by Wallace Wyss, edited by Louis Vandenberg, KUCR-FM Autotalk –

I happened to be in Nashville a few weeks ago and was pleased as punch to be able to catch the show called Bellissima! At The Frist Center For The Visual Arts. I gather this is ordinarily an art museum so I was bowled over that an art museum would devote so much space to cars.

The idea of this show, they explain, was to celebrate the “visual dynamism and spirit of innovation characterizing Italian coachbuilt cars, concept cars and motorcycles produced during the post–World War II economic revival.”

This is actually the second time that art museum has had a car show, as back in 2013 they presented a show called Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles, curated by automotive authority and guest curator Ken Gross who this time was back, assisted by two other experts.

The show consists of 19 automobiles and 3 motorcycles from private collections and museums that by my own estimation are among the finest examples of Italian automotive design, including vehicles by Alfa Romeo, Bizzarrini, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia and Maserati.

Let me start with the Alfas, it puts together all three BAT cars developed by Bertone as aerodynamic studies in the early ‘50s.

With juts these few cars, the display builds a good case for showing what propelled Italy to the forefront of automotive design internationally in the 1950s.

Some of the cars shown are racing cars or inspired by racing cars. Some of the Ferraris they were showing for instance were dual purpose cars like the Ferrari 250 GTO.

Other cars they were showing were more high water marks in style, cars that were sold to wealthy glitterati, movie stars, and influential industrialists. I was glad they had a Miura, which I think was a good example of how Ferruccio Lamborghini created a grand touring Berlinetta that would give Ferrari a run for its money.

The display didn’t go into how much these Italian cars influenced Detroit automakers but the book sold at the Museum’s shop told how American production cars like Nash, Hudson and even Cadillac succumbed to the Italian style with Italian-like features and even had some cars bodied in Italy. They had a Dual Ghia, an offshoot of when Chrysler hired Italian designers to build a series of dramatically modern concept cars, including one (the Firearrow) that evolved into the independently produced Dual Ghia.

Here’s the complete list of the display.

Bella Berlinettas
1950 Cisitalia 202 SC
1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic
1955 Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato

Berlinettas: The BATs
1953 Alfa Romeo BAT 5
1954 Alfa Romeo BAT 7
1955 Alfa Romeo BAT 9

Styling Gems
1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Speciale
1952 Lancia B52 Aurelia PF200 Spider
1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica

Il Ultimo
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

Wedge-Shaped Cars
1955 Chrysler Ghia Gilda
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero
1966 Ferrari 365 P Tre Posti

Italian and American Excitement
1952 Cunningham C3 Continental
1955 Lincoln Indianapolis
1963 Chrysler Turbine Car

Mid-Engine Marvels
1963 ATS 2500 GT
1968 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada
1970 Lamborghini Miura S

On Two Wheels
1957 Moto Guzzi V-8
1973 MV Agusta 750 Sport
1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport

I was amused by the Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada because it appears to be the exact same car I bought decades ago when I was a full time barn finder. That story of that find and the story of an ATS and the Tre Posti Ferrari shown in the Exhibition are also in my Incredible Barn Finds books.

I couldn’t have picked the cars better myself. Each car was set on a platform and well lit, and had a sign summarizing the car’s significance. I would have preferred a few styling drawings as well, or even the a wooden body former showing how the more hand-made ones had their panels formed but I won’t complain because the exhibition as it is achieves the goal of introducing the public to the great influence of Italian car design on the car world. This show sums it up.

Congratulations to the organizers and the Museum.

I also want to complement the Museum for backing up what’s shown on the Museum floor with a few books on cars (one by the guest speakers that were at the exhibition’s opening), automotive themed toys, postcards of the cars shown, etc. in their museum store. It is always nice to have souvenirs of the current show available and I hope some of those toys or postcards starts a child on a future career as a car designer….

The show runs to October 9, 2016.

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

Those who want to see another Ken Gross-curated exhibit can see his latest work at Art Deco cars from the 1930s and ’40s at RCMA, the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh from October 1 to January 15, 2017.

THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is the author of the Incredible Barn Finds series, available direct from the publisher at 715 381 9755