The first prototype (001) appeared on the cover of Road & Track in 1971 to unqualified praise. But the team already had a list of refinements in mind. The second prototype (002) featured four Weber carburetors and a ZF 5-speed gearbox in place of a single 4-barrel and a GM Turbo-Hydramatic. And then the music stopped, when labor strikes and escalating costs in Italy doomed the project.

Both prototypes remained in the collection of Kalikow, mostly undriven. Chip Webb of Automotive Restorations Inc. in Stratford, Conn., prepared 002 for its appearance at Villa d’Este. “We had to go through the entire fuel system and rebuild the Weber carburetors,” Webb said. “We found that the original carburetors were of two different types. We went through the brakes for safety, and the car was repainted in its original color – silver – after being repainted blue for many years. But it was really more of a reawakening than a restoration.”

In Italy for the concours, Kalikow was delighted to drive the resurrected beauty, along with four passengers and the air conditioning on, at well over 100 mph. Only one word could describe the experience: Bello!