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Villa Molinari, Lake Como Italy
Renato Molinari´s Estate a few years ago.
http://www.propertyatlakecomo.it/chi.asp
Renato lived in the smaller residence. Post# 243 photo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lars Strom
I believe it was 1973 when Renato took possession of the Yellow Villa. Renato moved into the smaller residence which is the building to the far right hand of the photo (on the north side of the Villa). The Yellow Villa is north of the Lago di Como boat shop, on the same side of the lake, less than a mile of away.
Titti (spelling could be wrong), Renato long time girlfriend at the time, helped decorate the interior of the smaller residence. What I remember different about Renato new residence is it had a spiral staircase from the ground floor to the second floor. Nothing else stuck out to me, it being another nice homely feel with a woman's touch. I think a lot of non-southern Europeans would be surprised in how old Renato was, before moving out of Angelo (his parents) house. I do not know that age, but older than the typical American lad.
The larger Villa building was going to be a factory facility for Molinari pleasure boats. That was the rumor I heard from someone not of the Molinari family. Apparently that prospective plan (if true) apparently did not come to fruition. What I remember of the Yellow Villa's inside was a bit round down, and not kept up ─to its former glory. Maybe the Molinaris brought it back to a prime estate later. Never the less it was impressive looking at the Villa from the lake, and standing on the grounds it had a great view of the lake.
Renato gives Lake X Kid a ride home.
I did get invited to Renatos home for dinner..here is the story..[/QUOTE]
Originally Posted by Lars Strom View Post
A fun memory about a visit to Renato...
I was at the Molinari factory outside Como testing a boat before Paris Six Hours..
Drove my Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Sweden to Italy..
Renato was not impressed with my loud American Muscle car..!!
Later that day he invited me to his house higher up in the mountains with a view over Lake Como..
(I don't now for sure if this was his only resident I think there was two)
Well..I could not take my car to his place so Renato took me in his brand new white Porsche 911 Turbo..
This ride as a passenger on those narrow mountain roads is hard to forget..!!
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I (Lake X Kid) like Lars also got a ride from Renato, and here is that episode.
On the way back from the Auronzo Italy boat race (1971 I believe), Renato asked if I wanted to ride back to Como with him. There were two things which are memorable in my mind regarding that road trip. First one is at high speed on the Italian Autostrada, the Porsche 911 has great braking power. When slower traffic ahead maneuvered into the fast lane, out in front of Renato, he operated that Porsche to decelerate so smoothly.
The second adventurous thing is on the mountain road New Via Regina, north of Como heading to Torriggia. There is this long arching stretch of a 180 degree sweeping curve. Renato took that right-handed-turn with tires squealing and I knew he was trying to impress me, and maybe make me a little nervous. But I had so much confidence in Renato driving skill that I just looked down (on my right shoulder) outside the car's window into the deep ravine. Also negotiating that curve, Renato did not ever cross the median line into the opposing traffic side, on this mountain road.
Do not know how close the story is to the truth, but I was told young Renato was considering auto racing with one of the Italian teams -like Alfa Romeo. Apparently Angelo Molinari did not like this pursuit, and persuaded and channeled Renato into boat racing. The logic at the time was auto racing was more dangerous than boat racing. Renato may could have been just another auto racer, but in tunnel outboard racing Renato Molinari created a legacy.
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(Roy Ridgell) Race on Sunday, (to Don Aronow) Sell on Monday.
Attachment 56257
“The first American showing of this three year old Italian design was old number 888 which Roy Ridgell of the Kiekhaefer Mercury team drove to a smashing sixth overall with a single engine in the last Miami-Palm Beach version of the Gold Coast Marathon.
But Aronow saw the boats in action while he was touring Europe last summer on his way to the world driving title, and bought a couple for study. The Molinari had won the rugged 6 hour Marathon of Paris two straight years, and even Aronow was impressed. He and the Magnum development team analyzed them from stem to stern and after months of testing, revising and re-designing the twin-keel Maltese magnum 16 went into production.”
Excerpted from the words of Don Aronows son (Michael), www.boatdesign.net
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Maybe the old NASCAR slogan "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday",
also applies with the Molinari hull and Maltese Magnum Missile.
In the boating industry too, from the race course (proving grounds) to the dealer's showroom for the public's pleasurable ownership. Lake X Kid.
Attachment 56256
