Description
If there’s a theme to this month’s issue, it has to be joy. Bright blue Abarths beam out of our cover, as we celebrate 50 years of the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally, testing it alongside a modern Abarth 695 Tributo. We rediscover the joy of the Lancia Delta integrale by comparing it to its successor, the Delta II HPE. A third twin test this month is a pair of father-and-son Abarth Punto Evos. We’ve also had loads of fun at the new Alfa Romeo Driving Academy in Italy, and take part in an experiment to measure ‘smiles per hour’ in the new Fiat Grande Panda. If you went to our Brooklands Italian Car Day in May 2026, you’ll know what a hugely enjoyable event it was – here’s our full report. Exotic one-offs featured this month include a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona with unique NART bodywork and Giugiaro’s smooth Bertone Testudo. We also profile Abarth specialist Middle Barton Garage, celebrate Lancia’s 120th birthday and visit Goodwood. We’re still beaming – now it’s your turn!
CONTENTS
ABARTH 131 RALLY & ABARTH 695 TRIBUTO – 50 years of the Abarth 131 Rally and its latter-day tribute act
LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE VS DELTA II HPE – Original Delta meets its Mk2 successor
ABARTH PUNTO EVO TWIN TEST – Father and son own two very special Puntos – how do they drive?
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 NART SPIDER – Michelotti’s one-off Daytona soft-top called ‘Marion’
ALFA ROMEO DRIVING ACADEMY – We strap in with legendary racer Giampiero Simoni on track in Italy
BERTONE CORVAIR TESTUDO – Giugiaro’s first free-rein design project at Bertone
ALFA ROMEO TONALE MY26 – New, facelifted Alfa Q4 model tested on UK roads
FIAT GRANDE PANDA – The science of joy according to Fiat as we join its ‘Smiles Per Mile’ experiment
MIDDLE BARTON GARAGE – Full profile of the celebrated Abarth specialist – 37 years old and counting
ITALIAN CAR DAY AT BROOKLANDS – Our biggest and best event yet, fully 40 years after the first one
GOODWOOD 83RD MEMBERS’ MEETING – Alfa Romeos led the pack in Sussex in 2026
LANCIA AT 120 – Historic marque celebrated in Belgium
OBSCURATI – Leonardo Fioravanti’s unknown Pininfarina Ferrari ‘ZAZ’ Formula 1 car
