My Story
A Passion that began as an Obsession
My passion for classic cars started in 1978 when, at 3 years old, my dad would drive me around my native city, Milan Italy, in his Ferrari Red Fiat 500 L with the sunroof always open… Every Sunday morning was our time, no excuses. First, to the pastry shop and then to the Parco Sempione, where the ritual of adding to my micro car collection of 1:43 Solido, MicroMachines and Dinkytoys took place.
An Obsession that’s now Unstoppable!
That Fiat 500 eventually left the family but my obsession was now unstoppable!
I bought my own classic Fiat 500 in 1988 (it was actually given to me for free by the family mechanic out of sheer exasperation!) and my Classic Car Collection started right there. Every piece of rust I could get my hands on would create a family battle. I always wanted to take it home but there was never space for another car. I may have sounded a bit like a kid crying for a toy… But there was more to it than that and luckily my dad recognized my passion for classic cars was real.
We purchased a sophisticated version of the Fiat 500, a Bianchina Cabriolet, (you can find lots of great detail on the Bianchina Club site), and then another one, then sold the first one… It quickly became a trading game, one that made me suffer every time I had to give a car away – a pain never fully compensated by the joy of getting a new one. No doubt, you know the feeling if you’ve tried selling an old car – you can never buy it again… there just isn’t another one out there. Every single car carries its own “patina” and history. Thirty years later, I came to the conclusion that I prefer imperfect, but well-preserved cars, rather then immaculately restored cars that hide their history behind a new paint job.
I created theburningoil.com as a source of inspiration for those who love rare classic cars, like the NSU Prinz or the Austin Healey 3000. My dream is to build a community for everyone who shares my passion for vintage cars, so we can swap stories, memories and unforgettable road trips!
We purchased a sophisticated version of the Fiat 500, a Bianchina Cabriolet, (you can find lots of great detail here), and then another one, then sold the first one… It quickly became a trading game, one that made me suffer every time I had to give a car away – a pain never fully compensated by the joy of getting a new one. No doubt, you know the feeling if you’ve ever tried selling an old car – you can never buy it again… there just isn’t another one out there. Every single car carries its own “patina” and history. Thirty years later, I came to the conclusion that I prefer imperfect, but well-preserved cars, rather then immaculately restored cars that hide their history behind a new paint job.
I created theburningoil.com as a source of inspiration for those who love rare classic cars, like the NSU Prinz or the Austin Healey 3000. My dream is to build a community for everyone who shares my passion for vintage cars, so we can swap stories, memories and unforgettable road trips!