Priceless Cars Deserve To Be Driven On Northern Italian Roads

Photography by Federico Bajetti

Have you ever tried to slow down and simply enjoy a long cruise? It’s a hard thing to do, and it’s something I don’t often consider: speed is an essential part of car culture, and the world seems destined to chase it, in the most efficient way possible.

However, being slow can be a completely new dimension of fun. It’s hard to believe, but attend the ADAC Trentino Classic in Südtirol, located between Italy and Austria, and you’ll realize it’s possible to enjoy life at 30 mph. With the top down, no time trials, and no speeding—just a tour through the landscape—an event like this is an honest definition of the word “tourism”.

It’s the perfect habitat for Pre-War cars, elegant Mercedes-Benz tourers, and any other long-legged GT, including Rolls-Royce and Bentley. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this event had by far the lowest number of Porsche 911s, Alfa Romeo Giulia GTs, and BMW 2002s so far in 2015.

Because it’s more about just touring, rare gems with long unspeakable names like the Volkswagen Sonderkarosserie Dannenhauer & Strauss, Auto Union DKW Front-Luxus Zweisitzer, and Glas Goggomobil TS 250 tend to make a welcome appearance.