Retromobile 2023. How Heritage uses its heritage to promote its services

The Heritage department of Stellantis (Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia) highlights its knowledge at the Retromobile show. And promoting the Heritage Hub, an exhibition space that recently opened its doors to the public.

In the stands, all the guests had eyes only on him. The Lancia Rally 037 takes us back 40 years when this model, in the iconic Martini livery, won the World Rally Championship in 1983. An impressive performance when this 4-cylinder engine ran at the time against more powerful models and four-wheel drive. “Even today, it is the last two-wheel-drive car to become a world rally champion”recalls Sébastien Perrais, heritage manager at Stellantis.

For Heritage, the entity of the Stellantis group that brings together the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia brands since 2015, the interest of presenting the Rally 037 at Rétromobile is twofold. “Of course, this is a nod to the revival of the Lancia brand, it is also a good way to attract visitors to help them discover our different services”said our interlocutor. The models presented on the stand are therefore not chosen at random. : they all link to the services offered by Heritage. This explains especially the absence of the Fiat Uno which nevertheless celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “It was a model that sold very well at the time, but the demand from collectors is still low today”he says.

Certification is a popular service among collectors

Instead Heritage opted for an Alfa Romeo SZ, produced by Zagato between 1989 and 1994 in just 1,000 units. Or a 1900 Super Sprint from 1956 showing its certificate of origin. The company offers several levels of certification. The first consists in providing the vehicle’s certificate of origin by retracing the history thanks to the chassis number. This is the most popular service, distributed to 11,000 owners since 2016. Everything is done online and the prices are reasonable: from 70 euros for a Fiat to 120 euros for an Alfa Romeo.

The second level is reserved for collectors who want prove the authenticity of their vehicle. The service is more expensive (from 600 euros to several thousand euros for a model) but more detailed. “Authentication is a service that requires a lot of work, from documentary research to the analysis of all car parts (bodywork, mechanics, editor’s note)”said Sébastien Perrais, before adding: “This is an interesting transaction for buyers because a certificate of origin can obviously increase the value of the car”.

10,000 euros on average for a restoration

This research work sometimes holds some surprises. This is particularly the case with this Fiat-Abarth 850 TC, the fourth and final model presented on the stand at Rétromobile. Acquired by Heritage in “barn find” condition, history revealed that this model belonged to the customs police (the Guardia di Finanza in Italian) in the 1960s. The car is now being restored at the Heritage workshops, located near Turin. “We have also been restoring cars since 2015 thanks to a team of expert technicians, Stellantis employees. Collector requests come from all over the world. They spend 10,000 euros for an average restoration, proof that the people remain attached to the vehicle”, says Sébastien Perrais. Sometimes you have to be patient too. “Restoration can take time. A car can sit in the garage for months without moving before the team finds the right parts to move forward”he says.

An exhibition space open to the public since the beginning of the school year

During the restoration, collectors can visit the Heritage Hub in Turin, a 15,000 m2 exhibition space built in the former Mirafiori factory. The venue has been open to the public since September 2022 and houses 300 cars, including several unique models. “We have an amazing heritage, now we have to make it known”says Sébastien Perrais, who hopes that one day, visiting this regional museum will be as important as eating a pasta dish or drinking a glass of Barolo.

Tags