An iconic figure from the Golden Age of Film is without question, Sophia Loren. Renowned for her beauty, style, and acting prowess, one envisions her riding in an Alfa Romeo with the top down and her long locks waving in the wind as she navigates winding roads along the Amalfi Coast. Loren was known for her love of classic cars. Nowadays, modern cars come with optimized comfort, advanced technology, and ease of use, but often at the cost of the driver feeling disconnected and numb from the driving experience. Driving in the pared back technology of classic cars creates a feeling of nostalgia as well as the long gone symbiotic relationship between driver and machine. Today that experience is still available when taking the Vintage Car Experience with Italy Charme.   

The Vintage Car Experience allows you to choose your own adventure – select your classic car and the route for your Italian road trip. Driving allows you to admire the breathtaking scenery of Italy, while enjoying the elegance and comfort of your vintage car. You can even stop to relax and eat local cuisine, made from the freshest ingredients, along the way. Photographs will serve as beautiful souvenirs of a blissful day trip spent motoring around the idyllic countryside.   

Moreno Moretti is the founder and CEO of the tour operator Italy Charme, which aims to provide visitors with authentic, luxurious, and exclusive Italian experiences – ranging from truffle hunting to meeting an aristocratic family. The company prides itself on the expertise of local knowledge to show visitors a “real Italy” that is far from the large and oppressive crowds of tourists. All of Italy Charme’s experiences can be individually customized to your interests, meaning you can even work with one of their Travel Experts to create your dream Italian holiday.  

Before you embark on your Vintage Car Experience, you need to pick the vintage car of your dreams. Will it be a car that epitomizes sleek style and substance, such as the Alfa Romeo Barchetta? The brand’s devoted fan base includes the famous petrolhead Jeremy Clarkson, who once stated “we’ve been to motoring heaven, and the only way you can get there is in an Alfa Romeo.” You may be more interested in a classic Fiat 500 or Fiat Zagato. The Fiat 500 was known as ‘The Cinquecento‘ from 1957 to 1975 and was advertised as a functional town car for post-war Italy. You’re truly spoiled for choice, with another option to drive a classic Maserati. Or if you’re feeling bold, perhaps a vintage Ferrari 275 GTB valued at €5 million takes your fancy?   

Next, you will need to plan your route for the day. You can choose between Tuscany’s charming Chianti area or Piedmont’s rolling hills of Langhe and Roero. The vineyards in the Chianti region produce the world-famous Chianti red wine. This resplendent part of Tuscany offers a varied landscape of olive groves, stone farmhouses, forests, rural churches, Renaissance villas, and stone castles built in the Middle Ages. Piedmont is Italy’s second-largest region, an area characterized by beautiful hills, valleys, castles, and townships. Here, you’ll find Slow Food, fine wine, and regal palazzi. Langhe and Roero comprise a winemaking area that cultivates grapes for the Barolo and Barbaresco wines.   

Whether your Vintage Car Experience has you traveling through Tuscany or Piedmont, you’ll be sure to find a mouthwatering meal along the way. Tuscan cuisine is traditionally structured around meat dishes. Local butchers sell many varieties of salami, ham, and sausages. A signature dish of the Chianti region is ‘pappardelle’ pasta with wild boar ragu. In Piedmont, local restaurants create dishes with all the region’s earthy staples. These ingredients include sweet hazelnuts, tasty white truffles, super-lean beef, rich red wines, and fresh egg pasta.   

The Vintage Car Experience with Italy Charme puts you in the driver’s seat of your day trip. With a fully customizable experience, you have the freedom to choose your classic car and the route you wish to take. The assistance of an experienced Travel Expert with intimate local knowledge ensures there will be no wrong turns on the road ahead.