When Toly takes a trip, it's a trip

Editor's note: This story was published in the March 27, 2000, issue of AutoWeek.

Anyone looking to spend a car sort of summer in Europe should let Toly Arutunoff plan it for them. Though you'd need to spend more time than the typical vacation allows and a few more euros than the youth hostel requires, it would be one unforgettable time.

Here's how Toly outlined for me his Double-Aught plans. New things might be added. Toly (and fortunately his wife, Karen) is nothing if not flexible.

May 10: Depart on the QE II (so he can take a car as baggage, so to speak--one is already in Europe). He will be well mounted for any vintage event with his Lancia Flaminia Zagato and Alfa Giulietta Spyder.

May 21: The 100 Hours of Modena. Wending about that city of Ferrari, Maserati, DeTomaso, Lamborghini, Stanguellini, Zampone and Lambrusco and over the endless passes of the Apennines.

June 1: The Alfa Classic, a four-day event in Austria. Then the Swiss Lancia Club gathering in Basel.

June 5: Genoa to catch the "magnificent ferry" that will deliver him and his Lancia in Palermo for the Tour of Sicily and the one-day re-enactment of the Targa Florio.

Neither Toly nor the Flaminia is a stranger to this event, having run the original in 1963 when both were younger but no less avid. Indeed, Toly did three more Targas. In 1967 he ran in an alloy-bodied SWB Ferrari in which he did six laps, just one short of the required seven that year. In 1971 he had practiced in a 454 Corvette, but the new Milanese organizers ruled his newly required roll bars were inadequate. The last "real" Targa was in 1973, and Toly had a Lotus Europa that was disqualified at a pit stop when a steward discovered its rear brakes were not functioning. As if that was unusual with a Lotus.

Now back to the future, and the summer of '00.

June 15: He might jump back into the Alfa for the Coupe des Alpes. "Starts in Evian, does 15 mountain passes--two of the highest in Europe. And the Turini. Some laps at Monza. Ends in Cannes."

June 21: Back to Austria for the Kitzbuhel Alpen Rally.

July 2: The five-day Rally des Alpes starting in Geneva through Davos and the like, ending in Bergenstock. "This used to be a swanning about from five-star hotel to five-star hotel. Now they have gotten back to what they call 'friendly competition,' which means no protests will be considered. It's for cars up to 1971. I thought of taking my Buick Skylark, but at $4.50 a gallon for gas I thought better of it."

So time out for a little fancy celebration in London for a new Yank at Oxford, Toly's stepson, Trace, who will be 21 at the end of that month. Then it's back to the car mines.

He'd like to do the Isle of Man. But most likely the next event will be back to Switzerland for:

Sept. 7: Rally of Geneva. Toly and the Alps should be on more than nodding terms by this time.

Sept. 25: Five days from Biarritz to Malaga in the south of Spain. That would be an appropriate wrap-up seeing as how Karen and Toly were married at Biarritz a few summers ago. And his birthday (64th) comes along in there, too.

(Now, you were telling me about your drive from Orlando to Peoria? How exciting.)

By Denise McCluggage