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Mussolini-owned 1930 Alfa Romeo race car getting full restoration

One of Alfa Romeo's most controversial race cars is getting treated to a full, concours-level restoration. Modified, worn-out, and incomplete, this 1930 6C 1750 was purchased new and raced by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Wearing chassis number 6C312898, the 6C 1750 was delivered new to Mussolini on January 13, 1930, and there are several images (one pictured) showing him behind the wheel. He paid 60,000 Lire for it. He entered it in several races across Italy during the early 1930s but didn't keep it long -- his well-known love of Fascism and international invasions seemingly muted the gearhead in him. It then went through several owners before ending up in the hands of a man named Renato Tigillo in 1937. He took the 6C with him when he moved to Eritrea, a country that joined Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia in the Italian East Africa administrative territory in 1936. The 6C was far less significant in the 1930s than in the 2020s, so the different pilots who owned it didn't think twice about stripping it to shed weight. Dozens of parts were removed and likely thrown away to prepare it for a strenuous new career racing under the scorching African sun. Dents, flaking paint, and a little bit of rust suggest life was tough. Precisely when it retired from racing, and what happened to it during the subsequent decades, remains unknown. There's no word on who owns it, either. All we know is that it's about to get completely torn down and painstakingly rebuilt by one of the best names in the business. United Kingdom-based restoration shop Thornley Kelham will return the 6C 1750 to the configuration it was in when Mussolini raced it during the early 1930s. That's a Herculean task considering the list of parts missing from the car is long. The original headlights, fenders, and wire wheels are no longer on it. Simon Thornley, the garage's co-founder, admitted the 6C 1750 is likely the most challenging restoration he's ever taken on, especially considering period images of the Stabilimenti Farina-built body are few and far between. It's worth it, though. "Automotive history like this has to be preserved," he said in a statement. Mussolini wasn't the only dictator that loved cars. Adolf Hitler was an enthusiast, too, and several of his cars -- including a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770k -- have been sold at auction in recent years. Related Video:    

Fiat Chrysler's Q3 profit boosted by strong North American earnings

MILAN, Italy — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) reported a 17 percent jump in third-quarter adjusted operating profit on Tuesday, helped by a strong performance in its key North American market and improving operations in Europe and Latin America. The world's seventh-largest carmaker still makes the lion's share of its profits in North America, so improving, or at least maintaining, its margins there is a key focus. The carmaker reported an 8 percent adjusted operating profit margin in the region, up from 7.6 percent a year ago, despite a drop in sales and shipments. "FCA's profitability in North America remained strong in the quarter despite a weakening market there," a Milan-based analyst said. FCA's profitability compares with an 8.3 percent North America margin reached in the quarter by bigger U.S. rival GM , showing CEO Sergio Marchionne making progress towards his goal of closing the margin gap with GM and the company's other U.S. rival, Ford, by 2018. The company's confirmation of its full-year outlook also pushed shares higher, a trader added. The stock was up 2.8 percent by 1129 GMT, outperforming a 1 percent rise in the European auto index. FCA has been retooling some U.S. factories to boost output of sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks while ending production of some unprofitable sedans to strengthen profitability as the U.S. car market comes off its peak. The company said a drop in North America shipments due to lower fleet sales and discontinued models was partially offset by higher deliveries of Ram trucks and two models from the Alfa Romeo stable: the Stelvio sport utility vehicle and Giulia sedan. Profitability also improved in Europe, helped by sales of the Stelvio and the new Jeep Compass, and Latin America, while margins at Maserati remained strong at 13.8 percent due to strong demand for its first SUV, the Levante. In a later conference call, investors are looking for hints on the new strategy to 2022 which the company promised to unveil early next year. Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said earlier this year that FCA would streamline its portfolio and that components businesses, including Magneti Marelli, would be separated from the group, possibly via a spin-off. While FCA confirmed its targets this year, doubts remain about its exposure to a weakening U.S. market, recall costs and potential fines over emissions after it was targeted by European and U.S.

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray vs the world: How it compares on paper

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray in its base form offers an astonishing amount of performance for the money. In fact, so impressive is the car's spec sheet that the Corvette kind of exists in two different competitive sets: one of cars priced similarly, and another with cars of similar performance and reputation. To get a feel for how it handles each of these segments, we've compiled specifications for those two sets of players. You can find the first set below, which looks at cars of roughly the same price point. Following that is a bit of analysis, and then there's a chart of cars with similar performance and reputation. And that chart will also have some analysis. Though final pricing for the Corvette hasn't been announced yet, we know the Corvette will start at less than $60,000. And as far as pricing goes, its closest competitor is the Porsche 718 Cayman, which also starts at just under $60,000. Both are mid-engined and rear-drive, but the Corvette offers an extra 195 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The Cayman does boast a curb weight of right around 3,000 pounds, so it weighs a few hundred pounds less than the Corvette, but it's likely not enough to make up for the power deficit. The Corvette's sub-3.0-second 0-60 time bears this out against the Cayman's best 4.5-second run. Impressively, though, the Cayman has more cargo space than the Corvette in a package that's nearly 10 inches shorter. The Cayman also still offers a manual option for those that prefer self-shifting. The 2020 Toyota Supra is on the cheap end of this sports car class, just crossing $50,000. It also boasts more power than the Cayman, though it's still down by 160 ponies and 105 pound-feet of torque to the C8. It's also about as roomy as the Corvette, despite being about the same size as the Cayman. Cargo space is a bit tighter. Its driving characteristics will likely differ, too as the Supra sits on a front-engine platform. It might even feel closer to a C7 Corvette in some ways. The other mid-engine entry in this price range is the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Its small 1.7-liter turbo inline-4 only makes 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, but it's also far and away the lightest of this group at 2,487 pounds. That's roughly 1,000 pounds lighter than the Corvette. It isn't as fast as the Corvette in a straight line, but that lightness surely pays dividends in cornering and braking.