Today was the first day of the fifth My Special Car Show , the Special and Sports Car Exhibition, which will take place at Rimini Exhibition Centre until Sunday 15 April.

The morning’s proceedings commenced with an inaugural convention organised by CENTRO STUDI PROMOTOR on ««Car customisation: regulatory innovation and market challenges»».
Following a welcome by Lorenzo Cagnoni – President di Rimini Fiera – the exhibition was opened by Alfredo Cazzola. The President di Promotor International, the organising company of My Special Car Show, announced that in 2006, the car customisation sector generated a turnover of 1,200 million Euros and that interest in the sector is currently growing steadily.
As regards the new draft laws on type approval– currently being discussed by the Italian parliament – presentations were given by Antonio Cernicchiaro, UNRAE’s (National Union of Foreign Automobile Representatives) Institutional Relations Manager and Carlo Sinceri, Deputy Chairman of ANFIA (Italian Car Industry Supply Chain Association) who expressed car makers’ willingness as regards the proposed regulation changes, however they also emphasised the need to consider all automotive supply chain players’ requirements as well as the entire Italian and European regulation framework. Great interest in the new regulations was expressed by Dario Soncina, President of AsConAuto (Italian Association of Car Dealers’ Consortia) and Renato Gallo, President di ASCAR (Association of Manufacturers of Special Car Components and Accessory Dealers). As he closed the session, Gian Primo Quagliano, Director of Centro Studi Promotor, emphasised the economic impact that the new regulation will have on the car customisation sector. According to Quagliano, the new standards could stimulate the sector to develop, in 2009, a turnover in excess of 1,550 million Euros.

The day continued with the roundtable: organised by EDITORIALE DOMUS and Promotor International titled «Design and customisation: two faces of the same passion?» which involved an exchange of opinions between Mike Robinson (former head ofFiat Design Center, now freelance designer) and Gioacchino Acampora (Carrozzeria Castagna)with representatives of companies operating in the car accessory field such asNicola Baggio (OZ) Giuliano Zatti (Zattisport) Loris Fregonese (CHD Design) and Gianfranco Melegari (After Design). The lively debate focused on enthusiasts’ freedom to customise the original design concepts created by carmakers’ designers as they see fit.

Today the Press Rally – Raffaella Govoni Memorial – the car rally organised by UIGA that involved about seventy journalists from all over Italy - crossed the finishing line at My Special Car Show. First day open to the public for My Special Club, the largest indoor rally in Europe and all-important launch of the website www.myspecialclub.it, which represents a new way of club life for enthusiasts. It originates from a large community that allows registered members to keep up to date with the customisation trade and its evolutions. The website also provides all the information needed to found a club, type approval news, key market figures and product innovations.

Tomorrow’s schedule at My Special Car Show includes the UIGA (Italian Motoring Journalists’ Union) award ceremony for the AUTO EURO TUNER prize that this year goes to Subaru for its Impreza STImodel and, in the afternoon, the roundtable: organised by ACS – Audio Car Stereo and Promotor International on «Car audio: plans for a competitive national circuit». The guests visiting the Rimini event tomorrow will also include testimonial Melita Toniolo, one of the stars of the 2007 edition of the Italian Big Brother – as well as rally driver Gigi Galli. The 34 year-old from Livigno started his career back in 1994 and is competing this year in the FIA World Rally Championships with the Italian Aimont Racing Team. Gigi Galli has twice won the Bettega Memorial at the Bologna Motor Show, arousing great enthusiasm amongst the public with his spectacular driving and stunts.

My Special Car Show: where nothing is standard!