Gianni Marin, the founder of Gente Motori, who won the speed record with the Alfa 155, died a few days ago. It will be that very car, kept at the Fratelli Cozzi Museum, that will continue the story of his history.

"The well-known journalist Gianni Marin, founder of Gente Motori in 1972 for Rusconi Editore (for which, on Gente, he had started as an articleist for a weekly column) and speed recordman in 1992 in Bonneville (USA), speeding at just under 300 km/hour with an Alfa Romeo 155, died on Saturday, in Milan, at the age of 89." This is how the newspaper Treviso Today announced the death of Gianni Marin.

This news struck us because one of the most admired cars in the Fratelli Cozzi Museum is precisely that Alfa Romeo 155 mentioned in the article... and in the history of Alfa Romeo. 

What remains is the shattered dream of seeing him get back into his car and the memory of the phone call in which we promised ourselves. However, we feel entrusted with the task of continuing to remember Gianni Marin's Alphatian adventure when, in 1992, he won the speed record on the Bonneville salt lake in the United States. An almost extraterrestrial scenario that enriched the chronicle of events with an even more epic value.

We are happy to find in the words of those who have known Gianni Marin from close up, that Alphist hero about whom we have fantasized so much, so we report what the journalist wrote Bianca Carretto who, we hope, will forgive us for having returned to Marin the words that one day were dedicated to her: "she sees far, she must fly high".

"Marin was ahead of his time, he paid attention to women, I wrote several articles for Gente Motori (Alessandra used to ride her Vespa to bring them to the magazine, back then they wrote on Olivetti and the texts had to be delivered by hand, I still have the original copies of the magazine) until one day he told me "you see far, you have to fly high". For me, high meant the Corriere della Sera" (Here the full article by Bianca Carretto)

We have always passed on Gianni Marin's story and will continue to do so in his memory. 

Here are some articles that have talked about the extraordinary Alfa 155 and its heroic driver: 

Then there are two pieces that are unique in the world. These are a Giulia TI Superthe only one of the 500 to be built with a 'London smoke' paint job, and a 155 racing car which was used in 1992 to set a speed record of over 300 km/h at Bonneville, complete with rear parachute. rear parachute. (Automoto)

Each car has its own story and it is well worth visiting the Museum to discover many anecdotes and curiosities such as the 50 Alfa Romeo 1750 donated in 1970 to the Cuban government or the record still unbeaten by the other unique example in the collection, the 155 Q4 that in 1992 beat the speed record on the Bonneville salt lake. (Ruoteclassiche).

The collection of models that have made the history of the Alfa Romeo brand with some gems such as the Alfasud family car and the 155 Q4 that in 1992 set the world speed record in its category at Bonneville. (Beni Culturali on Line).

Two are the jewels in the crown, because they are unique in the world: the red 155 that won the world speed record on the Bonneville salt lake in the United States and the Giulia 1600 TI Super quadrifoglio verde, characterized by its "Fumo di Londra" colour created as a prototype but then produced only in white.(Turismo.it)  

The 155, which earned the speed record in 1992 by speeding across the Bonneville salt lake at 185 mph (297 km/h). (Quotidiano.net)