de Rivaz & Ives Launched At FIVA Hall Of Fame Awards Event

Images: Gautam Sen, Michael Robinson
Even if the weather wasn’t at its best and things didn’t quite go according to plan, the launch of de Rivaz & Ives rode on the grand success of the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens’ (FIVA) first ever award ceremony for its much-acclaimed Heritage Hall of Fame.

Paolo Pininfarina and Alberto Scuro of ASI, about to give the Motoring Heritage Award to Leonardo Fioravanti and Marcello Gandini as Savina Confaloni looks on

Held on Saturday the 25th of September 2021, it was a grand event at which two of the greatest automotive designers the world has ever known—Marcello Gandini and Giorgetto Giugiaro—were feted by FIVA and the Italian national federation Automotoclub Storico Italiano (ASI).

Confaloni looks on as FIVA President Tiddo Bresters awards and inducts Marcello Gandini into the FIVA Heritage Hall of Fame

This was at an exclusive event at FIVA’s and ASI’s head office, Villa Rey, up in the hills of Italy’s motor city, Turin.

Now it is Giorgetto Giugiaro's turn to receive the award and be inducted into the FIVA Hall of Fame

On Sunday the 26th of September, ASI decided to celebrate the national historic vehicle day with a wonderful exposition of 50 cars and 20 motorcycles at the magnificent Piazza San Carlo in downtown Turin.

Marcello Gandini with one of his most sensational creations, the Lamborghini Countach, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary

ASI also gave away the ASI Motoring Heritage Award to two special designers: design giant Leonardo Fioravanti, and Marcello Gandini.

The dinner and the launch announcement of de Rivaz & Ives magazine was within the ASI and FIVA head office, the magnificent Villa Rey

These trophies symbolised the designers’ contribution to Italian motoring history, while FIVA’s awards were in recognition of their contribution to the world’s motoring heritage.

The Sunday after, on the 26th of September, in celebration of Italy's national historic vehicle day, mostly Italian cars and motorcycles gathered at the Piazza San Carlo, in the centre of Turin; here we can see a Lancia Stratos and a Ferrari 365 BB

In a programme headlined “The Stars of Motoring”, well-known Italian television hostess Savina Confaloni moderated the show on Saturday evening. It began with with ASI President Alberto Scuro welcoming the guests.

A very pretty one-off prototype by coachbuilder Vignale, based on the Fiat 500

Next Sonfaloni asked the redoubtable Paolo Pininfarina, from the Mahindra-owned design house of Pininfarina, to give away ASI’s Motoring Heritage Award to Marcello Gandini and Leonardo Fioravanti.

An elegant lady and her Fiat 503

On display were a Gandini-designed Lamborghini Countach and a Fioravanti-designed Ferrari 365 BB, as both these milestone cars were celebrating their 50^th anniversaries.

A cute capture of the mood at Piazza San Carlo on Sunday, taken by Marianna Bresters

Finally, at around 7:30pm, Tiddo Bresters, the current President of FIVA, took the stage, and after 20-minutes of a very personal and amusing speech, the Hall of Fame winners were called on stage successively.

The winners of FIVA's Hall of Fame: Gandini, Giugiaro and Fioravanti. Also seen, FIVA general committee members Natasa Grom, Peter Edqvist and Gautam Sen, as well as past and current FIVA presidents Patrick Rollet and Tiddo Bresters

Famous Ferrari engineer, the 86-year-old Mauro Forghieri could not attend the awards ceremony as he hadn’t been keeping too well, but the two design greats, Gandini and Giugiaro were there to receive their trophies.

Another Gandini-designed car, an Alfa Romeo Montreal, with a Lancia Flavia Coupe behind it

At the sit-down dinner that followed, within the magnificent rooms of Villa Rey, Tiddo Bresters gave a vote of thanks.

Yes that's a Fiat, no doubt, but which model...? Write in and tell us...

Bresters next went on to elaborate that this was the most appropriate occasion to announce the launch of India’s first historic vehicle magazine, de Rivaz & Ives, marking the international scope and reach of the historic vehicle movement.