The internatinal Tatra community visited the River Po valley this year. On Tatra Freunde International’s traditional Ascension weekend, the TFI Italian section did their utmost to organize a high quality meeting in Trescore Balneario. The organizers headed by Mario Mezzera, Elsa Spinelli and fellow family members could welcome a wide variety of Tatras at its XXXIIIth rally. Oldest cars present were Johann Fanderl’s T 57 saloon and two T 57 sport. An Austrian T 57a saloon, a T 57L light platform truck as well as a superb Swiss T 57b saloon completed the T 57 range. A trio of T 75 convertibles, a Swiss one, a Czech one and a German Sodomka T 75 convertible, all had travelled to Northern Italy. Libor Suchy, son of the well known Bohumil Suchy, proudly presented his freshly restored two-tone blue early T75 saloon.
Tailfinned streamliners were well presented with TW’s Kees Smit and his T77a, three protruded headlamp T87s and a proud Ales Minarik with a nice recently restored T 87 Diplomat. Not less than five Tatraplans, all Koprivnice built, from Switzerland, Austria and Czech Republic completed the tailfin series.
Model most well presented was the T 603 range with a Berlin T 603-1 and several T3-603s from Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Austria. Modern times were reflected by two T 613-1s and Nando Perovano’s immaculate T 613-3.
On Ascension Day, slowly all fourty Tatras arrived and crowded the parking space of the Trescore Balneario Spa hotel, with all competitors being invited to pay a visit to the nearby frescos of Lorenzo Lotto. www.prolocotrescore.it
On friday morning early the Tatra caravan set off for the magnificent ”Citta Alta” of Bergamo where a professional tourist guide helped us to understand all ins and outs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamo After a hot meal in Almenno San Salvatore and a tour through the lovely wineyards of Scanzo, all Tatras toured through Trescore Balneario and were finally presented on its historical market square, the Piazza della Torre, but not after a professial jury judged all the Tatras in a small Concours d’elegance. All Tatra crews had diner in a nearby restaurant.
On saturday the tour was quieter with a visit to the historical village of Clusone where the Tatra crews got a sightseeing tour and the Tatras were parked on yet again a historical valuable spot, at the piazza dell‘orologio, right under its famous multi-functional clock. http://www.casa-parre.com/clusone.htm The trip back to Trescore Balneario guided the Tatras along the Iseo and Indine lakes, all Tatras getting a taste of the Mille Miglia track when mastering the narrow cut out road on the steep bank of Lake Iseo.
The meeting was concluded with the traditional dinner and prizegiving, Czech Libor Suchy and his T75 winning the top awards.
The meeting was well published with a coverage on tv and local papers paying attention. Also, motoring journalists and photographers of several Italian magazins were seen interviewing owners and taking hundreds of photos. The public reacted enthusiastically on the Czech invasion. All Tatras, fairly unknown in Italy, became real head-turners for the car-minded Italians.
More photos to appear here soon