Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: ColinMarr on 19 September, 2015, 09:36:13 AM



Title: Lancias in literature
Post by: ColinMarr on 19 September, 2015, 09:36:13 AM
An article I have yet to write is to do with Lancias in literature, in particular to references in unlikely books by unlikely writers. One of the more likely writers is Ian Fleming, but it might be a surprise to some that a Flaminia Zagato appears in one of the James Bond stories being driven by one Tracy di Vicenzo. This is mentioned in an interesting article in The Guardian today by Richard Williams, which is a good piece of writing too – see this link:

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/18/james-bond-f1-mercedes-ian-fleming-trigger-mortis-anthony-horowitz

I must find time to write my little piece!


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: simonandjuliet on 19 September, 2015, 10:04:49 AM
You know about the Aurelia mentioned several time sin the "The Business" by Iain Banks .....


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: Derek Moore on 19 September, 2015, 10:42:59 AM
Interesting article. Was there such a car as a Lancia Flaminia Zagato Spyder? Not my expert subject but if anyone's got a picture of one?


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: ColinMarr on 19 September, 2015, 04:42:05 PM
Thanks, I didn't know about Ian Banks book - perhaps I should read it. I see it's "described as a science fiction book set in the present day" - sounds intriguing and interesting that Banks knew of Aurelias. I doubt if there ever was a Flaminia Zagato Spyder and I guess that's a flight of Fleming's imagination. I doubt if Zagato produced much by way of open cars during the 1960s.

There is a book by Richard Williams that also has a Lancia reference. This is "The Last Road Race", which is a brilliant and evocative account of the 1957 Pescara Grand Prix. The Lancia in question being Luigi Musso's Lancia-Ferrari D50. A book I highly recommend. 


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: frankxhv773t on 19 September, 2015, 06:38:46 PM
Ian Fleming liked his cars and endowed his characters with a variety of interesting cars. They didn't translate into the films so much. You have to read the books.

Then there's Morse. Did Mr Dowling ever disclose his secret?


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: simonandjuliet on 11 December, 2018, 06:40:13 PM
There's a brilliant series of books called the "Hunger Games" primarily aimed at teenagers, but great stories. The films were good as well but I wonder if the author, Suzanne Collins, is a car buff - maybe even a secret Lancia-buff

One character is called "Fulvia" another "Flavius" and also "Octavia" (not a Lancia, I know, but still car-y). Loads of other great names "Castor & Pollux" but not seen "Fulvia" in a novel before


Title: Re: Lancias in literature
Post by: Mikenoangelo on 13 December, 2018, 09:58:11 PM
A bit of a digression but here is a loosely translated lyric from a song entitled La Topolino Amaranto performed by Romano Conte. I came across this when Youtubing « Lancia Augusta » and found a clip from a Motoring TV programme using the title Topolino Amaranto and which showed a nice black Augusta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4QqDtb-SHQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4QqDtb-SHQ)

I Googled Topolino Amaranto and concluded that topolino (which literally means little mouse or Mickey Mouse ), in this context, relates to the nickname commonly used for the original Fiat 500. Amaranto relates to Amaranthus, a red leaved edible plant (AKA pigweed in the UK !) – but most probably used here as a reference to colour so the title, I thought, just means little red car and is unrelated to the black Augusta. A second programme also on Youtube does review a red Fiat 500 roadster.

So to digress a bit further, the song sung by Romano Conte with the same name also came up on Google.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zr9oq6nE1U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zr9oq6nE1U).
Conte has done better songs so don't listen for too long!

The song goes back to the drab days of 1946 when fuel was pricey and a trip out in a car with a blond was a treat. The car as you will see was an Aprilia. So the joy of motoring in a proper car as expressed in the song is the real reason for the title of the Youtube clip.

Today gasoline has gone up -
It is the summer of '46
A liter is worth a kilo of salad
But who renounces his car, who goes on foot?
The car, what a comfort!

On the amaranth Topolino
Come on, sit next to me, let's go now
If I let the bridle loose a little
It seems to me an Aprilia has no rivals
and clenching her teeth, the blonde
hears a slingshot
And he smiles a smile at the fear that is in her
But on the amaranth Topolino
It goes like a charm, in '46


I did wonder why she would hear a slingshot but it's probably there because the Italian word rhymes with blond!

Mike
Oh and by the way I tracked down the black Augusta and it will soon be in my shed  :)