12.01.2004 THE ITALIAN MOTOR RACING PAST AND PRESENT INDUSTRY HAS BEEN WELL REPRESENTED IN BIRMINGHAM

Autosport International, held in Birmingham, England, each January, is the world's biggest motor racing show, growing from strength to strength each year, with the cream of racing cars being on display. Among the show's top attractions this year has been a full mock F1 grid, with each team represented, Petter Solberg's World Rally Championship winning Subaru Impeza and a display of historically significant road and racing Ferraris, valued at in excess of £25 million and believed to be the most exotic collection ever seen outside Italy.

The four day Autosport show was opened on Thursday by Prince Andrew the Duke of York, and Haymarket Chairman Lord Heseltine. With the show opened for Press and Trade, their first pitstop was the Galleria Ferrari stand. The Duke of York and Lord Heseltine were shown around the cars by Ferrari UK Managing Director Robert Hazelwood, the Duke of York taking particular interest in the evolution of the racing cars over the decades.

British F1 drivers Jensen Button and Justin Wilson put their rivalries to one side to open the Autosport International Show to the public on Saturday, while on Sunday, the show's final day, BAR test driver Anthony Davidson opened the show and Petter Solberg, recently crowned World Rally Champion, unveiled the new Subaru Impreza WRX STi, a road-going version of his rally car.

The Italian automotive world was well represented at the show. The 'Galleria Ferrari' was undoubtedly the key exhibition, and the presence of both the Ferrari 575 GTC and the brand new 360 GTC, emphasised its relevance not only historically but to sportscar racing this coming season. Prodrive showed the Le Mans 24 Hours GTS class winning Ferrari 550 Maranaello, while another much admired car was Autodelta's ultimate hot hatch, their 328bhp 3.7-litre Alfa Romeo 147 GTA and the mock F1 grid featured both Michael Schumacher's Ferrari, and at the other end the Minardi-Cosworth PS03.

Aside from these crowd pullers Italian cars were found dotted everywhere. Two examples of the 7.3-litre Pagani Zonda C12S supercar were in evidence, one which was joined on the AutoGlym stand by the new 5.0-litre V10 Lamborghini Gallardo.

Italian racing cars included a Ferrari 360 Challenge racer, several Dallara F3 cars, Minardi's unusual two seat F1 car, and a very rare early 1980's Osella-Cosworth F1 car, resplendent in original colours and carrying the names of Piercarlo Ghinzani and Jean-Pierre Jarier on the side. Among the historic racers was an immaculate Alfa Romeo GTA1300 Junior and a Fiat 131 Mirafiori on the Coy's auction stand.