Michelotto History

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I'm currently researching the history of Michelotto and am short of images from the Stratos (mid-70s) and early 308 GTB (late70s/early 80s) era. I appreciate that the business is well-known for its disposition of secrecy - (essential in view of the special relationship with Ferrari) - and its usual policy of forbidding visitors, (precious few allowed), to take photographs inside, but I wonder if anyone here might have taken some pictures back then around the Via Chiesanuova premises? If you have, I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know. Many thanks.
David

 

Steeped in folklore for sure.
How they got 550hp from a NA 3.6 Dino V8 engine is the stuff of legends.
Sorry can't help with your request and sorry I couldn't help myself.

 

Thanks for your interest RT. Yes, plenty of folklore and all magnified by the maintenance of relative privacy, leaving us with less than we'd like to know about how such excellent results have been achieved modifying Ferrari and Lancia products. Quite a contrast with many similar businesses which - understandably - like to blow their own trumpets to let us know how accomplished they are. But Michelotto had the more significant agenda of being, in effect, Ferrari's off-site skunkworks.

 

Maybe @tomgt can help? He seems to have contacts there.

 

Hopefully i need some info about this too.

 

History can be found in some (Italian) books
and in the Michelotto 50 years book

 

Thanks Tom. I've been aware of this for a while but have been quite unable to find a copy anywhere - seems as though everything Michelotto-related is enigmatic/elusive, (which, of course, just adds to the allure). I'm grateful for your input. Regards, David

 

Once the book came out a copy was sent to the factory. Some say lawyers then had all remaining copies confiscated, possibly because some secrets had been revealed.

Marcel Massini

 

Thanks Marcel. There we are then - a business which has proven supremely good at special/competition vehicle development and preparation and equally effective at maintaining confidentiality - both aspects key in gaining Ferrari's trust and willingness to allow Michelotto to function in effect as the marque's special developments workshop. Very frustrating though for people like me - we must be missing out on lots of fascinating detail about how such cars as the Stratos, 308 GTB, F40, 288 GTO and 333 SP for example were developed and refined. I'm intending to post a survey of the 70s/80s cars on Do Look Back next month.
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Ohh wow. That's really cool.