Special Motorsports Event - Carole Lombard/Clark Gable Vehicles To Be Displayed

Milan, June 27, 2011: True to the philosophy and style that distinguished the start-up of uniques special ones, MAC Group will continue with exclusive partnerships and significant innovations at this year’s event: simultaneously a competition, exhibition, and social gathering without precedence, its concept of exclusivity will remain unaltered.

A superb 1933 Pierce Arrow V 12 will be present at the event – it is a one-off car on more than one account. Besides being the only model remaining, registered in 1933, the car originally belonged to Carole Lombard, US actress and wife of Clark Gable.

This year, it will therefore be possible to admire the vehicle in which the lead actor of Gone with the Wind travelled together with his beloved wife for a number of years. Carole Lombard was famous for being a true tomboy in real life, with a keen passion for cars: known for her blue language, she adored attending glamorous parties where – it is said – she was a skilled and sparkling conversationalist.

Also registered to attend is one of the most important cars in all of FIAT’s history, the FIAT Mefistofele: in 1924, on the frame of the FIAT vehicle that Felice Nazzaro led to victory at Brooklands in 1908, Ernest Eldrige installed a FIAT A12bis aeronautical engine, with 21.000 cc and 320 HP, and set a new world record in Montlhéry, reaching speeds of 235 km/h. A special that is one hundred percent FIAT.

The dates are confirmed in Florence, from 2nd to 4th September, in the evocative setting of the Gherardesca Palace, Convent, and Garden, today a Four Seasons Hotel. The event will feature and give prominence to automobiles and unique or rare objects from limited productions or with distinct characteristics that make them pieces of history.

uniques special ones will enjoy the collaboration of the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri D’Arte (the Cologni Foundation for Artistic Craft Professions), a private non-profit institution established in Milan by Franco Cologni to promote and protect artistic craft professions of excellence, which has partnered with MAC Group for the 2011 event. An integral part of the event’s concept is its presentation of rare and unique objects: cars, naturally, but also important, unparalleled objects from the high-end world, from jewellery to objects of design and from fashion accessories to works of art. In view of this, the Fondazione has designed an evocative exhibition dedicated to the artistic craft professions and the ‘five senses’ of luxury. A carefully chosen selection of deluxe brands will put their savoir-faire on display, presenting objects and artistry characterized by the most refined craftsmanship. Companies will not only present their items, but also the processes that lead to the creation of unique models.

The heart of the event will remain The Unique Cars International Concours, a competition involving cars belonging to six distinct categories: one-off models; rare models from extremely limited productions; prototypes; Concept and Show cars; famous automobiles (models of unique interest, for example, those that belonged to famous individuals or won important championships, or in particularly extraordinary situations, bodies assembled on the first or last chassis ever made); and automobiles from especially limited productions (less than 20 units built or remaining).

This year, like last, the Panel of Judges will again be composed of important figures from the fields of Design, Art, Automobiles, Culture, and the Media. Adolfo Orsi, an expert in the Automotive industry and grandson of the same-named entrepreneur who in 1937 purchased Maserati, will participate as Chief Judge. Important experts such as Lorenzo Ramaciotti (style jury) and Christian Philippsen (authenticity/conditions jury) will also form the prestigious, international panel. A French-Belgian living in Monte Carlo, Philippsen is a polyglot who loves Italy and its automobiles. Historian, publicist, and editor, he contributed to launching one of the finest magazines, Automobiles Classiques, and today, publishes the indispensible yearbook Année Automobile. He was one of the first organizers of top-level Concours d'Élégance, including the unforgettable Parisian event at Bagatelle. The engineer Ramaciotti headed Pininfarina for many years and oversaw many of the automotive masterpieces produced by that label, as a result. A successful manager with an infallible eye and a profound knowledge of automobiles – today he is Chief of Design at the FIAT Style Centre – he has always attended the most important international events. Returning to the panel are Tom Tjaarda, the well-known American designer who designed many models for Pininfarina, and Ian Cameron, Chief Designer for Rolls Royce.