Motorama Museum Racers

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The Motorama Museum in Aniwa, Wis. (www.alfaheaven.com) is a great place to visit if you like sports racing cars, especially those made by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. Tom Zat - the founder and owner of the Motorama Museum - was an advisor to the Alfa Romeo factory racing team years ago. When Alfa stopped racing, Zat had the opportunity to obtain some of the racing cars, along with a show car or two. Check out the above photo with the Alfa Disco Volante show car suspended over other world cars!

But the Motorama Museum itself is a lot more than an Alfa collection. It includes many other imported cars and motorcycles, some 1950s American irons, a Chevrolet Corvair used car lot, a private junkyard featuring all types of jalopies in a woodsy area, a slew of vintage military vehicles leftover from one of Tom’s previous car-related businesses and the Alfa Heaven Motorsports Bar, with a car-themed banquet hall that can be rented for parties and other occasions.

Being in Wisconsin, winter hours are limited to Thirsty Thursdays at the motorsports bar from 7 to 11 pm. Winter hall rentals can also be arranged, and winter is the perfect time for visits and car club tours for next spring and summer. Tours can be put together by calling Tom at (715) 449-2141. Now, let’s look at some of the rare racing cars you’ll be able to see at the Motorama Museum, keeping in mind that this is only a small fraction of the total number of cars you can see in Aniwa:

This is one of a series of Ferrari-like “Super Sport Zat” coupes that Tom actually built years ago. This particular car is the SSZ Stradale MKII that Phil Hill drove for the SSZ factory team. It earned 11 wins and five track records. It was the SCCA Super Production champion and the Continental Challenge champion.

International Ice Racing Association’s F/S class endurance car. A typical event in which this car competed was a two- to four-hour race on a frozen lake. It has been driven at over 100 mph in zero degree weather with zero visibility.

Known as “The Incredible Pickle,” this car competed in showroom stock racing from 1972 to 1986. Each year, the body was updated to match the current year model. It competed in 130 races and had 80 wins.

In 1959, Renault entered one of its small, rear-engined cars in the Monte Carlo Rally and won first overall in the race, beating even some V8-powered cars. The reason is that it snowed, and the weight in the rear of the car gave it better traction. The Renault also proved that 97 percent of racing is luck.

The Super Pro Touring Series attempted to bring road racing to stock car fans. The series failed because, at that time, the fans were only interested in oval track racing. Today it is common to see imports racing in NASCAR competition on road racing courses.

This is one of four DTM composite body cars built. It is a veteran of four 24-hour endurance races and two 12-hour enduros. It took second place at Watkins Glen in a 24-hour Enduro. “Just finishing is winning” is the motto of such events.

This is the 13th Alfa Romeo Milano Silver produced. It served as a photo car, press car and Tour De France bicycle race team car. It was rolled during a 12-hour race at Sebring and rebuilt afterwards. It was also the 1990 SSA Champion car.

icknamed “The Tank,” this car was a five-time champion. It took 11 wins in a 12-race season and set 11 track records. It is known as the World’s Fastest GTV-6.

Nicknamed “Carolina,” this car won a 6-hour race at Watkins Glen and took fifth place at the 12 Hours of Sebring. It is a veteran of six 24-hour races and three 12-hour races.

In addition to featuring a large collection of Alfa Romeos and Alfa Romeo racing cars, the Motorama Museum has a collection of rare Alfa engines, including a number of competition specials.