Great European Drives

After Le Jogle (my way). I'm planning the next one. Has anyone done the Stelvio or the St Bernard passes? In an X1/9?

Did Stelvio way back in 2000 in my very first Exxy with the big run to Italy in the trip Ewen organised. Absolutely breathtaking scenery! The best bit is being at the top and seeing all the hairpins stretch out down below as far as the eye can see....

However I would not even contemplate going there again without some seriously uprated brakes! cos my brakes overheated big time and even seven years later the abiding memory of my brake pedal going to the floor approaching a particularly tight bend with a nasty sheer drop on one side and being inches away from another Exxy and using my handbrake to try and scrub off the last bit of speed is still as fresh as ever in my mind!

Would also ask Ewen about the trip to Portofino on the west coast of Italy
another one of his breath taking ideas.

The trip of 97 has to be the best of them all. Those that were there know how hard it was but looking back, I'm glad we lived the dream to the maximum. Thinking back I have to say we were all mad and to think everyone thought I knew what I was doing and where we were going. It still makes me grin to this day. When you look at a road map of Europe that covers two A4 sized pages, the journey to here and there doesn't look that far but as we were all to discover, a wee leisurely trip doon the road to find a campsite always seemed to include a mad drive to pitch the tents in the daylight lol. Ahh well, those were the days of high adventure which I'm sure will come again one of these days, possibly sooner than you think :roll: ...........isn't that right Olly?

So here we go. You've probably seen some of the images before, not all are mine, the Stelvio photos I think, were taken by Mike Taylor. I'm but a mere dot at the front of the convoy, thrashing its way doon the windy bits. The images are scanned from photos hence the poor quality. To think the days of digital cameras were not with us then seems amazing. Wish they had been but these along with the great memories will have to do.

What did we do on that trip? Mmmm, has been a while since I thought back but we visited the following.

Bugatti (old factory) - Molsheim France
Lingotto - Torino
Bertone - Torino
Ferrari - Maranello
Maserati - Modena
Club Nationale X1/9 meeting in Reggio Emilia (100 years of the Tricolore)
Parco di Monza - Formula 1 testing (Schumy and Davey were there)
Portofino mad dash
Lozzolo - Pietro's home & garage

Anything else I missed out boys and girls please let me know. Think that was tough enough

Enjoy!

Stelvio Pass & the gang

Stelvio Pass - it's even better in the flesh!

Stelvio Pass - Damon trying to fly

Stelvio Pass - "On days like these"

To get to Stelvio you drive up roads like these

This is what we live for

Plenty of stops for photographs

and more photos

then there are the snowball fights

in the middle of summer

Nothing like a hunting pack of X1/9's

Bertone 1997 - Pannico, Elizabetta & the gang

Bertone 1997 - Group Hug

Lingotto 1997 - I hired the track for the afternoon

Reggio Emilia meet with Club Nationale X1/9

Neil & I share a tent - this is the first campsite in France

Torino campsite where we were bitten to death

Gomer joins us here - Alan Edwards flys home due to health problems

Lingotto - Tour by Lingotto PR during which I took this photo of a painting

Maserati in Modena - Tour of the factory by Ermano Cozza

Torino 97 - Group Hug

The Italian Job backdrops are here & that's me a little thinner and younger

River Po and the lovely river view which is at the heart of Torino

River Po and the famous weir - can't see any minis though


So there you are, who's that Jeremy Clarkson chap? If you see him, tell him from the gang..."We were there first" Now as for the St Bernard Pass, that's a whole new ball game lol..................

HOPEFULLY I WAS GOING TO DO A TRIP THAT WAY NEXT YEAR IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE INTRESTED,

The interest is their just needs some one to spark the imagination and the ideas will start to flow....

I guess the first place to start would be with a list of places we want to visit. Plot them out to see if that gives a natural route without too many miles between.
My list of places would be:

Stelvio
Grand St Bernard
Nurburg ring
and a nice chateau in france with a vinyard, good grub and a comfy bed. Mustn't be too close the passes as I need to be pin sharp on those - not slightly fuzzy!

Depending upon road type I reckon 200 miles a day on the twisty stuff, perhaps up to 400 on the motorways - all roof off and second choke open of course!

Where would the rest of you like to go/visit?

Nurburgring would suggest stay with the Dutch Club !
The evening of them recipting Allo Allo allo /Dads Army and other British comedy TV programmes was more entertaining then sitting in a wet tent
As for taking the car around the track not for the faint hearted
Some date in August have a word with PCM he may have some thing up his sleve for us !!!