share my experience that would stay hours writing about it. This happens recently with Stanguellini Museum, the museum dedicated to the oldest Modenese name active in the car field.
Stanguellini: a name linked to the car history
Modena is famous everywhere for being the “land of motors”.
In its territory were born some of the most famous car brands in the world: Stanguellini is certainly the oldest one.
In early 1900, Francesco Stanguellini, a car enthusiast and owner of the young “Scuderia Stanguellini”, became the first licensee of the Fiat brand in the city. After his death in the year ’30s, it was his son Vittorio that took the command of all the activities bringing them to the success, realizing the first sport cars and creating the Stanguellini’s Team, who began to collect multiple victories. In the mid-50s, Stanguellini name was known everywhere and his shop became a destination by all his fans.
There will be people who may not bother climbing to the top of the Ghirlandina or admiring the “Stolen Bucket” when they pass through Modena, but if they are sports fans it will be absolutely impossible for them to miss popping in to Stanguellini and making a short visit to the “Courtyard of Miracles” (which his shop is known as).
(Gianni Marin, sports reporter)
Vittorio Stanguellini, considered by all the automotive press as the father of the Formula Junior, died in 1981. The successors are the son Francesco, a passionate pilot of vintage cars, and his grandchildren Simone and Francesca.
The Stanguellini Museum
The museum opened in 1990 by the will of Francesco in memory of his father. Inside, in addition to a private collection of historic cars you can visit the room dedicated to the history of Stanguellini and of his racing car models.
I’ve always loved vintage cars! When the Mille Miglia race passes across my city, I don’t miss the opportunity to go and see the passage of its beautiful cars.
It will probably be because I love vintage style but walking between cars of the the Stanguellini‘s private collection made me a certain effect.
It is impossible not to fall in love with the beautiful: Jaguar Mk2 And mk150, Porsche 356, Maserati, Alfa Romeo 1900 (with which Francesco won the Panamericana race in 1990), Maserati Sebring, the Lancia Fulvia HF, the “Balilla”, the Volkswagen Beetle, the “Fiat Topolino”…
Then, there is a very special car in this collection: the first one registered in Modena, the Fiat Type 0, registered as “MO-1”, dated back to 1908. More than a car it seems a motorized carriage but it is really suggestive and, exceptionally, after been authorized by the person in charge of the Museum, I couldn’t resist to take a picture inside it 🙂
Finally, entering inside the room dedicated to the racing cars brings you immediately back to the the golden years of sports competitions: a dozen of flaming red cars welcomes visitors!
Among the models that you can find here there are some of the most famous ones built by Stanguellini: the beautiful “Ala D’oro”, the strange “Colibrì, the “Formula Junior Delfino” and the rare “bonsai” that Vittorio built for his son Francesco when he was 8-9 years.
Stanguellini Museum really surprised me and obviously I recommend you a visit 🙂
Information about Stanguellini Museum
Stanguellini Museum is in Via Emilia Est, 756 – Modena.
Phone: +39 59 361105 – Email: info@stanguellini.it
It is currently closed for renovation, but if you call ii’s probably that you will be able to agree on a visit anyway. It should reopen in 2017.
Admission is free.
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My story about “Stanguellini Museum” is also on Steller:
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