VeloceToday has been publishing articles weekly since 2001, but Cliff Reuter’s excellent site, Etceterini.com, is almost as old. “I started my first web site cliffreuter.com in 2002 as a way to connect with friends around the world (before facebook) and then in 2005 launched Etceterini.com”, said Cliff. 

In 2006, Cliff and VeloceToday shared a unique experience we found the ex-Clair “Sonny” Reuter Bandini. VeloceToday did the story and Cliff and his father Jack (no relation to Clair Reuter) rescued the car and it is now being restored.

A few years later in 2010, Cliff helped organize an Etceterini show at Amelia Island Concours, and with Sportscardigest.com, we ran a series of articles and a contest for the favorite Etceterini entry at Amelia.

Etceterini.com has turned out to be the ‘go to’ site for anyone interested in SCCA racing in the 1950s and 60s.  “I started my SCCA results pages in 2006 after we purchased the ex-Sandy MacArthur 1951 Bandini Siluro Motto Crosley Mercury Devin.  We knew some of the history of the car but wanted to know more.  I searched the Internet for 1950s SCCA results and was VERY disappointed with what I found - almost nothing.  I then began going through my Father's boxes of 1950s-60s race photos, car magazines, racing memorabilia, SCCA race programs and these yielded some very enlightening information!”

While Cliff’s site focuses on Etceterinis, all cars are included, particularly Ferraris.  “I'm constantly buying and adding to this collection of American sports car racing history so keep checking back (and refreshing)!  Also, PLEASE help me grow these pages by sending YOUR scans of SCCA race results, programs and articles,” said Cliff.

Cliff’s background is as interesting as his site. He is originally from St. Louis Missouri, and his mother is from Liverpool, UK.  Father Jack is from St. Louis and was a passionate car enthusiast from early on.  Growing up, Cliff says he “played a lot of tennis and shared my dad’s love of European cars.”

 Jack Reuter first encountered Italian cars in the early 1950s while competing in SCCA races.  “He was amazed at the beauty and sound of the cars that were passing him (and his Austin Healy) and vowed to someday own some of them,  said Cliff. “His dream came true in 1965 when he purchased his first Ferrari, Dino Ferrari's 1953 prototype 166 Mille Miglia, for $1,000.” 

But, while stationed at Fort Sam Huston in Texas in the 1950s and attending a race, Jack saw two small Italian racing cars called Bandinis.    “He spent the next 30 years or so trying to find one to buy and finally succeeded in the early 1980's when he acquired the only remaining Bandini Siluro with a series two DOHC engine.  A few years later he sold his 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC and 1954 Maserati A6GCS but kept his prized Bandini.” 

Etceterini Field Finds

As we just saw from the amazing Baillon find in France there are still important European sports cars out there waiting to be discovered in barns, garages and in some cases the elements.  In the past few years three well known etceterinis have been located and rescued in the US, one if which we were lucky enough to discover recently. 

Siata or Bandini?

The story of our “new” car starts at the 1952 Mille Miglia where over 400 cars competed and 272 saw the checkered flag.  Siata had long been producing racers for the MM and in ’52 they entered this one off Zagato bodied 750cc Crosley MM Topolino with drivers Falli and Jorio.  The car finished an amazing 3^rd in the S750 class and 109^th overall.  

The next record of the car is at 1954 Cumberland Maryland where it won the Hmod class piloted by owner J.G. Whitlock and later in ’54 at Atterberry AFB Indiana where it came home 3^rd behind Sandy MacArthur’s Bandini Siluro and Bud Seavern’s Siata 300BC.  For some unknown reason the Siata MM was referred to as a Bandini in the entry lists and also by the people who knew it in period, this mystery has yet to be solved.  From then it passed on to Jim Lang and David Crotty and then disappeared until we were able to rescue it from the elements in 2014. 

In 2013 the lost 1951 Nardi #103 BMW 750cc was found in the elements.

  This car was first raced in the US in 1952 by Paul Gougleman and then in 1953 where he won his class at MacDill AFB and by the end of the season had amassed enough points to finish 7^th overall in the National Hmod standings.

  In 1955 Gougleman sold the Nardi BMW to Bob Schroeder who raced the car at Lawrenceville Illinois where he finished 4th in class ahead of Sandy MacArthur’s Bandini and Sid Dicken’s Siata.   

Pete Lovely raced this car at  1953 Pebble Beach and finished 9^th OA in the under 1500cc class and 1^st  in the Hmod class.  The Giaur also won 1^st in the Hmod class at Golden Gate in ’53 and repeated at Pebble Beach in 1954.

Bill Lauden then won first in class at ’54 Golden Gate and afterwards the car went to Pete Bunn, Henry Koepke and then disappeared.  

After being removed from the elements it was in good enough condition to be shown at the 2013 Quail Lodge Concours.   

Based on these amazing finds and many others around the world there is great hope that more cars will be found in the future. There are four etceterinis that were successfully raced in the US and have since vanished.

The second Bandini produced had a 1100cc Fiat/Alfa Dohc Bandini modified engine, a tubular frame by Bandini and a hand hammered aluminum body by Rocco Motto. It was imported to the US by Tony Pompeo and shown by 1952 Mille Miglia winner Giovanni Bracco in New York. It was later raced in the SCCA by Mark Schellenberger. The whereabouts of the car are unknown. 

The 1957 Stanguellini 750cc DOHC #CS04088 was imported by Herm Behm of Oshkosh Wisconsin. Behm entered the car in the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring with Sandy MacArthur and Charlie Haas driving. The Stang came home in an impressive 28th place overall and first in class. Shortly after the race Behm was diagnosed with cancer. In 1958 Jane Behm advertised the car for sale in the September issue of Road and Track and the car has not been seen or heard of since.

This 1955 Ermini 357 1100cc DOHC Scaglietti was imported to the US by Pompeo in 1956 and raced by James Orr at Torrey Pines in January and again at Arcata in August. In 1957 Orr raced the Ermini at Stockton and then Lew Florence was the driver at Bremerton Airport (Seafair) Washington. This car was copied by Bill Devin to be the mold for his fiberglass bodies and is now lost. 

Finally this 1951 Nardi BMW 750cc was raced by Al Coppel in 1952 at Madera Airport and then at Pebble Beach in 1953. The car then passed on to Al White who is the last known owner.