Historical connections: the handover between Pubbli Auto and Pubbli Mais

A Lancia Stratos with a double signature, Pubbli Auto Torino and Pubbli Mais Torino

Pubbli Auto, founded in 1958, was a very well-known historic Italian company that, starting in the early 1970s, created the official paint liveries for the Fiat group for many rally cars that became legendary: Lancia Fulvia, Lancia Stratos, Fiat 131 to name the most famous.

Vinicio Mais, founder of Pubbli Mais - now also known as Pubblimais with the name attached - recounts that in 1985, Abarth executives were in great turmoil due to the sudden and unexpected closure of Pubbli Auto. Several projects had been left unfinished, and the production of graphics and the development of the Martini liveries for the Lancia cars that would compete in the World Rally Championships had to be hastily rescheduled. It must be said that unlike the Pubbli Auto era—during which this company was also entrusted with the entire series production of liveries—after 1985 (and the aforementioned end of the collaboration with Pubbli Auto) Abarth acquired a paint shop and no longer concentrated all the production and decoration work in a single company; On the contrary, he distributed it to several companies, each of which took on a specific task (for example, Abarth's in-house paint shop, known by the pseudonym Nitro & C., was specifically responsible for mass production). Pubblimais was contacted for its experience in paint graphics—Vinicio Mais, after all, was already known for having previously collaborated with Abarth and Fiat on several world-first liveries.

It can be said that Pubblimais took over the position left vacant by Pubbli Auto and began a closer and more constant collaboration with Abarth, which coincided with an equally important and epic period: that of the Martini graphics for the multiple world-champion Lancia Delta Integrale. The historical continuity between Pubbli Auto and Pubblimais was guaranteed by the identical artisanal methodologies and by the transfer of Michele Mininni – Pubbli Auto's key collaborator – to Pubblmais in 1985, precisely with the closure of the company he worked for. Mininni formed a very strong partnership with Vinicio Mais – owner of Pubblimais – who had already worked together, albeit at a young age, at the time of the company that gave birth to everything, I.P.A.I. (Iscrizioni Auto Pubblicitarie Torino), where, incidentally, the owner of Pubbli Auto, Sergio de Gregorio, also worked initially.

In addition to this research and development work - which resulted in the creation of the definitive Martini Racing graphics for the presentation to the international Press of the various racing car models produced by Lancia: Lancia LC2 (the enlarged version with the new livery), Lancia Delta S4 (partial development of the livery), Lancia ECV, ECV2, Lancia Delta 4WD, Lancia Delta Integrale, Lancia Delta 16v red (1989) and white (1990) - from 1985 onwards there was also a parallel production of very significant paint graphics: in our archive there are detailed notes of hundreds and hundreds of paint jobs on racing cars both in Martini livery and Jolly Club Totip, Grifone and Fina, and other satellite teams such as Shell, Formalat and Nava. The archive is still preserved on our premises, and the work carried out by Pubblimais is evidenced by the Abarth engineers, mechanics, and drivers who brought us the cars on car transporters and trucks, as well as the many pre-social media internet forums (primarily Facebook) where enthusiasts met to discuss, exchange information, and share their shared passion for the Rally.

PS. Many pages from these forums are still visible online today, so have fun searching for them!

Further information.

For those interested in learning more, we recommend reading the INTERVIEW WITH MAIS VINICIO, which discusses the birth of Pubblimais, Pubbli Auto, and the historical context of the time.