La Dolce Vita

Urdorf, July 12.   When you think of La Dolce Vita(Italian for "the sweet life" or "the good life",) which opera comes to mind first? La Traviata by Verdi, of course. La Traviata is an intimate piece full of tender lyricism. The character of Violetta dominates the work and her music changes accordingly as she develops through the drama. The hectic, almost hysterical coloratura of the first act moves to the more dramatic passages of the second before reaching a near spiritual quality of music as the character departs life in the final act.

At the same time, La Dolce Vita is a 1960s film directed and co-written by Federico Fellini.  The film follows Marcello Mastroianni, a journalist writing for gossip magazines, over seven days and nights on his journey through the "sweet life" ofRome ina fruitless search for love and happiness. La Dolce Vita won the Palme D’Or (Golden Palm) at the1969 Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Costumes. The film was a worldwide box-office success and a critical success, and is now frequently regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema. Anita Ekberg is best known for her role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini film.

Roberto Rossellini was born in Rome. His mother, Elettra, was a housewife born in Rovigo, Veneto. Rossellini's father built the first cinema in Rome, the "Barberini", a theater where movies could be projected, granting his son an unlimited free pass. Hence, young Rossellini started frequenting the cinema at an early age. When his father died, he worked as a sound maker for films, and for a certain time experienced all the ancillary jobs related to the creation of a film, thus gaining competence in each field. 

In 1937, Rossellini made his first documentary: regional accent, dialect and costumes were shown in the film as they were in real life. In 1948, Rossellini received a letter from a famous foreign actress proposing a collaboration:

Dear Mr. Rossellini,

I saw your films Open City and Paisan, and enjoyed them very much. If you need a Swedish actress who speaks English very well, who has not forgotten her German, who is not very understandable in French, and who in Italian knows only "ti amo," I am ready to come and make a film with you.

Ingrid Berman

This was the beginning of one of the best-known love stories in film history, with Bergman and Rossellini both at the peak of their careers. Their first collaboration was Stromboli terra di Tio (1950) (filmed on the island of Stromboli, whose volcano quite conveniently erupted during filming.) The affair caused a great scandal in some countries (Bergman and Rossellini were both already married,) and only intensified when Bergman became pregnant with Renato Roberto Ranaldo Giusto Giuseppe ("Robin") Rossellini. Rossellini and Bergman had two more children, Isabella Rossellini (actress & model) and her twin, Ingrid Isotta (1952). However, Rossellini's films after his early Nea-Realist films—particularly his films with Ingrid Bergman—were commercially unsuccessful. Soon after, Bergman and Rossellini separated.

One of the quotes which I have found most relevant is Fellini’s “We must get beyond passions, like a great work of art. In such miraculous harmony. We should learn to love each other so much to live outside of time... detached.”

It is so true. 

What is also true is the fact that Ferrari was making some of the best cars in this time period. 

Ferrari 166

The 166 is the king of style. The Ferrari 166 Inter was Ferrari’s first true grand tourer. An evolution of the125 S and 166 S racing cars, it was a sports car for the street with a coachbuilt body. The Inter name commemorated the victories claimed by Scuderia Inter with 166 S models. 38 166 Inters were built from 1948 through 1950. It was an elegant coupé designed by Carrozzeria Touring, who had previously created a number of similar Ferrari models. Carrozzeria Ghiaproduced a one-off coupé designed by Felice Boano. 

The 166 was also Gianni Agnelli’s first Ferrari. Getting his hands on one took some doing: Fiat’s management was not keen on the heir driving a different brand and Gianni made the initial arrangement through intermediaries. In July 1950, Gianni received chassis number 0064M, the 24th of the 25 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta.

Ferrari 212 

The Ferrari 212 Inter replacedFerrari’s successful166 and195 Intergrand tourersin 1951. Unveiled at theBrussels Motor Showof that year, the 212 was an evolution of the 166: a sports car for the road that could also win international races. In 1951, two 212 Inters, both Vignale coupés, driven by Taruffi/Chinetti and Ascari/Villoresi, scored a 1–2 victory at Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.

In 1951, it became clear that the model 195 had its performance limits, which was why the Colombo-design V12 engine was enlarged to 2562 cc. This augmented the performance to 155 or 165 horsepower respectively, depending on the carburetor layout. Additionally, a very innovative 5-speed gearbox became part of the specification. 27 cars were produced with considerable sporting success, including wins at the Tour de France, Targa Florio and the Carrera Panamericana, to name but a few. Out of the 27 cars, fourteen were produced with open bodywork and thirteen with closed Berlinetta coachwork, but of which only eight cars received a closed body by Vignale. 

Coachbuilders included Carrozzeria Touring, Ghia, Vignale, Stabilimenti Farina and now Pinin Farina. The latter was an important move for the company, as Farina was already well-known, and adding his styling skills proved to be a tremendous boost for Maranello. However, Pinin Farina was as full of pride as Enzo Ferrari and neither would go to the other to request business up to this point. A mutual meeting halfway between Maranello and Turin was the negotiated solution. The first Ferrari to be bodied by Pinin Farina was the 212 Inter Cabriolet, chassis no. 0177E. For further details please refer to my article “The Early-Birds of Outsourcing” (May 24, 2020).

Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione

The Competizione was introduced at the 1959 Paris Motor Show as the successor to the "Tour de France" (TdF), which was designated as LWB with its longer wheelbase. The legendary 250 GTO later followed as the successor of the Parisian debutant. With the TdF the 250 GT SWB shared both body and chassis, as both proved to be attractive and successful. Apart from the shortened chassis and the modified twelve-cylinder engine, the SWB was the first Ferrari to have disc brakes as standard equipment. Buyers were also given the choice of left or right-hand drive and could choose between two versions - Lusso or Competizione, for road or track use.

Even those who ordered a thoroughbred Competizione with 290 hp were able to drive their racing Ferrari - as with its predecessor - on public roads without difficulty. The Lusso, which was heavier with its steel body and counted less horsepower, proved to be an opponent not to be underestimated on the circuit. Interested parties were therefore really spoilt for choice at that time.

Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso 

The true ancestor of the today’s Ferrari Roma is a coupe from 1962, but with two seats. It is the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso that, from the period of 1962 to1964, embodied the spirit of sleek lines combined with true sportiness and fine finishes. 351 of these “luxury” products were produced within four years. Their Pininfarina style and Scaglietti bodywork were characterized by a very long 250 GTO style bonnet and tail end. For further details please refer to my article “A Love Affair” (April 13, 2020).

Ferrari 250 GT 2 + 2 

An inspirer of the Ferrari Roma is the Ferrari 250 GT 2 + 2 (also known as 250 GTE, 250 GT / E). It was the first car of Maranello able to accommodate four people and a prestigious protagonist of the sweet Roman life. It was produced between 1960 and 1963, with just 957 specimens. The Ferrari 250 GT 2 + 2 is a coupe with a 3-liter V12 engine and 240 hp. It touches 212 km/h and has also become famous for being the first Ferrari of the Italian Police.

Ferrari 275 GTB/4

This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen. The Ferrari 275 GTB is one of those Ferraris that inspires lifelong devotions. You are caught in its spell instantaneously; there is nothing else quite like it. When the Ferrari 275 GTB was released in 1964, it wasn’t just its looks that got people flocking to the Paris Show where it was unveiled. This was the Ferrari of firsts: it was the first standard street Ferrari to come with a five-gear gearbox. More notable still was that the axle it powered was no longer rigid and suspended by a leaf spring. The 275 GTB had fully independent double-wishbone rear suspension. This alone would have been enough for many. For Ferrari, however, there was one more step, which was duly unveiled at the Paris show in 1966. The most obvious difference to the observer was a discreet bulge in the bonnet. This was the first road car engine to boast twin overhead camshafts, a pair on each side of the Vee. The car was called the 275 GTB/4.  

Ferrari 330 GT 2 + 2

The Ferrari 330 GT 2 + 2, produced from 1964 to 1967 with a total of 1,099 units. By this time, the so-called good life had vanished, but the car remains famous for its front with four round headlights in the first series. The V12 engine went up to four liters and the power reached 300 HP for a maximum speed of 245 km/h. Certainly, we could list a few more of these cars, each of which represents an icon in terms of timeless elegance. But what about today?

Ferrari Roma

The Ferrari Roma is the new mid-front engined 2+ coupé (not classed as a 2 + 2 because of the minimal rear seat space.) It features refined proportions and timeless design combined with unparalleled performance and handling. With its distinctive flair and style, the Roma is a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterized Italy’s capital Rome in the 1950s and ‘60s.

?You are everything... everything! You are the first woman on the first day of creation. You are mother, sister, lover, friend, angel, devil, earth, home? (Marcello Mastroianni, inDolce Vita). There is not much more to say.

Exhibition: 

FERRARI “Dolce Vita” FROM 14 JULY TO AUGUST 14, 2020 at B.I. COLLECTION in Urdorf / Zurich

Please visit our website www.ferrari-zurich.chfor more information, follow us on social media or contact us at +41 44 736 17 36