"FAKE: the automobile between originality and forgery" was organised by MAUTO in cooperation with ADM, the Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency, to set a spotlight on this "dark side" of the passion for historic vehicles. And it is not a minor issue: just to give a figure, in 2021, in Italy only, the ADM Agency has seized over 36,000 pieces including cars, motorbikes, mopeds and spare parts, with an increase of the 300% compared to the previous year.

After the institutional addresses by Benedetto Camerana (MAUTO) and Marcello Minenna (ADM), the exhibition was introduced by a sparkling panel discussion, led by David Giudici, the director of the magazine "Ruote Classiche" and featured automobile historians like Adolfo Orsi, managers of heritage departments like Cristiano Bolzoni (Maserati) and Roberto Giolito (Stellantis), and representatives of worldwide brands like Barbara Herlitzka (Martini & Rossi), Paolo Rezzaghi (Brembo) and Tomaso Trussardi (Trussardi).

The discussion outlined that this falsification is a plague that grieves not only the collectors but also the whole society, hiding on its back tax evasion, criminality and risks for public safety and health. As the historian Adolfo Orsi explained, the phenomenon is not recent, it actually started already in the Sixties and the Seventies and then exploded in the Eighties with the popularity of events like the Mille Miglia. Nowadays, however, it has reached a different level: experts estimate that one historic vehicle out of four, in the world, is fake or heavily modified. It is a continuous fight between "police and thieves": today, more information is available, so the forgeries become more elaborate and the investigative techniques also evolve in parallel.

Institutions, international brands and car manufacturing companies are united in fighting falsification but the real change can only be made by the public, with more awareness. "Buyer Beware" states an old proverb, and to identify fakes it is always important to look not only at the vehicle itself but at its history and documentation as well-a gospel that FIVA, the International Federation for Historic Vehicles, has been preaching since long, with the Turin Charter and with the FIVA Id. Cards are useful tools to preserve the history of the vehicles and their originality for the future generations.

FAKE, the car between originality and forgery is the opportunity to observe a gallery of fakes of great interest. Compare them with the originals and reflect on a phenomenon that has developed globally in recent years. Counterfeiting, partial or total, has reached an unprecedented scale: the experts estimate that one in four historic cars - in the world - is fake or crudely manipulated. The automobile has contributed to the history of the 20th century. But there are also this story deforms them, invents them, erases them, for illicit gratification and profits. End of an epic adventure to enter the underworld. The National Museum dell'Automobile - in collaboration with the Customs and Monopoly Tax Authority - turns the spotlight on the dark side of collecting. Counterfeiting is spreading to newer models, aftermarket and so on of motorbikes. The business of counterfeiting, sometimes with the tacit acquiescence of subjects.
They should be guarantors, starting with online sales and ending with competitions and
most prestigious events. Those who falsify and scrap history today deserve to be
scrapped.*

*Translated from the Italian.

Source: https://www.museoauto.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CS_FAKE.-LAUTOMOBILE-TR-A-ORIGINALITA-E-CONTRAFFAZIONE_28.06.2022.pdf

The great Mercedes of the time became an icon of Germany's Nazi and were driven by hierarchs, celebrities and the great rich of the time. Model exhibited, after the war it went into the possession of the lawyer Giovanni Agnelli, it was donated by him to the museum in 1960.
Engine: 8 cylinders
Displacement: 5401 ccm
Power: 180 hp at 3500 rpm.
Speed: 170 km/h
Weight: 2235 kg
Production years: 1936-1939.

Ferrari 750 Monza
Italy 1954
The 750 Monza and its atypical four-cylinder engine by Augusto
Lampreys were a meteor that dominated the competitions between 1952 and 1956.
The significance of the car is also due to its line, which he helped design
Alfred Ferrari. The body was made by Scaglietti. The new 3
litres, perhaps inspired by a similar straight four Ferrari had seen on the HWMs
High, it allows to reduce consumption in the race compared to the classic V12. There
The construction was made of light metal and was appreciated for the remarkable torque. Also
in the 2- and 2.5-litre versions, it was a winner. The "750" debuted in Monza
Conquering the first two positions. The Umberto Maglioli couple climbed the podium
and Mike Hawthorn, followed by José Froilán González and Maurice Trintignant.

FERRARI 250 GTE2 + 2
Italy 1963
The 250 GT 2 + 2 was the first Ferrari four-seater to be mass-produced
Ladder. 957 were built, equipped with the Tipo 250 V12 engine
Three-litre single overhead camshaft. These models had the modification of
Four-speed plus overdrive. The body designed by Pininfarina,
taking into account the latest studies on aerodynamics, skilfully transferred
a very elegant line.
Years of construction 1960 - '63
Engine: 12 V cylinder
Displacement: 2953.21 cm³
Power: 176 hp at 7000 rpm.
Speed: 230 km/h