0:00:03 > 0:00:05I'm Paul Hollywood, and I'm sort of a baker,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and part-time racing driver.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11I love getting in cars, I love racing.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12When I did that for the first time,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15honestly, I've never been so excited in my life.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20I've been into cars for as long as I can remember.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22When I was a little boy, that was my favourite car.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26DB5, James Bond car - that started my passion in cars.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29They're more than just transport from A to B,
0:00:29 > 0:00:30they're a thing of enjoyment
0:00:30 > 0:00:32they're a thing, for me, that I use to de-stress.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37What really fascinates me is what cars say about their owners
0:00:37 > 0:00:39and about the people who made them.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41# Don't worry
0:00:41 > 0:00:42# Be happy. #
0:00:42 > 0:00:45'In fact, I reckon you can learn a lot about a country
0:00:45 > 0:00:47'by looking at the cars it produces...'
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It is all just quite... merde.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51'..and by driving on its roads.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:54If you break the rules, you know, people will go nuts on you.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58So, I'm off on a European road trip...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..visiting some of our most car-obsessed neighbours.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Checking out the history, the culture, the people,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and what makes the country very special when it comes to cars.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13This time, I'm in a country where they're properly passionate
0:01:13 > 0:01:15about their cars.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20OK, we're about to head off on a six-day tour of Italy,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23taking in quite a big chunk of it, actually.
0:01:23 > 0:01:301,000 miles in this country's sexiest, smallest and silliest cars.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32We're going to start here in Rome.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Head north all the way to Maranello.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41A little bit further north to Verona.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And then we're going to head west to Turin.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Then north into the Alps to Courmayeur.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Finally, last leg, south again to a mad festival in a town called Ivrea.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Absolutely pummelled!
0:02:02 > 0:02:06'What I want to find out is, why the Italians build the cars they do...'
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Look at this car!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10'..what those cars say about them...'
0:02:10 > 0:02:11It's a style choice.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'..and if they really drive as badly as everyone says they do.'
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Rules are for everybody else.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'Along the way, I'll be hooking up with a few locals
0:02:21 > 0:02:22'who gesticulate a lot...'
0:02:22 > 0:02:25This gesture means your wife is cheating on you.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26You're kidding me. Yeah.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28'..get all touchy-feely,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'and say stuff I won't understand until I see the subtitles.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:34HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:02:36 > 0:02:39'They'll also hopefully explain the Italians' love affair with cars.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:42I'll give you a million for it. No, I won't. I'll give you two.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Six days and 1,000 miles for me to learn how to drive like an Italian.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So, the city where the whole road thing started.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Rome has a population of 2.8 million
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and the highest rate of car ownership of any capital city
0:03:03 > 0:03:04in the world.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10There's one car for pretty much every Roman old enough to drive.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Rome also has a reputation for being the most dangerous city in Europe to
0:03:15 > 0:03:19drive around, combining narrow streets, lots of cars,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23cobbles, scooters, confused tourists, excitable Romans,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25often it only ends one way.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28To teach me how to survive on these roads,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32a calm guide with a cool head would be the sensible choice.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36But it will be much more fun with choreographer and Strictly judge,
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Bruno Tonioli.
0:03:37 > 0:03:43It had the flavour of La Dolce Vita and the acceleration of la Ferrari.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It's lovely isn't it? It's stunning, Paul, look.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The eternal city, the great beauty.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Thousands of years of history.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54The problem I have got, I was always told never to drive around Rome.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55We're going to do it anyway.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00From an early age, Bruno has been a bit obsessed
0:04:00 > 0:04:02with Italian sports cars,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04which hopefully means he'll enjoy today.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Our car is a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14In orange.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Well, we're in Italy.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21We had to start with a full-on "look at me" supercar, didn't we?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23ENGINE REVS
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I can feel it right now.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29You are an Italian driver at heart.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Do you like the car? Absolutely.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Italians make some beautiful supercars. Of course!
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Lamborghini being one of the poster boys for me when I was growing up.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41I had a poster of a Countach on my wall. We all did!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Get yourself a Huracan Spyder
0:04:45 > 0:04:48and you also get yourself some big stats.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52This is over 600 brake horsepower, over 200mph.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57And a price tag of just under ?200,000.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00That's ten years take-home pay for the average Italian.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04If you were driving this in London, you'd think what a berk,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06you know what I mean? Hood down.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07It's not particularly warm.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10We've got shades on. You'd think, what a load of posers.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12But in Italy do they respect that?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14They do, because this is part of their Italian heritage.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It's the best of Italy, it's the best of what Italy does.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Yeah, yeah. It makes you proud to be Italian.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26It's something that represents the love of beauty and the passion you
0:05:26 > 0:05:28have. For me, it's a work of art, really.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31The cameras are literally out everywhere.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33Rejoice, rejoice.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I love it. I'm posing.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37ENGINE REVS
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Come on, go for it, the Italian way.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Give it welly.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42CAR ALARM
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I think I just set off a car alarm. Oh, God, it's us!
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I've just been through a zebra crossing there.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51People wanted to cross. Yeah... I just went straight through.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Forget about that. We've got a Lamborghini, we look good.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56They stop. They stop and look, darling.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Rules are for everybody else.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01We just don't follow rules.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03And Bruno's right.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Almost 90% of accidents in Rome are apparently caused
0:06:06 > 0:06:09by drivers disobeying laws and just doing their own thing.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Whoa!
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The lines on the road are really pointless, here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Yeah. Because, basically,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21you take whatever line suits you to get where you want to get to
0:06:21 > 0:06:22but everybody does the same.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25So the chaos somehow works itself out.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Hang on, I'm getting the squeeze here. Yeah, but that's OK.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30You'll be fine. Somebody will stop. But not you.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32HORNS BLARE
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Look at this guy, he's cut me up. Well, it doesn't matter.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36You just keep going. Yeah, but why are they like that?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39You just keep going. Well, because, if you can find your way through,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41you just do it. It's in the DNA of the Italians.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It's the DNA of the Italian nation.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And that's it. That's the Italian view of life.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50If you can find your way through, you just do it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52They're not aggressive. That's one thing I have realised.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55They're not aggressive. They are assertive, I like that.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56That's OK, you know.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Assertive and yet endearingly self-aware.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04In a recent survey, Italians voted themselves
0:07:04 > 0:07:06the worst drivers in Europe.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09By the way, this you don't need, my love. Hold on.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10What are you doing?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Check my hair. Put it back. You don't need it, darling.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Who cares? People behind you are irrelevant, darling.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17It's only what comes ahead.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Look at the state of these roads, Bruno. Goodness' sake.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Go, go, go. There you go.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And here goes the chassis.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Rome's roads are thankfully getting smoother.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Or at least the cobbled bits are.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The vibrations from cars and buses driving over the cobbles are causing
0:07:37 > 0:07:39increasing damage to ancient monuments.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43So, as many cobbles as possible are now being replaced.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44I think I've lost a filling.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50We've now reached the most notorious intersection in Rome,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51Piazza Venezia.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53What do I do here? Move, move, move.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Hang on. Move, move, get out of the way.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57We've got the Lambo.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00There you go. That's ridiculous.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Are they meant to be stopping?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04They're stopping for us. Thank you very much, madam.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06You've been very polite, thank you.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09What the...? You have to ease yourself, you have to ease yourself.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Never stop, never stop.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13OK. Beautiful.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Bruno's very next instruction is to stop.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19And get out.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Because he wants me to meet the one man who tries to control
0:08:23 > 0:08:24the mayhem in this piazza.
0:08:24 > 0:08:31This is actually very famous as an example of crazy traffic in Rome.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Look at this, they come from everywhere.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34They're coming from over there. Everywhere.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Look, and they put a police officer in charge.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Choreograph... Look, he's like a dancer.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Look at his uniform, though.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44The uniform, even that is high-fashion.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I want to go and talk to him. Let's go and speak to him, yeah.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Do you reckon you can get over there without getting killed?
0:08:49 > 0:08:51No, we won't get killed, darling. We're going to stop traffic.
0:08:53 > 0:08:53Thank you very much.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'The white glove municipal police known as the vigili...'
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Hello. Pleased to meet you. Buongiorno.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'..have been keeping the traffic flowing around Piazza Venezia
0:09:05 > 0:09:07'for over a century.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11'Fabio Grelo has done the job for ten years.'
0:09:11 > 0:09:15How do you judge all of this craziness?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17It's mayhem, isn't it?
0:09:17 > 0:09:18It's crazy, yes.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's very crazy. We stop all the traffic.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Just one traffic line at a time. Yeah.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:09:27 > 0:09:29BRUNO TRANSLATES: You have to be calm.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Calm.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33And strong. And very strong. Very strong.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I want you to learn how to direct traffic
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and then I'm going to judge you,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45one to ten, based on artistic interpretation, technique,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and performance value.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Right.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:09:53 > 0:09:56This line, keep going, keep going. Oh, excellent.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58OK. Wonderful wrist action.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00HORNS BLARE
0:10:02 > 0:10:06While they used to carry a wooden box out into the road to stand on...
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Look at me, look at me. OK.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12These days they have an automatic platform that rises out of the road.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Except it broke a year ago.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17And they haven't got round to fixing it yet.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20More affirmative, Paul.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Look at him. OK, OK. I'm going to wave them all on.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Move, move.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Fabio was selected from over 2,000 applicants for this job,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32and then had to train for three months
0:10:32 > 0:10:34before he was allowed on the piazza.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38What about the guys behind?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41What about the guys behind? They're stopped. They keep in touch.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43They'll be waiting. This is where it all goes wrong.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'Back on the road...'
0:10:52 > 0:10:54E troppo bella! Grazie!
0:10:54 > 0:10:56They said, what a beautiful car.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'..and now we're getting some serious love.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Today we've been photographed more than Kate Moss.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I think it's the car.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08We are supermodels. There's three cameras there, look.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Supercar with supermodel.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13They love this car.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15The chances are they're not going to own one. Never.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18But they just want a picture of a Lamborghini.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Everybody takes pride of it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23There is no envy. There isn't, is there?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26No. It's celebrating, you know,
0:11:26 > 0:11:27something that this country does very well.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Look at that.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35This is incredible. I love that building.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38It's giving me goose bumps every time I see it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39I just think of Russell Crowe.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Oh, darling, you look like Russell Crowe.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42PAUL LAUGHS
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'Having barely popped over 30mph all day,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49'I'm now heading for the autostrada...'
0:11:54 > 0:11:56'..so I can finally go fast.'
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Paul, you're being naughty.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Problem is, that Italians see the autostrada as God's own racetrack.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10So the traffic police out here are properly tooled up.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Oh, my God, Paul.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Do he put the paddle out? Yes. We have to follow them.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Follow them? OK. Don't do a runner.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20BLEEP!
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I wasn't going fast.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Yeah, you were, a bit. We're in it together.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28It's a team. No, you're in on your own.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30If we go to prison, we go together.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I'm Italian, I know nothing! I have a career.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'Pulling us over is possibly one of the coolest police cars
0:12:38 > 0:12:39'in the world.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'It's the hardtop version of the Huracan we're driving.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'Lamborghini donated two of these to the Italian State police.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02'Of course, my producers set this up.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'But we may have forgotten to tell Bruno.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I have to apologise for the manner of my driver.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I don't have any responsibility for it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15He's been hired for the day and he was showing off.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17He was showing off.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Tell me, is that a standard Huracan or has it been tuned?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23No, this is a standard Huracan.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25The only thing is, there's police equipment on.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Yeah. So we can use it on a police duty.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Yeah. Have you ever used it to chase somebody?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Yes. It's almost worth the ticket.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Just to see this car? Just to see that stopping you.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It happened, that somebody says, I don't care about the ticket.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Just stop me!
0:13:42 > 0:13:46The main purpose of this car is organ transportation.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Wow.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Simon Cowell Botox box.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I knew it!
0:13:53 > 0:13:59Normally when the helicopter cannot be used, for the weather condition,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01they call us to make organ transportation.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06It is the prettiest police car I've ever seen.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The million-dollar question -
0:14:08 > 0:14:13they say, Italians, we are the worst drivers in the world.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Do you agree with that? No, I don't agree. Great, thank you.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I think the Italians are the best drivers in Europe.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Having seen Rome, I thought it was actually organised chaos.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Yeah. But beautifully organised. Yes. Yes, but beautifully organised.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26It's art. Yes. It's art.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I've had a great day, mate. Oh, Paul, grazie a te.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Ricorda, very, very important. What?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Remember,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42use your mirrors only to check your beautiful blue eyes.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But I think you need a shave, mate. Oh, leave it out.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Come on, sort that out.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57'Today, I'm heading north.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'Or I will be once I make my seat belt work.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Oh, come on!
0:15:12 > 0:15:13Got ya.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Oh, don't!
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I'm hoping to reach Maranello today.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Hoping, because I'm now driving a contender
0:15:29 > 0:15:33for the worst Italian car ever built, the Alfasud.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37But it's OK, you know.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40It's OK.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46The story of this car is in many ways typically Italian.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50A blend of brilliant creativity, hopeless organisation,
0:15:50 > 0:15:51and blind optimism.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57In the '70s when all of Italy's car-building expertise
0:15:57 > 0:16:00was centred in the wealthy industrial north,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04the government, using lots of money, convinced Alfa Romeo
0:16:04 > 0:16:07to build a brand-new factory near Naples,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11in the poor agricultural south. Spread the wealth and all that.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And the Alfasud, aptly meaning "Alfa south",
0:16:17 > 0:16:19would be the proud product of that factory.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Alfa's first-ever front-wheel drive car was years ahead of its time
0:16:24 > 0:16:27in styling, handling and performance.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Sadly, its build quality was prehistoric.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44Many of the 15,000 strong workforce were hastily recruited farm hands
0:16:44 > 0:16:48with little or no manufacturing experience.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And the car was built with cheap, very low-grade Russian steel.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53It was never going to end well.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Door handles fell off week-old cars.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Everything rattled.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02The electrics rarely worked.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Windscreens fell out and rust was a nightmare.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Luckily for me this one hasn't fallen apart,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and I've made it all the way to Maranello.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16ENGINE REVS
0:17:16 > 0:17:19This is Ferrari town,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23home of the greatest supercar mark on Earth and there is no way
0:17:23 > 0:17:27I'm driving around here in a Alfasud.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Luckily, you can hire something much more appropriate.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Buongiorno. Buongiorno. How are you doing?
0:17:35 > 0:17:36Nice to meet you.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I'm after a Ferrari. You are in the right place.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I can see that, yeah.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44I'm looking at your times.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Five minutes. Yeah, it's possible to rent a car also for a minute.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50You start the car, drive to the end, to there, come back and go,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52thank you very much. OK.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53I need a Ferrari.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I'm looking at the California.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58There's one, OK. What I need is your driving licence.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00No problem. There you go.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Thank you.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03OK, it is still valid.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06This is your contract.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08We have to check the condition of the car.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Damages et cetera. OK.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14There's a mark here. There are a couple of stone chips.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17We generally consider only the big damages.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Seems good to me. Yeah, I think it's good for you.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22I need a couple of signatures.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23On there? Here, yes.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26One. Great.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Thank you very much indeed. Enjoy the car.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29I will, thank you.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33ENGINE REVS
0:18:35 > 0:18:39MUSIC: Sognando California by Dik Dik
0:18:47 > 0:18:49You don't have to be a millionaire.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53For 70 euros, you can drive around Maranello and be in a red Ferrari.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It's surely everybody's dream, isn't it?
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And for 20 euros, they'll even video it.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02So they'll video you in a Ferrari driving around Maranello,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04the birthplace of Ferrari.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06How cool is that?
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Love it.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12The sunshine's out.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Happy days.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Maranello is part of the motor valley where 20,000 Italians
0:19:27 > 0:19:30are in the business of building sports cars and bikes.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Together, they generate
0:19:33 > 0:19:36a gobsmacking ten billion euros of sales every year.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Do you know, driving round here,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41you see just everything is about Ferrari, you know, the whole area.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42It's fantastic.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Without one man, Maranello would be a very different place today.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54All Enzo Ferrari ever wanted was to race cars,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57initially, running Alfa Romeo's racing team.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Hoo-hoo-hoo!
0:20:02 > 0:20:03In 1939, he left Alfa,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08and went it alone with his race team, Scuderia Ferrari.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Enzo reluctantly produced the first Ferrari badge road car in 1947.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17He had little interest in road cars
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but needed a way to finance his race team.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Look at that. The prancing horse.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Ferrari. Ferrari-ari-ari.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Scuderia Ferrari is the most successful F1 team
0:20:29 > 0:20:31in the sport's history.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36And Ferrari is now one of the world's most powerful brands.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41If you'd hired the car for ten minutes, I'd be driving it back now.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Would that be worth it?
0:20:43 > 0:20:44Yeah!
0:20:44 > 0:20:48There's no other car manufacturer on earth that provokes such passion
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and pride from a whole nation,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55especially when you consider how few Italians will ever own a Ferrari.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Of the 7,000 cars the company make each year,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01only 3% are sold in Italy.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I think when you see the red, that typical Ferrari red,
0:21:05 > 0:21:06it does put a smile on your face.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And it seems anything with the prancing horse on it
0:21:13 > 0:21:16will put a smile on Italian faces.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22Because last year, they spent around ?125 million on Ferrari merchandise.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24So, why do they love this brand so much?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Well, I don't think you'll ever find a better answer to that question
0:21:31 > 0:21:35than the one I get from this man, Massimiliano Morini,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37the mayor of Maranello.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Maranello, the home of Ferrari.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Why the passion, not just of this area but generally, Italians,
0:21:47 > 0:21:48why do they love Ferrari?
0:21:48 > 0:21:55Oh, uh, I think that Enzo Ferrari once said that Ferrari cars
0:21:55 > 0:21:58are not better than the other but different.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03They are made of the brain of the blood and of the Earth,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05of the people who build them.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I think that we can...
0:22:07 > 0:22:08When we see a Ferrari,
0:22:08 > 0:22:14we can smell this flavour and Ferrari tells the story of our land.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And I think this is the key of the success of Ferrari.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Ferrari are, without a doubt,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28the kings of the supercar world right now.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32But just 20 minutes down the road,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36there's a young pretender taking the Italian supercar thing
0:22:36 > 0:22:38to a whole new extraordinary level.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43This is Pagani.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Horatio Pagani was an Argentinian immigrant who started work at
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Lamborghini, sweeping floors,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56but quickly worked his way up to become their chief engineer.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01In 1992, he founded Pagani...
0:23:05 > 0:23:07..with the aim of producing the world's finest
0:23:07 > 0:23:09carbon fibre supercars.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12In the beautiful Pagani factory,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15designed to look like an Italian piazza,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18they produce just 45 cars a year.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24Each Pagani car is hand built and takes four months to finish.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The cheapest you can buy is ?2 million.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33A single car contains 4,000 handcrafted
0:23:33 > 0:23:35grade seven titanium bolts.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And the Pagani logo is etched on every single one.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49The instruments on the dash are handmade by an Italian watchmaker.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53The numerals and markings are cut from the metal face itself.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55They each take days to create,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and come in at around five grand a set.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04This is car manufacturing in the grand tradition of Italian fine art
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and like a lot of fine art,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09most Paganis find their way into private collections.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Many never to be driven, or seen on the road.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20And that's a real shame.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Because these beautiful works of art are also supposed to be among the
0:24:25 > 0:24:27finest driving machines ever built.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Something I'm about to experience,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38because here at the Modena racetrack,
0:24:38 > 0:24:43just down the road from the factory, Pagani have said I can drive this,
0:24:43 > 0:24:49the Huayra coupe, one of just 100 in existence.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Except as soon as I arrive,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54it's clear things have gone a bit Pete Tong.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Their road car has basically gone pop.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Their racing driver came in, did a few doughnuts...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Basically, he's knackered the car.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09Juices have flown out of the bottom and there is no car for us to use,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12which is a little bit annoying
0:25:12 > 0:25:16because I've always wanted to have a go of a Pagani.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Except Pagani have a very secret prototype car at the moment,
0:25:25 > 0:25:26which is the Roadster.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29The problem is I don't think I'm going to be allowed to drive it.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32WHISPERS: It's coming past me.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40That's a prototype.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46'Having said we couldn't even film the prototype,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50'Pagani then agree to let me have a sniff around it on camera.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52'And while I'm doing that, off-camera,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54'the producers keep asking if I can drive it.'
0:25:56 > 0:26:00This rap is designed basically so if there's paparazzi around
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and cameras that want to photograph a very top-secret car,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07this sort of blurs their image, they can't get a decent shape of the car.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12'Our persistence eventually bears fruit.'
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Paul, Pagani have said you can drive it.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18This lady, who is head of PR for Pagani,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20has said I can drive this car.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Grazie, grazie!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26That is amazing. I mean, look at it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Look at this car.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33The one condition is that Pagani's test driver, Andrea Palma,
0:26:33 > 0:26:34rides with me.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I was a little bit nervous but I was buzzing.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42No other non-Pagani test driver has ever driven this car.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Please, attention with this car.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Because this is one of my babies. I know!
0:26:56 > 0:27:00As we accelerate, I think Andrea is a little nervous.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05In fact, keep your eye on him as we start some fast laps.
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Careful on the braking.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Stop.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I did mean to ask Andrea about how he thinks Pagani
0:27:14 > 0:27:17reflects the Italian national character
0:27:17 > 0:27:19but sort of feel now is not the right time.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Stop it, stop it, stop it!
0:27:21 > 0:27:23PAUL LAUGHS
0:27:26 > 0:27:28This is the thing, racing drivers hate being driven around.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30My baby.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35'Thankfully, though, after a while, my passenger relaxes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38'And I can just get on with loving it.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Woo!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45What a car.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49The sound feels like thunder.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55It's amazing. It feels beautiful. Really good.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57It's lovely.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Woo! It's nice.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05It's nice.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07He's very fast.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Is that OK? It's fantastic. Yeah.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Grazie.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21That was great fun. It's a very special car.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25What Pagani have done is take this to a whole new level.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Ferrari took it to the level and they made sports cars,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30and they made race cars, Lamborghini did...
0:28:30 > 0:28:32They are all about the design.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I think what Pagani is, they're artists, designers
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and racing drivers all blended in together.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I've fallen for it, really.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44It's ridiculous.
0:28:50 > 0:28:51CAR WHOOSHES PAST
0:28:51 > 0:28:56The next morning, after a couple of hours on the road, I reach Verona.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Today, I'm working for a local laundry, as a delivery driver,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06alongside the owner's son, Kevin Napoli.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08OK. This suit?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10And my wheels?
0:29:10 > 0:29:15Arguably the most important post-war Italian car of them all,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17the Piaggio Ape.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Launched three years after the end of the Second World War,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23this three wheel van is still in production today.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25And so far, two million have been sold.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33The beauty of the Ape is that it's so simple,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35just a throttle and a break.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Any idiot could drive it.
0:29:36 > 0:29:37ENGINE STALLS
0:29:39 > 0:29:40Almost any idiot.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47MUSIC: Sono Bugiarda by Caterina Caselli
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Oh, my door's opened.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58'OK, so it's debatable whether the Ape is actually a car...'
0:29:58 > 0:29:59My door's opened again!
0:30:00 > 0:30:03'..or a scooter with doors that don't shut properly.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06'But let's go with car, please.'
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Apes are cheap to buy, cheap to run and reliable.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Perfect for the hundreds of thousands of small family businesses
0:30:15 > 0:30:18which still characterise many Italian cities.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22I mean, these things are actually pretty decent vehicles to use.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27Those little tight streets around Italy, it's absolutely perfect.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I can see myself delivering bread in this.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32What a beautiful part of the city, though.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Ironically, I can't open the doors now, which is weird.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42'Our delivery is shirts,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46'for a lady who is apparently quite a famous Italian actress.'
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Buongiorno. OK? Si! OK, thank you. Thank you, Paul. Grazie.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55'That was easy. Time for a coffee break...
0:30:56 > 0:30:58'..and a chat with Mirko Zambaldo,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02'President of the Verona Ape Owners' Club.'
0:31:02 > 0:31:07Can you tell me a little bit about why the Italians love the Ape?
0:31:14 > 0:31:18After World War II, the Italian economy was on its knees.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Its people were broke,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23they needed a cheap way to start and run businesses.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27NEWSREEL: The people of Europe did not lack courage...
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Enter the Ape.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48And in this country of supercar lovers,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52it appears they still have a big place in their hearts for this funny
0:31:52 > 0:31:53little three-wheeler.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21'Back on the laundry run,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23'I'm feeling a lot of love too for my Ape.'
0:32:23 > 0:32:25U-u-u-ugh!
0:32:25 > 0:32:27'And so are my crew,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'crammed into the back of an Ape pick-up in front of me.'
0:32:33 > 0:32:36'And so is Kevin, who appears to think using all three
0:32:36 > 0:32:40'of the Ape's wheels is wasteful and boring.'
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Oh, yeah, got him. Oh, yeah.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49I'm going to cut him up now in the gate. Get in!
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I've cut him up.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53'You know what? I get it now.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55'I love my Ape.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57'I love what it says about Italy.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59'While they dream of supercars,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02'they passionately embraced their three-wheeled reality.'
0:33:03 > 0:33:05That was great.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Having said goodbye to Kevin and my little yellow Ape,
0:33:13 > 0:33:18I'm now leaving Verona in this beautiful 1938 Alfa 6C.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21But I'm really nervous.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Every time I select a gear, I think, oh, please, don't crunch.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Because they only said,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29"Paul, please don't crunch the gears because every time you do that,
0:33:29 > 0:33:30"it costs me money."
0:33:30 > 0:33:32So I'm really nervous.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37'And I bet you'd be nervous too
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'because this car is valued at around ?3 million.'
0:33:41 > 0:33:43GEARS CRUNCH Ooh! he's going to kill me!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48'This is the Mille Miglia version of the 6C
0:33:48 > 0:33:51'and it's still regarded today as one of the very best cars
0:33:51 > 0:33:53'Alfa Romeo ever built.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:58I notice, I look in my one wing mirror,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00I can see a new Alfa Romeo behind me.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02That's him, that is.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04The owner's watching me.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08He's making sure that his car's all right.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Oh, yeah, go off, enjoy yourself.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10I'll wait here.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Yeah, sure(!)
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'Only 107 of this special edition were ever built
0:34:16 > 0:34:20'to commemorate the racing achievements of its predecessors.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22'Because on this very road,
0:34:22 > 0:34:27'Alfa 6Cs won the world's most prestigious motor race three times.'
0:34:27 > 0:34:29NEWSREEL: The greatest international road race of them all,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31the Mille Miglia.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34The Mille Miglia started in 1927.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38It was basically a 1,000 mile road race.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45The race went from Brescia to Rome and back to Brescia,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48although the exact route changed regularly over the years.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54An estimated five million spectators lined the roads
0:34:54 > 0:34:56as cars flew by at 150mph.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02Italy's fanatical love of motorsport began with the Mille Miglia.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Alfa Romeo won it more than any other manufacturer.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08It won it 11 times.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Enzo Ferrari ran cars in the Mille Miglia.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Ferruccio Lamborghini and Bindo Maserati raced in it.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19This is the reason why supercars come from Italy.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24A 1,000 mile race which lasted for 30 years before it was stopped.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31And the reason it was stopped was because of what happened here on the
0:35:31 > 0:35:34SP236, 30 miles south of Brescia.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41It was at this point in 1957, 12th of March,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44where there was an horrific accident.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54At the start line, car 531 was amongst the favourites.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56COMMENTATOR: The Marquis de Portago of Spain
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and Eddie Nelson, America, share a Ferrari.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Neither the watching millions at the roadside
0:36:02 > 0:36:04nor de Portago himself dream of the tragedy that lies ahead for him.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Approaching the finish, Portago was in third place.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14He desperately wanted to win and was pushing hard.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25The Ferrari lost control, blow out, the car turned, spun,
0:36:25 > 0:36:26ended up in this ditch.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Nine of the spectators lost their lives here.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38And this is the reason why the Mille Miglia never happened
0:36:38 > 0:36:41the same way again.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Because this accident changed everything.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49And 11 people lost their lives that day.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52All for the sake of motor racing.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Subject of the day today is Italian style
0:37:07 > 0:37:10and I'm heading west towards Milan...
0:37:11 > 0:37:13..the fashion capital of Italy...
0:37:15 > 0:37:17..where right now, the world's top designers,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19cake dodgers, and chain smokers
0:37:19 > 0:37:22are gathered for Milan Fashion Week to look at clothes
0:37:22 > 0:37:24no-one will actually buy.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Thankfully, though, we're not stopping with the fashionistas,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30at least not the ones who like dresses.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32We're heading on to Turin.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Milan is for the clothes, Turin is for the cars.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40This city is home to the world's leading car-styling houses.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Pininfarina, Bertone, Gandini, Ghia,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47and Ital all started in and around Turin.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Car stylists are commissioned by manufacturers to create the exterior
0:37:53 > 0:37:59design of cars, working on both aesthetics and aerodynamics.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02The likes of Fiat, the likes of Ferrari, the likes of Maserati,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07the likes of Lamborghini, they came here to get their cars styled
0:38:07 > 0:38:10by these amazing fashion houses for cars.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16This is a face-lifted version of one Pininfarina did.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20The new Maserati Quattroporte.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23This is a family supercar.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Quattroporte sounds very Italiano, but actually,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28it just means four doors.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34'And that's the point.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36'Things feel more stylish by being Italian.'
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:38:38 > 0:38:42'Italy is synonymous with style, but why?'
0:38:44 > 0:38:46To try to find out, I'm heading here,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50probably the most stylish test track in the world.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52The Pista Lingotto.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Built on the roof of the old Fiat factory of the same name.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Even the ramp up there is beautiful.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05It was opened in 1923...
0:39:06 > 0:39:10..and meant that every single car produced in the factory below
0:39:10 > 0:39:13could be driven straight off at the end of the production line
0:39:13 > 0:39:15and tested high above the city.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22Today, it has a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34But the director decided it was still a suitably classy location
0:39:34 > 0:39:36for us to shoot the bit where I meet this lady...
0:39:38 > 0:39:42..chef, journalist and style guru Eleonora Galasso,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46who drives an elegant classic, the Fiat Cinquecento.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Of course, elegance and Scouse baker are not common bedfellows.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Eleonora, lovely to meet you.
0:39:58 > 0:39:59Buongiorno, Paul.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01How are you? I'm very good.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04We're going for a little drive around Turin.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08It's open. There you go. That's really being an Italian gentleman.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09We're starting very well.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24You know, I was voted second in Britain's worst-dressed man.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26Yeah, I'm very proud of that.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34The Fiat Cinquecento, Italian for 500 by the way,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36was launched in 1957,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39in the days before seat belts were thought necessary.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42It was one of the first purpose-built city cars,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45designed to cope with the tiny streets of Italy's ancient cities.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51You know, these doors with the hinges that go the other way?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53In 1965, they moved the hinges to there
0:40:53 > 0:40:55so that the doors opened normally.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Right, right. And the Italian men kicked off.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59They really... They didn't like it.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00You know why? Why?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Because they couldn't see the lady's knickers
0:41:02 > 0:41:03when they came out of the car.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05The devil's in the detail.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09MUSIC: La Donna e Mobile by Rigoletto
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Italians loved this little car because it was cheap
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and compact, but also because it looked good.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22And that wasn't an accident.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Its design was entrusted to Dante Giacosa,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28who cut his teeth on sexy sports cars.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33What he produced became an Italian style icon right around the world.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37You've got one of these cars, haven't you? Of course I do.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Now, was that a style choice or was that because you loved it?
0:41:41 > 0:41:43It's a style choice.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44It's a lifestyle choice.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Do you think this car is stylish?
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Er...
0:41:51 > 0:41:53I suppose style is...
0:41:53 > 0:41:56You can't really put your finger on it, can you?
0:41:56 > 0:41:59But you know someone that is stylish because when you see someone who is
0:41:59 > 0:42:01stylish, you go, now, you're stylish.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03I suppose people see this car and say the same thing.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07You look at this roof as well...
0:42:07 > 0:42:09You think, that's a stylish roof.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10Do you know why they put that roof there?
0:42:10 > 0:42:12No, why? To save money on metal.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Style has nothing to do with money.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18But you do have to have all the details right,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22and show it out to the world without screaming it.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26What we Italians believe in is the things that have lived
0:42:26 > 0:42:29for a long time and that will probably survive.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Yeah. This is tradition.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32You don't make it up. Right.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34You learn it, you see it...
0:42:34 > 0:42:35You breathe it. And you replicate it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39And you breathe it and it's within your veins, it's within your guts.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43I think I get it now.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Italy has a very rich history and throughout that history,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51how things look has been very important to them.
0:42:52 > 0:42:58From art to clothes to buildings and even tiny, cheap cars.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01You need to pull on the right, just here. OK.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Italians appreciate beautiful things, not expensive things,
0:43:05 > 0:43:06and know how to create them.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Eleonora even reckons she can add a little bit of Italian polish
0:43:11 > 0:43:13to the aforementioned Scouse baker.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You can be a new person.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17You can be your Italian you.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19OK, I'll change my name to Paolo.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22'For Italians, style is in everything.
0:43:22 > 0:43:23'How you look...'
0:43:25 > 0:43:26Finito.
0:43:26 > 0:43:27'..how you dress...'
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Ah, eccolo!
0:43:29 > 0:43:31That's an Italian man I see.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34It feels great. I mean, if I really let my stomach go,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37I reckon I'll take your eye out like a bullet with one of these buttons.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39'..and what you drive.'
0:43:42 > 0:43:45'In Turin's most beautiful piazza...'
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Wow! That's a great picture.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49'..with Eleonora sitting on its bonnet,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52'and Paolo Hollywood by its side,
0:43:52 > 0:43:56'the Cinquecento is the essence of Italian style.'
0:43:56 > 0:43:57I want this one. I love it.
0:43:57 > 0:43:58I love it.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06For my penultimate day,
0:44:06 > 0:44:10I'm driving up to Courmayeur and a very different Italy.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13The one in the mountains.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17To meet a car which represents a whole new side of this nation.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22You see, I'm starting to realise there are many different Italys,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24all within the same country.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Before unification in the 19th century,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Italy was a collection of independent states.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36And there's still a definite divide between the rich industrial northern
0:44:36 > 0:44:39cities and the poorer agricultural south.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42But then, 40% of Italy is mountainous
0:44:42 > 0:44:47and that's a whole different ball game. So, Fiat built this.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53The world's best value off-roader, the Panda 4x4.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Launched in 1983,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58it was a car that reflected perfectly
0:44:58 > 0:45:00life in the Italian mountains -
0:45:00 > 0:45:03modest, tough and no-nonsense.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Up here, it's very popular.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Even with people who could probably afford something
0:45:11 > 0:45:12a little bit fancier.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Like this man, Claudio Coriasco,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18director of Courmayeur's poshest and most exclusive hotel.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22There are many countries inside Italy
0:45:22 > 0:45:24in a motoristic point of view.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29Because we've got the Ape for the south of Italy, Fiat Cinquecento
0:45:29 > 0:45:32that put again Italy on the road, and in the northern part of Italy,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34it was the Panda. A lot of people still have Pandas
0:45:34 > 0:45:36in the Auster Valley.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Really? A panda? A 4x4? Supercars are the dream.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44And everybody would like to drive a dream but we drive reality.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46This car belonged to my father.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48He was a country doctor.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52And he used this car to reach all the small villages
0:45:52 > 0:45:57up in the mountains 30 years ago. This was built in 1987.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Wow! It was made to reach every impossible road.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05This can afford 50 centimetres of fresh snow without any problem,
0:46:05 > 0:46:06carrying four people.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08Is it like a pet to you?
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Yeah, absolutely. I will not sell it.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Not even for ?50,000. I will give you a million for it now.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15No, I won't. I'll give you two. Well, let's talk about it.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17See? There is a price.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Giorgetto Giugiaro, the original Panda's designer,
0:46:23 > 0:46:26compared this 4x4 to a pair of jeans -
0:46:26 > 0:46:29simple, practical, and without frills.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31And you know? I bloody love jeans.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36To show you just how good this little car is,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39I'm ending the day with a slushy snow race.
0:46:41 > 0:46:48This is the latest version of the Panda 4x4, the ?16,000 Panda Cross.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52Driving it is the two times world rally champion Miki Biasion.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Yeah, it's a nice car.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57It's a happy car. You drive and you smile.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Yeah.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02'And this is one of the most expensive 4x4s
0:47:02 > 0:47:04'that's currently built in Italy -
0:47:04 > 0:47:10'the ?230,000 Ferrari GTC4Lusso.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12'Driving it, me.'
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Perfect.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16'So, one flying lap.
0:47:18 > 0:47:19'Flat-out time trial.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23'Ferrari versus Fiat.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28'Thoroughbred racehorse versus mountain goat.
0:47:28 > 0:47:29'Dream versus reality.'
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Good handling, yes? It is, yeah, it is.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:47:46 > 0:47:48That's a backbreaker, that one!
0:47:51 > 0:47:54It's got grip. I mean, it's not a Range Rover,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56but it's got grip.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00'Ferrari built the GTC4 car because some of their customers complained
0:48:00 > 0:48:03'that they couldn't get their two-wheel drive Ferraris
0:48:03 > 0:48:05'up to their ski chalets through the snow.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08'Breaks your heart, doesn't it(?)
0:48:10 > 0:48:13'Now, I'm not saying that the Panda is better than the Ferrari,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16'but with both me and Miki driving,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18'it was three seconds faster around the track.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25'And the Ferrari got stuck.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31'OK, there's a button we didn't know about, which helps get it unstuck.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36'But the Panda didn't need a button.'
0:48:42 > 0:48:47It's my final day in Italy and I'm heading back south,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49leaving the mountains.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Today, I want to answer one final question.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56What is it about this country's culture and the character
0:48:56 > 0:48:59of its people which means Italy produces
0:48:59 > 0:49:03the most desirable and emotionally engaging cars in the world?
0:49:04 > 0:49:05Like this one.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13The most beautiful Italian car ever built.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16The Lamborghini Miura.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22I'll introduce you to the Italian sitting next to me in a minute or so
0:49:22 > 0:49:25but right now, we both just want to enjoy the moment.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32CAR HORN BLARES
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Oh, we've got a tunnel coming up, eh.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55ENGINE ROARS
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Sounds great, doesn't it? Wow!
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:50:01 > 0:50:02That's great.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05'So, that bloke in the passenger seat, as I said,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07'I'll explain who he is in a moment.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11'But first, having exited the tunnel safely, let's talk about this car.'
0:50:14 > 0:50:17'The Lamborghini Miura was the first supercar.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20'Two seats, rear-wheel drive, mid-engined
0:50:20 > 0:50:21'and, as the Italians say...
0:50:23 > 0:50:25'..molto, molto bellissimo.'
0:50:26 > 0:50:29I love the fact that we're driving this beautiful car
0:50:29 > 0:50:32and we have the Italian Alps as a panoramic view in front of us.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35'Launched in 1966,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39'the Miura is the same age as me and looking a lot better on it.'
0:50:41 > 0:50:44When this hit the motor show, everybody just went crazy.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46No-one had ever seen anything like this.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49A mid-engined Italian supercar.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52It's so radical and it drives beautifully.
0:50:54 > 0:51:00They only build 763 Miuras and, while of course Italians loved them,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03as with all supercars, most were sold abroad.
0:51:06 > 0:51:07It feels like a race car.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10It doesn't feel like a road car. It feels like you're in a race car.
0:51:11 > 0:51:16Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra all had Miuras.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21When asked why he hadn't bought a Ferrari, Sinatra replied,
0:51:21 > 0:51:23"You buy a Ferrari when you want to be somebody.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27"You buy a Lamborghini when you are somebody."
0:51:29 > 0:51:33Right, time to introduce that bloke in the passenger seat.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35He is Francesco DeCarlo.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Comedian, car lover,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40and a man who knows what driving in this country is all about.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Tell me about driving in Italy.
0:51:43 > 0:51:44Oh... First of all,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47that the position of your hands on the wheel... Yeah.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49You know they are ten to two? Yeah.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51But the Italian way is midday.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55Yes. You have to show off that you're a cool guy.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59OK. We call it making la belle figura.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01You know, making a good impression.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Yeah. That's why we want to show off every time what we are doing.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08So cars are kind of like a status symbol.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Then you need the sunglasses of course. OK.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15And, uh, don't... Don't think about pedestrians.
0:52:15 > 0:52:16We just don't like pedestrians.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18THEY LAUGH
0:52:20 > 0:52:24As we enter the town of Ivrea, 50 miles north of Turin,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27we're coming across quite a few pedestrians
0:52:27 > 0:52:30and that's exposing a bit of a Miura design flaw.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33This car is so low that when people walk across you,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35you just have a crotch view.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39Yes. I don't think this is the reason why they were so low.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43I don't know. Maybe we've found something in this.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Even if we are in Italy, we are not so obsessed about sex.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47He had a crotch obsession.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50A crotch obsession! No, no, no, we are good people.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51We don't think about crotches.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54This country is very passionate about everything.
0:52:54 > 0:52:55It's love and hate.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Tragedy and comedy are together.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00We are brave and cowards.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03We are the top of every kind of emotions.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05I think that the cars are the same.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09They reflect the spirit of the country in which they are built.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Yeah. So, you know, the British cars are very, very silent and classy.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16The German cars are very powerful and reliable.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Yeah. They think Italian cars are noisy.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21INCOMPREHENSIBLE SHOUTING
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Italians are quite... Eh-de-de-de-de-re!
0:53:23 > 0:53:24So it's all about hands, isn't it?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Oh, yes, obviously. Hand gestures is very important for us.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Even when you drive a car. Yes. Because there is a lot of signs...
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Keep moving, keep on, come on.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36It's my time. You know?
0:53:36 > 0:53:39You have to learn this and then there is this gesture.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43If you want to offend another driver, this is very old-fashioned
0:53:43 > 0:53:44but it's still good.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48It means that your wife is cheating on you.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49You're kidding me! Yeah.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51That? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55We use it for other drivers or referee... It's very, very popular.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59So if someone... cuts you up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just say...
0:53:59 > 0:54:01HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:54:01 > 0:54:03The real reason we've come to Ivrea
0:54:03 > 0:54:08is because Francesco reckons this town can answer my question
0:54:08 > 0:54:10about why Italians build such brilliant supercars.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14By way of a potentially very painful metaphor.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15You like oranges?
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Love oranges, yeah.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Yeah, yeah. You will see a lot of oranges.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27This is the battle of the oranges.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Dating back to 1808,
0:54:32 > 0:54:36the festival is something to do with Ivrea's ordinary citizens,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39revolting against the wicked landowners of the time.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42In reality, it's actually just a massive orange fight.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48I think trouble's coming. I feel the tension. Something is happening.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53SHOUTING AND CHANTING IN ITALIAN
0:54:53 > 0:54:55To start with...
0:54:55 > 0:54:57we watch from a safe distance,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59bravely standing behind some netting.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05MUSIC: Requiem, Dies Irae by Verdi
0:55:09 > 0:55:13Those guys in the helmets are getting absolutely pummelled.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20That's why we build supercar because we love excitement,
0:55:20 > 0:55:21we love extreme life,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23we love passion.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Yeah, yeah. You can be hurt here, you can be killed,
0:55:26 > 0:55:28but you will never get bored in this country.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29Never. Wow! Look at that.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31That is absolutely crazy.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33It's like going back 400 years.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Yeah, it's an ancient ritual.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37You can feel it in the blood.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39PAUL LAUGHS
0:55:39 > 0:55:41It's just a constant battering.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45Look at the amount of oranges on the floor down there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57'Italians have a knack for making life exciting to live.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00'And that just makes you want to get a piece of the action.'
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Do you know what?
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Shall we go down there? Yes, I know it.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08I knew it. Come on. Let's just have a go. Let's try.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10You've got to do it, haven't you?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13They take this orange business to a level which you think,
0:56:13 > 0:56:15"What are you thinking?"
0:56:22 > 0:56:24I'll take a few of them.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38It thrilled you, it scared you at the same time.
0:56:41 > 0:56:47I got hit in the mouth with a couple of oranges but wow, crazy Italians.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50But if you do join in, don't scare the horses.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54Everyone involved considers their safety to be paramount.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57And you really don't want to upset thousands of Italians
0:56:57 > 0:56:59armed with oranges.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04I'm empty, mate. No, really?
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Yeah. Look what's on the floor.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10On the floor, oranges, horse shit
0:57:10 > 0:57:13and blood, which is a perfect metaphor for life!
0:57:13 > 0:57:15PAUL LAUGHS
0:57:15 > 0:57:18'And as a closing thought to my Italian road trip,
0:57:18 > 0:57:20'you can't say fairer than that.'
0:57:24 > 0:57:26'So, what have I learnt?
0:57:27 > 0:57:31'Well, Italians are dreamers. Most of them will never own a supercar.'
0:57:31 > 0:57:34E troppo bella! Grazie!
0:57:34 > 0:57:37'However, they love what these extraordinary machines
0:57:37 > 0:57:39'say about them and their nation.'
0:57:41 > 0:57:43It's one of my babies. I know.
0:57:43 > 0:57:48'At the same time, they're realists and embrace what they have.
0:57:48 > 0:57:49'Who knew that working in a laundry
0:57:49 > 0:57:53'or getting hit in the face with an orange would be so exhilarating?'
0:57:55 > 0:57:58What the Italians have, and they have lots of it,
0:57:58 > 0:58:00whether it be their food,
0:58:00 > 0:58:04their styling, their throwing of oranges, their supercars,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07their practical cars, they have one thing in common -
0:58:07 > 0:58:09passione.
0:58:09 > 0:58:10Passion.
0:58:10 > 0:58:15That is what makes Italian cars fantastic.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19'Next time, I'll be in Germany, Europe's biggest car producer.
0:58:21 > 0:58:22'Enjoying the autobahn...'
0:58:22 > 0:58:24150. 155...
0:58:26 > 0:58:27'..scaring the pants off Al Murray...'
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Whoa!
0:58:29 > 0:58:31'..and meeting naked people.'
0:58:31 > 0:58:33This isn't awkward at all.
0:58:58 > 0:59:00PERCUSSIVE CLICKING
0:59:00 > 0:59:01WHISTLE
0:59:01 > 0:59:036 Music... Recommends.
0:59:03 > 0:59:05We pick...
0:59:05 > 0:59:06..new music.
0:59:08 > 0:59:11No-one... ..tells us... ..what to choose.
0:59:11 > 0:59:12Whoo!