| US Car on the Beach: 240 American Cars Parade in Lignano for the Big End-of-Summer Gathering |
| Final event of the warm season for American car enthusiasts, who gathered in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) for the 2025 Italian Bike Week. The 4th edition of US Car on the Beach featured 240 vehicles that paraded through the streets of the town
Held in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Uine, Italy) over the weekend of September 18–21, the ITALIAN BIKE WEEK 2025 brought a spectacular close not only to the “on the road” summer season for two-wheel fans, but also to the summer calendar of major events for American car lovers. With the fourth edition of US CAR ON THE BEACH—the mega-meet dedicated to four-wheelers and powerful overseas V8s—the IBW drew no fewer than 240 vehicles to the renowned seaside city. Vehicles of all eras gathered starting Saturday in front of the “Guido Teghil” stadium. For the first time, the parking area of Lignano’s multi-sport complex hosted this star-spangled meeting, just a few dozen meters from where many motorcycle manufacturers were offering free demo rides of their latest road and off-road models. There was a strong turnout of foreign participants—particularly Austrians, Germans, Czechs, and Hungarians—as well as visitors from all over Italy, especially from Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Emilia-Romagna. The most anticipated moment came on Sunday morning, when at 11 a.m., under a revitalizing sun, the traditional parade through the city began—the second of the weekend after Saturday night’s motorcycle parade. A full 240 “made in USA” cars rolled along in formation down to the seafront, welcomed by a cheering crowd, and then made their way back to the stadium, applauded by spectators lining the route. A picture-perfect scene that transported the Adriatic coast straight to the shores of the ocean, back in time to the golden age of American cars. After the parade, the thirty most beautiful and iconic vehicles were awarded by the event organizers, Cruisin’ Life magazine and the Old School Garage Club of Pordenone. The oldest car? A near-centenarian: the magnificent 1927 Ford Roadster owned by Gualtiero Grilli from Ravenna. But the show also featured strong representation from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s—with gems like Ford Mustangs and Gran Torinos, opulent Cadillacs, and a wide range of pickup trucks. A special thanks in this regard goes to RAM Division, the Treviso-based club that provides invaluable support to the event each year. Still on the topic of V8s—this time with two fewer wheels—the unveiling of the Galbusera also caught the attention of American car enthusiasts. This motorcycle features a 500cc, two-stroke V8 engine originally designed in the late 1930s by Brescia native Plinio Galbusera, with the crucial collaboration of Adolf Marama Toyo, aka Roberto Antonio Ivanicich, an engine technician from Fiume and one of the pioneers of Italian speedway racing. The Galbusera V8 remained a prototype and never went into production after its mock-up debut at the 1938 Milan Motorcycle Show. But almost 90 years later, it finally came to life thanks to Friulian artisan Mirco Snaidero. Working quietly in his workshop, he meticulously recreated the bike using just four vintage photographs—bringing to life a dream that once seemed lost forever. It was a titanic effort in terms of research and craftsmanship, but one that didn’t deter Snaidero, a renowned builder of custom flywheel slicers. The bike he built, fully functional and true to the original, was unveiled on Saturday at IBW during the launch of the book: “On the Trail of Marama Toyo: Secrets Revealed and the Dream of the Galbusera V8 – The Lost Motorcycle”. Curated by Franco Damiani di Vergada of the Moto Club Trieste and published by Tiglio Edizioni, the book tells the story of an Italian engineering marvel. The legendary Boss Hoss muscle bikes—equipped with monstrous Chevy V8s—wouldn’t arrive until more than half a century later… And of course, the pin-up girls were not to be missed. Led by Lady BB, they starred in a dedicated contest held on Saturday afternoon. The competition was won by Milanese make-up artist Cristina Oddo, also known as Miss Twinklered. Follows the Top 30 awarded vehicles, selected by Cruisin’ Life and Old School Garage. TOP 30 – US CAR ON THE BEACH 2025 1927 FORD ROADSTER – Gualtiero Grilli (RA) |
Posted on September 24, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
