GOLDMANINI

Type of body: ‘barchetta’

Coachbuilder: Carrozzeria Rocco Motto of Torino.

Chassis: 205064S – Designed by Giovanni Michelotti and built by GilCo

Engine Type: Fiat 1100

UK Registration No: 569 UYM

With lines penned by Giovanni Michelotti and a lightweight aluminium body produced by Carrozzeria Motto of Turin, this unique barchetta was destined for class G competition in SCCA races during the mid 1950s.

The tubular Gilco chassis was fitted with its body in the Motto workshop in 1954 and sent over to the USA for final assembly by its owner and well known SCCA racer, Max Goldman. The car was fitted with a highly tuned Fiat 1100 engine which was provided by Paul Farago.

Max Goldman displayed the car in the Henry Ford Museum’s “Sports Cars in Review” show in 1956 after which the car was taken off the road, partially disassembled and has been in storage until recently.

Purchased in 2011 by its current owner, it was repatriated to the UK where Thornley Kelham have carried out an authentic and complete restoration.

The Goldmanini presented a very exciting challenge as, not only did it arrive in our workshops as a partially disassembled project. It also required a complete and full restoration to top concours standard. Seeing the car for the first time, it was very evident that a lot of time and effort would be required to fully research the car’s original specification and restore it to the very highest standards which the discerning customer expected.

Existing historical photos were an invaluable resource for providing the level of detail required to faithfully restore the car, and replace parts that would have been on the car originally.

Details of the Restoration Work

• An overall assessment was made of the state of the car following a dry build which was carried out with all the parts which came with it. It was discovered that numerous bespoke parts were missing and would have to be either sourced or made.
• Extensive repairs were made to the chassis and body in order to return the car to standard, following previous modifications carried out over the years. This included new suspension engine and gearbox mountings.
• New sills were made to replace the damaged originals, probably caused by the numerous trips on and off trailers as documented in the car’s history.
• The car was dry built again prior to paintwork.
• The body and chassis were stripped and painted in ‘India Ivory’ as chosen by the customer from an original Chrysler colour chart.
• Painstaking research was conducted into identifying and sourcing correct period parts, many of which came from either Italy or America.
• Engine and running gear were fully rebuilt. The gearbox was a particularly interesting amalgamation of parts including 1100S.
• The twin Weber carburetors coupled with one-off exhaust and trumpets confirmed the car’s racing roots.
• Correct gauges matching the original photos were challenging to locate.
• A new dashboard was fabricated along with handmade, bespoke switches.
• A new front plastic screen was made to match the existing curved style.
• A new handbrake, previously non-existent on the car, was designed and engineered to match the car’s style.
• Many aluminium parts, to match original photos, were hand made to replace those missing, including a gear box cover and a bulkhead box.
• The wheels were fully rebuilt using new hubs and spokes.
• Originally designed as a race car, the only interior trim consisted of two bucket seats, gear lever gaiter, and door check straps. These have been meticulously re-trimmed and refurbished. No carpet, matting or door cards have been put in the car to keep it as original as possible.

An enormous amount of time, effort and skill have gone into restoring this wonderful car to the very high specification it deserves. The customer’s vision and passion, coupled with the skills and dedication of the Thornley Kelham team, have succeeded in returning what was once a neglected project into the incredibly beautiful and cherished sports car that it is today.

It was officially presented to the public again at the 2015 Salon Prive’ Concours d’Elegance held at Blenheim Palace, where it won the award for ‘Most Sensitive Restoration’, a remarkable achievement. A huge ‘thank you’ to all the team at Thornley Kelham for their untiring dedication and long hours, and a massive ‘thank you’ to the car’s owner, who had the faith and the vision to entrust us with restoring this gorgeous car.