Miracle, Pubbli Auto still exists and we didn't know it!

The surprises in life never end.

Like one of the best Back to the Future sequels starring Michael J. Fox, we're suddenly thrust into an alternate reality where Pubbli Auto, a company we thought closed in 1985—more than 35 years ago—has actually been in business since the rally era and is headquartered in Milan.

"MARTY MCFLY, IT LOOKS LIKE PUBBLI AUTO STILL EXISTS IN 2021!

GET READY, SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG

WE NEED TO GO BACK TO 1985 IMMEDIATELY !!!

Today, Pubbli Auto is led by a "very talented young man" who, despite his young age, is able to provide authentic documentation certifying the originality of the graphics on vintage cars (!).

These are just some of the amazing revelations we've had the pleasure of learning recently, and quite by chance, but... let's proceed in order from the beginning of the story.

THE STORY

In February 2021, we were contacted by a Turin-based auto repair shop known for its classic car preparation. They wanted us to take part in an ambitious project, entrusting us with the graphic restoration of the Lancia 037 in Normende livery, formerly owned by Bacchelli. This would be followed by an official restoration book edited by Sergio Remondino.

The project seemed interesting to us, so we visited their headquarters, talked for a long time, looked at the photos they had, and made them an offer to paint the graphics, guaranteeing workmanship performed according to the artisanal methods of the time, which would have led to a coherent and beautiful aesthetic result without that sense of "new" and artificial perfection conveyed by those computer-generated livery jobs using modern bodywork methods. A somewhat uphill negotiation began, as the two parties were not very close in terms of numbers, so those responsible for the project came to visit us in person to convince us to meet them. They also wanted to know if it was us (our father Vinicio, actually) who created the original graphics for that car. We did our research, and despite knowing that our father was working directly for Fiat and Lancia at the time, we replied that we probably hadn't created that specific livery; our father doesn't remember it, and we couldn't find any relevant material.

But they weren't discouraged. They told us they were amazed and flattered to have the opportunity to include a historic company like ours in the project, as it would add further value to this restoration. They returned with renewed enthusiasm to get us to participate in this project. The courtship intensified (more meetings and phone calls) until we finally capitulated, agreeing to carry out the car on their terms.

However, a short time later, we received a rather perfunctory phone call from the person we were talking to. They explained that they no longer needed us for the restoration, that their choice was irrevocable, and that in any case, we hadn't been the ones who built the original car (something we never stated). We spent a few hours in disbelief and sincere regret at this rather sudden and inexplicable change in manner, considering the previously kind and respectful tone. Then we returned to our other pressing tasks.

Months pass and we forget this bizarre story, except that a few days ago life gives us the gift of being in the right place at the right time. During a visit to friends, we happen to notice out of the corner of our eye in a corner of the house the cover of a beautiful rally magazine, GRACE CLASSIC & SPORT CARS, no. 209 of November 2021, depicting the 1982 Lancia 037 Nordmende ex Bacchelli just finished restoring!

We opened the article to page 20 to find out more, and almost had a shock when we learned that the competing company that had stolen our work was none other than Pubbli Auto!

Here's what our incredulous eyes read:

(...).“It was a very long job. Finally, when the bodywork was finished, it was sent to Milan by Publiauto, the company that had created the original livery. Even in this case, the original livery was faithfully respected, all thanks to Gianni Mininni, the president of the Lancia Stratos Mania Club, who in Italy is considered the greatest expert on that car. His tips were the right ones because his father was the one who physically designed the liveries, from the Alitalia ones to the Martini ones. Thanks to Mininni's research, the exact colors of the livery were ascertained and only then did the car go to Publiauto, today managed by a very talented young man, who also provided all the certifications.”(...)

We read and reread, but we have to face the evidence: we've suddenly been thrust into an alternative 2021, a new possible present. Like in the famous M.J. Fox film, here too, 1985 is the key year that gave rise to a new alternative reality.

In this new alternative present, Pubbli Auto didn't close its doors definitively in 1985, as we and the many industry insiders, engineers, mechanics, and enthusiasts of the time remembered, but has blissfully continued to operate until the present day, unbeknownst to everyone.

Actually... to be honest, it seems like a slightly different company than we remembered. Well, of course, "non è de Türin, l’è milanès" (translation from the Piedmontese dialect: it's not from Turin, it's from Milan) ! The TORINO wording must have remained stuck on the car ! It even lost a B (oops!) and is called Publiauto with a lowercase A but we are sure: despite these "insignificant" details it can only be her because the article states with certainty, it is the same Company that made the original livery of the Lancia 037 Nordmende!

Only now can we fully justify the initially inexplicable reaction of the clients who, after praising and courting us for days, immediately abandoned us without a second thought. But how can we blame them once they learned they'd found themselves dealing with none other than the true authors of the original graphics way back in 1982?!? A real stroke of luck!

Continuing reading we also learn that the only way to get in touch with this legendary company, lost and then risen like a phoenix from the ashes 35 years and 200 km away from its original Turin headquarters, is to consult the son of "the one who physically designed the liveries" at Pubbli Auto and who, judging from what we read in the article, also seems to be a profound connoisseur of the Lancia 037 (he is certainly recognized as being a great connoisseur of the history of the Lancia Stratos, but the fact that he was also an expert on the 037 is a recent discovery ...).

There's more. The article also mentions a "very talented young man" whose name is unfairly left unmentioned (or perhaps his absence was more of a blessing, because in certain situations, the less one puts their face forward, the better... and we understand that perfectly!).

Both members of this interesting partnership, the "son of that man" and the "very talented young man," share an excellent resume in the field of historical work:

0 graphics created on cars during the racing era of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s

0 graphics made in paint on cars from 1993 (Lancia's retirement from competitions) to 2018

In other times someone would have said: Zero Tituli!

The duo thus formed, united by this astonishing record, manages the miracle of producing credible certifications for a historic restoration, beating out competition from a company with more than 50 years of experience, which has been artisanally crafting a significant number of racing car liveries since the 1970s and still preserves a unique collection of historical documents. It all seems normal to us!

And it doesn't matter if the final result of the work—at least in our eyes—may not be exactly similar and consistent with that of the era. After all, whispering the name Pubbli Auto can set in motion unpredictable consequences; the Sound of this double Magic Word spreads through the air, inebriating and seducing the minds of the less experienced and sometimes even managing to reverse the fate of jobs already assigned to others.

Happy end ?

At this point in the story, you might be wondering, why not organize a nice Pubbli Auto – Pubblimais reunion?

Well, honestly, the idea that in this alternate reality Pubbli Auto never died simply makes us euphoric, because we can only imagine how much work they've done over the last 35 years, from 1985 to today, and how many wonderful photo galleries they'll have to show us. We could be the first in the world to admire their work and their new headquarters, since after thorough online searches, strangely, not even the slightest trace of this Pubbli Auto 2.0 in Milan has been found.

Unfortunately, as the film Back to the Future teaches us, we're also aware that a meeting in this timeline between "us" and "them" could give rise to a space-time paradox that not even Doc from Back to the Future would ever be able to mend. Perhaps it's best to give up this time, instead remembering the Pubbli Auto of times gone by, when the timeline hadn't yet been altered.

We end this story with a proud look to the heavens, always reminding all the crafty ones that we, as champions of the Past and Tradition, will ALWAYS be constantly vigilant on all web platforms and print media to ensure that any information that seeks to alter the memory of the Glorious Rally Era is reported, brought to light, and finally delivered to the public!

But that's another story...

For those who would like to learn more, we recommend reading:

• The INTERVIEW WITH MAIS VINICIO, which discusses the birth of Pubblimais, Pubbli Auto, and the historical context of that time.

• The blog article "The Historical Interweaving: The Handover Between Pubbli Auto and Pubbli Mais," which explores the background to the shared origins of Pubblimais and Pubbli Auto and the strange and curious connections that have linked these two entities.