Sliding Pillar
Permanent resident
Posts: 1727
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« Reply #8 on: 09 February, 2011, 07:51:27 AM » |
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Here's the translation from Paolo:-
"The 4 presidential Flaminias: Four of these special models Cabriolet Landaulet were commissioned to the Pininfarina in March 1960. In six months Pininfarina (with the collaboration of General Motors for some special electrical accessories) made the cars according to the specifications requested personally by the President of the Republic Giovanni Gronchi. They arrived at the Quirinale palace directly from the factory in Turin after a long highway trip, via Milan, Bologna and Florence.Their top speed in fact, does not exceed 120 kilometers per hour because of the low ratio reduced to the differential (10/47 instead of 12/47), specifically designed to move at a crawl during the parades, without clutch slip. After that run on the highway they have rarely done any other long journeys on the roads. Only once have they reached Naples along the Via Appia, actually they were always carried in a wagon train on special. Traditionally, the four Flaminia Cabriolet Landaulet were baptized with the names of four horses of the stables in the Quirinale palace: Belfiore (813-99-1001 chassis, license plate Roma454308), Belmonte (813-99-1002chassis, license plate Roma454306),
Belvedere ( 813-99-1003 chassis, license plate Roma454307 Rome) and Belsito (813-99-1004 chassis, license plate Roma474 229). Currently in the garage of the President remained only Belfiore and Belsito. Nearly 5.5 meter long and weighting 2 tons, the presidential Flaminia can carry seven people, two of them on the comfortable folding seats. It 's a car that continues to command respect and admiration. At that time it was the only Italian high representation car to rival wih Rolls Royce and Mercedes-Benz.The 2500cc engine is the same on the sedan series (just in case were fitted with an electric pump and an extra coil), but the frame is longer: 3,350 mm against the 2870 model series. For the rest, starting with electric hood, the cars were completely reinstalled by hand. Later, one of the four presidential car, Belsito, during the seven years of Antonio Segni, was equipped with a transparent Perspex roof. In 1982, under President Sandro Pertini, the Flaminia was used only to carry foreign ambassadors when they went to the Quirinale Palace to present their credentials. The Belvedere was "dismissed" and sold in a public auction for a pittance. Actually the owner is a lawyer in Rome. After years of faithful service without a breakdown, in 1982 somebody took the decision to renew the fleet. A special armoured Maserati Quattroporte, donated by De Tomaso, arrived in the Quirinale garage. Among some special equipments, it had an armrest for the hand-made pipes of the President Pertini. So happened that immediately after the appointment of Francesco Cossiga, just when the President was to go out for the first lap of honor, Maserati broke down and Belfiore was recalled at the last minute to replace it. The new head of State then suspended other supplies and began to use the Cabriolet Landaulet. Even Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, despite the homage of a V6 Lancia Thema limousine from Fiat, claimed the Flaminia for the official events. And like him, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi has reviewed the units aboard the timeless Lancia, Belmonte, escorted by cuirassiers riding during the 2 June parade, in 1999. In this round, Belmonte was used for the last time. Restored by Pininfarina in 2001, it was later donated by the President Ciampi to the National Automobile Museum of Turin. Thus, the Landaulet convertible seems to be back a tradition of well-wishing ceremony at the service of the Presidents. A curiosity: the first official use was in '61 during the visit of the H.M. Queen Elizabeth of England and the Prince Philiph of Edinburgh. On 16 October 2000 the old Queen regnent is back for the third time in Italy. Once again the faithful Flaminia was waiting for her at the Quirinale palace."
So to answer Stuarts original question, yes they all still exist! Ade.
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