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International Meeting 1988
by Henny Cate
The International Meeting this year was organised by the Maserati Club Austria from 22nd to 25th September. The Meeting based at Velden, which is an attractive resort on the shore of the Worthersee in the province of Carinthia. The lake is some ten miles long and surrounded by hills and mountains.
Velden lies between Villach and Klagenfurt near the Yugoslavian border about 140 miles south east of Salzburg. The Club organised the Meeting from the Parkhotel which boasts five stars and has a permanently supervised car park. Participants were requested to follow the Trident signs from the autobahn, which passes quite close to Velden and to arrive by 4.00pm. on Thursday 22nd September.
As Velden is a good thousand miles from home, not including the ferry, I reckoned that the event would take a week and the best route would be via Felixstowe - Zeebrugge, using the night boat to get some sleep.
My co-driver was Rob Bland, who is well known to many members with his Merak and for organising the Yorkshire Dales Rally. He also has various other interesting machines - a Sebring being restored and a really mean motorcycle, which is one of a limited series of 200. It is a 500cc street legal racing model and I imagine it out accelerates any Maserati; perhaps it is familiarity with this performance which makes Rob a totally fearless passenger!
On the afternoon of Tuesday 20th September Rob drove down from Newcastle in his Lancia Delta and we set off for Felixstowe in the Indy. I had planned to have a meal about twelve miles from the port and a few miles from the restaurant, before dusk, we switched on the headlamps. The lights came on, but the lamp pods would not come up! Fuses were found intact, but the electric motor would not raise the pods although it had functioned normally when tested the evening before. Perhaps there is something to be said for the Bora hydraulic system. The Indy does not have the official tool kit, but fortunately I have a speed brace, which allows manual raising and lowering of lamp pods and side windows. We therefore raised the lamps, wedged the pods with coins, stuck down the coins with tape and carried on with dip more like main beam.
After a calm crossing we headed for Antwerp on Wednesday morning but made a navigational error and slotted into a tunnel which led to the docks instead of one that leads to the motorway. Having sorted that one out, we left Antwerp at about 10.00am and put in a good blast on Belgian and German autobahn, encountering our first traffic hold-up 40Km beyond Munich at Irschenberg. There appeared a Motel at the roadside and as we both felt the need for a large beer, we stopped for the night, having done about 600 miles. What a pleasure it is to be able to use the performance of the car and only use the mirrors in order to pull over in good time for the odd big Mercedes, BMW or Porsche being driven as designed.
Thursday dawned clear between Munich and Salzburg, though others further west had to contend with persistent fog. As we were well ahead of schedule we made a diversion to take in the Radstadter Tauern and Katschberg passes, which are pretty if not heroic.
Rejoining the autobahn we saw not a single Trident, but arriving at Velden to check in there seemed to be an amazing number of Maseratis. Not having been at Laguna Seca, I have never seen so many! We reported to the Austrian Club's reception in the Parkhotel foyer and had the impression that the staff were struggling with more than they had bargained for. This was quickly borne out by an addendum to the programme, which said that the latter had to be altered owing to the unexpectedly large entry.
We were presented with Maserati caps and umbrellas, a plaque of the Meeting bearing Trident, time and place and large stickers with the car's rally number surrounded by sponsors. The stickers went on each door and a Pirelli sticker to go on the rear window as they were the main sponsors of the event. The Maserati umbrellas proved an effective appeasement to the weather gods, as it remained dry for the entire Meeting.
Owing to the extra numbers many participants were accommodated in nearby hotels and apartments, all meals being taken at the Parkhotel. Rob and I finished up with two bedrooms, bathroom, lounge, hall, kitchen and balcony overlooking the lake. The road leading to the Parkhotel ran along the lakeside, but was one way for cars, narrow and equipped with suspension jarring -sleeping policemen- humps every few yards, ensuring that Maserati progress would not upset the local residents.
The entry list was remarkable showing 101 Maseratis including a Citroen SM. We were pleased to see quite a few Indys. A breakdown of the entry by Nationality was as follows:
Italy 41, Austria 28, Germany 17, Switzerland 6, Great Britain 5, France 2, Monaco 1 and Hungary 1.
A breakdown of the entry by model showed:
3500 GT 12 (including 7 Spyders), 5000 GT 1 (Allemano), Sebring 6 (Series 1), Mistral 7 (including 1 Spyder), Mexico 5,
Quattroporte 4, Ghibli 10 (including 3 Spyders), Indy 14, Bora 7, Merak 9, Khamsin 11, Kyalami 3 (including 1 Spyder),
Biturbo 7 (including 1 Spyder), Citreon SM 1, A6 GCS 2, 26T 1 and 8CM 1.
The meeting started with a presentation of the cars on the Velden Corso (i.e. Lakeside "Prom"). A bandstand decorated with Maserati and Pirelli banners occupied by Club officials who had details of each entry. In front of the bandstand was a ramp and platform on to which each car was driven to be introduced in turn over a public address system. The descent from the ramp was sedate and there was no Mille Miglia style blast off, though this might have been appropriate.
However, Rob and I had waited in the hotel car park until the two A6 GCs made a move and then we tucked in behind them to follow them through the town to the Corso presentation. They made much unnecessary but glorious noise until a policeman stepped out at a junction and told them to cool it. Being Italians, they did not appreciate this advice!
All cars returned to the Parkhotel and as each now had its number on the sides, it was possible to work out who was who. Comparing the entry lists it turned out that 28 of the participants had been present at the 1987 Meeting at Nürburgring. The spectacle of around a hundred cars, all in good order and many quite superb was most impressive. Some of the Spyders were magnificent and a Kyalami Spyder conversion was attracting much attention. The Allemano bodied 5000 GT on Prova plates was piloted by Gigi Villoresi, both car and driver looking very fit.
The British contingent consisted of John Jorgensen and Nick Savage in the Vignale Spyder and they had been on the road for a week, having already bubbled through the Champagne Rally. Michael Miles was to have done the same, but unfortunately had to return home, so he flew out with Sophie and took part in an Opel Senator which was equipped with huge Maserati badge, but somehow did not handle quite like a Ghibli. Anthony Hartley and Duncan Reynolds arrived with the 8C 26T, which attracted great attention. Alexander Fyshe came solo in his Merak SS and Rob and I made up the five with the Indy.
The main event on Friday took place in the morning on the west side of Villach. This required the use of a section of autobahn to arrive there and lots of cars were going so fast that they overshot the turning. Finally all found their way to the venue, which was the Dobratsch Hill Climb course. The original plan had been for each car to do the climb twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon the aim being to achieve "regularity" of average speed. This proved impossible to organise with the large entry and so we only had one run each. The idea was to do the lower section to point X, where you were timed, at the same average speed as the remainder from X to the finish. The snag was that the position of X on the hill was not disclosed.
This hill climb course is not to be confused with your quick squirt up Prescott or Shelsley - a decent time on the Dobratsch would be between ten and eleven minutes! It was a pity that the Club could not close the road to the public and we were also inhibited by the presence of leather clad policemen with large motorcycles at regular intervals up the climb. We somehow felt doubtful about their sense of humour.
While it had been cool and foggy early at the start it was clear and sunny at the top of the climb and there was further opportunity to examine all the cars and to watch the later numbers finishing, cars being sent up the hill at 30 second intervals. There was no doubt about the approach of the A6 GCS in convoy, the noise arriving quite sometime before the red sports racing cars.
We had started next after the Jorgensen/Savage Spyder and John had warned me that his clutch was giving trouble and he might be slow. In spite of this he was held up by an Italian Ghibli Spyder, John complaining that the man lacked sufficient lead in his boots, or words to that effect.
The programme was further modified for Friday. We were to have finished the day with a medieval banquet dinner at Landskron castle, which is set high on a steep hill overlooking the valley and Villach. However, the "Knights' Dinner" became a Knights' Lunch. This was a very jolly occasion and we sat with some Germans who enjoyed themselves hugely, making jokes which seemed to be beyond the scope of the language tapes I had listened to since last year. Axel Biswurm kindly translated for us, but only those that he deemed fit! All manner of liquid refreshment was served, but I was relieved to find mineral water available after my medieval experience last year.
There happened to be a display of free-flying birds of prey on the north westerly side of the castle, which has cliffs overlooking the valley and the Ossiach Lake. The birds ranged from quite small hawks, through kites to huge eagles with around two metre wingspan. The eagle would be soaring hundreds of feet up, a goodie would be displayed and the bird whistled up (or rather down) and it would hurtle down with wings folded in the most dramatic manner, just slowing down in time to land precisely on its lunch. Occasionally the birds alighted on the castle walls and sulked, but they generally cooperated. I thought of the Pan American Road Race and the works Mercedes coupes with buzzard bars fitted; as we drove away from Landskron Castle past those cliffs I was glad the Indy was not a spyder!
After this we visited a collection of classic cars belonging to Bruno de Cillia, who was driving a Khamsin. The collection is next to his Maserati dealership showroom in a splendid modern building. Although we had a heavy lunch, a buffet with further liquid refreshments was laid on amongst the classic cars which included Alfa GTA, Iso Grifo, Lamborghini, Bizzarini and various models bearing Tridents. The Biturbos and Maserati regalia were next door in the showroom.
Following this classic car show we returned to Velden and took the opportunity to buy post cards and inevitably, more film. We returned to our villa apartment and prepared for a very good twentieth century dinner at the hotel. However, this did not last into the early hours as everyone was mindful of the next item on the programme which read: "Maserati Alarm 06:30" for Saturday morning.
The Club had taken the Osterreichring Formula 1 circuit at Zeltweg for the day on Saturday and the programme stated that each car was to do two runs of three laps with practice in the early morning. As the circuit lies a good hour and a half drive from Velden, without hanging about, this called for a traumatically early breakfast. We were keen to get in on the practice session and it was perhaps as well that a certain blue Ghibli pulled in for fuel shortly after rocketing past us, or there might have been a prolonged dice before we got to Zeltweg.
The Osterreichring is a terrific circuit and I can understand why Jenks approves of it in his writings in Motor Sport. It is about a 3.7 mile lap, the road rising and falling through fields and woods with hills surrounding it, the setting being more like Spa than Silverstone.
However, there is little time for the novice to admire the scenery as things seem to happen with alarming rapidity. After the pits straight is a hill which makes the right-left chicane (they have a 50 metre maker as well as earlier ones) and then a straightish section to the right-hander, which is uphill and as the card is hard on its suspension plenty of welly can safely be applied. But the problem then is the long downhill right-hander which follows after a further straight bit. The car feels light and adhesion precarious, so we found this one quite hairy. There follows a double apex left-hander in open country, a short right curve on to a straight and then the long right-handed Rindt curve back on to the pits straight to the start/finish line. Some of the gravel traps and armco look uninviting.
Practice was quite exciting. We both drove and Rob had some interesting laps catching two very fast ladies in another Indy, which he finally managed to pass by stealing the line into the chicane, our car having given all it had on the pits straight. A certain German Merak, driven by an excellent photographer, mentioning no names, spun twice after arriving too quickly at the said chicane, fortunately without damage. It seemed that everyone enjoyed the practice as there was no need to attempt regularity. I noticed some Boras and Ghiblis going very well indeed. Senator Miles was still running trident motif aerodynamic tweeks, but the Opel was not to his liking and Sophie felt less than safe on the circuit. Nevertheless Dad was not wasting any time.
The regularity test consisted of trying to do the middle lap of three at the same average speed morning and afternoon - or so we were led to believe. It was made clear that the circuit would be modified for the afternoon session, the nature of this was not disclosed. The first lap was the starting lap, the second timed and the third slowing down and back into the paddock. The organisers had a lot of cars to get through and competitors were released in small groups. We had taken various time checks in the morning and thought to try and match the times, compensating for the modification of the circuit. However, our split action stopwatch was discovered as we waited in the pit lane for the off during the afternoon session, the Club organiser held it up shouting "disqualified", but he was hugely amused and returned the watch, laughing as he thrust into the car a piece of Pirelli paper which said "Now you drive on the changed track 5 Km/H, slower than your first average speed". We could see what he was laughing at now.
This was the masterstroke and nobody had a hope unless they had a computer and a speedpilot device! Also when we arrived at the top of the hill at the end of the pits straight we found a totally different chicane, but you could not see this from the start. It was generally agreed that the organisers had fooled everyone thoroughly and this greatly added to the occasion. Only a small number of cars were out at any time and some appeared to be going slowly, earnestly consulting instruments, while the more blithe spirits went like the proverbial bat. Sadly, the 5000 GT sounded as if less than half its many plugs were flashing. John Jorgensen seemed to be compensating very well for his clutch trouble as he exited the Rindt curve and Alexander Fyshe was wearing his stunning Race Day trousers, which are worth three seconds a lap and require special colour film to photograph them. At one point the organisers let him wave the chequered flag, the latter becoming barely noticeable!
But for me the best part came at the end of the day with the competition cars. The two A6 GCS from Italy sounded tremendous and the drivers and "riding mechanics" with period helmets and gear were obviously in a world of their own. They were Giletti/Bertocchi and Musso and it was 1953 or 54. The cars were let off at intervals and the contrast with Anthony Hartley and Duncan Reynolds in the 26T was marvellous. The car was going really well and they drove in shirt sleeves, the wind in the hair with Duncan calmly taking photographs from the passenger seat, while Anthony quietly overtook the second A6 GCS in a very relaxed manner, having given it a handsome start!
With practice, two sessions of three laps and a buffet lunch at the circuit a most enjoyable day was over and we completed what seemed a long drive back to Velden in the evening. The front wheels of the Indy were indecently black with brake pad dust so we washed them for the Concours due next day. We then had to sort ourselves out for the Gala Dinner and Prizegiving which took place on Saturday evening. The Dinner was very good and there was much talk about the experiences at Zeltweg, which continued in the bar afterwards. The P Martin Inter-Club Rally Trophy went to a silver 4.7 Indy, unfortunately left hand drive, from Italy. However a similar model from England won the award for travelling furthest. I wondered if this should not have gone to Mr and Mrs Francis Mandarano as they had journeyed from the USA, but they had forgotten to bring a Maserati understandably.
The following morning, Sunday, the Concours were held between 9:30 and 11:30 again on the Corso by the lakeside. The 26T was parked on the ramp in the place of honour and duly received a prize. The judging of the road cars, which were parked very closely, all around the ramp in a very haphazard manner, was by the public. Everyone was milling around and the cars with the thickest bundle of "This is my dream Maserati" papers under their wiper blades were the winners. It was a lovely warm morning and the public clearly felt that spyders were the thing as a splendid Vignale 3500 won and a Ghibli spyder and Mistral spyder were runners up. There was a magnificent red Ghibli coupe, which received scant attention, but the spyders were all superb.
The prizes were presented by Maria Teresa de Filippis and Gigi Villoresi, both clearly enjoying the whole occasion. Lots of awards were presented, but at the end of the day there seemed to be some magnums of Maserati Club Austria own label bubbly going spare, which one or two people were fortunate enough to collar as well as a bottle for each car.
The Concours marked the end of the Meeting and everyone seemed to melt away very quickly. By the time we had packed the car there were very few Maseratis to be seen. This was a pity as it was impossible to say goodbye to people in the milling crowd and we could not help feeling that it would have been better if there had been some function, perhaps a light buffet lunch, to get the participants together again before they went their separate ways.
Rob and I had two objectives before the Zeebrugge night boat on Tuesday evening. The first was the GrossgIockner Pass, open from May until October and the second the Rosso-Bianco exhibition at Aschasftenburg, closed on Mondays. Therefore we drove quietly over the Heiligenblut on Sunday afternoon. This is the last place at the southern end of the GrossgIocker Hochalpenstrasse before the pass proper and is a very picturesque alpine village; the church, appearing on many postcards, is worth a visit. We found the Post Hotel very satisfactory, had an excellent dinner and prayed for good weather, extra film having been purchased.
Monday dawned clear blue and after photography in Heiligenblut, we ascended the pass and spent far too much time with the cameras, at Franz Josephs Holie overlooking the glacier, at the end of the tunnel and at the Edelweisspitze (2577 metres and reached be a series of demon hairpins) where there is a really stupendous view in all directions.
Photographically conditions were ideal, but the Webers were not too happy with the altitude. We popped and banged our way down the other side (all the other Indys were doing it at Zeltwg on overrun too!) and had lunch rather late around three o'clock at Zell am See.
Sightseeing completed, we were about 60Km. south of Salzburg and a strong grip was required as we had agreed to meet Alexander Fyshe for dinner at Aschaffenburg 500 Km. away. We crossed the border and joined the autobahn, but ran into a hold-up at the same place where we had stayed the first night. Apart from that there was no problem as the afternoon turned into a clear dry evening. The car was going splendidly at a more civilised altitude and as night fell we pulled in for fuel between Munich and Nurnberg, the car attracting a certain amount of attention, so that we felt it best not to let the side down and moved away from the pumps behind some bushes where we could discreetly grovel about with the speedbrace cranking up the lamp pods. Having taped the pfennig in position we blasted on keeping out of the way of the big modern burners, but having a little go with an Alfa Montreal.
We reached our objective around 8:30, had difficulty with the diabolical one way system in Aschaftenburg but finally found Alexander with the Merak. He had not quite given us up, recognised V8 sounds from the fifth floor and came down to meet us. All slept well after a good dinner, at which talk was predictably 100% Maserati.
The following morning, Tuesday, the Merak headed for the hovercraft, while we went to the Rosso Bianco collection. Peter Kaus was in the car park with V 12 Jaguar as we arrived and he came over to talk to us. Unfortunately he had been unable to make the Austrian Meeting, but was interested to hear about it. The collection is something extraordinary, but will be the subject of another article, so suffice it to say that we came out after two hours very impressed. If there was one car that I could take away it would have to be the open 450S, even if it has lousy brakes!
We had sufficient time in hand to make a detour through Holland to visit Classic Car Associates near Breda, by the Belgian border. Their advertisements in the classic car magazines are always mouth-watering. We saw a Zagato A6/2000, the Alfa Sportiva, an Alfa 8C, a very attractive OSCA sports racing car (why is there no book on these?) and a Lancia HF which Rob coveted (the Zagato was sold you see!).
It rained for the first time between Antwerp and Zeebrugge and we stopped for a meal at Knokke, before boarding the boat just down the road. Next morning we stopped at Corley Motors where the coffee and conversation are better than at the service centre on M6 of the same name and had a good talk with Mike Jones.
Finally we arrived home having covered about 2500 miles fairly swiftly at 17 mpg, though Rob had another 160 miles to do. We agreed it had been an excellent eight days.
Most Club members have road cars rather than competition cars. There is no doubt that Giulio Alfieri designed very effective and quick road cars for Maserati and it is a pity that there are now so many restrictions limiting their use these days. The Maserati Club of Austria certainly managed to give us the opportunity to exercise the cars to their full potential in very pleasant surroundings and we thank them for a most successful and enjoyable Meeting.
It is rumoured that our Secretary is chartering a P&0 Ferry, so that the entire British Club Membership can appear at Deauville for the 1989 International next September; See you there!
Henny Cate
All the photos in the pages shown are the copyright of Henny Cate and Michael Miles. |
