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Frank Micoli is deeply proud of his Italian roots. Following his North American arrival from Italy, Micoli established a home and business in Woodbridge, Ontario, a short drive from Toronto, and his commercial plumbing operation soon provided him with financial success surpassing even his wildest dreams.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have done so well,” he said in his 72 year-old voice, still heavily accented with his Italian patois.
So, how does someone who has reached such stratospheric heights of Italian-Canadian achievement savor the enjoyment of said good fortune? Well, in Micoli’s case, the move was to acquire a sensational automobile collection (with equally desirable motorcycles and Road Art) and display all of it in a cavernous industrial building resulting in a man cave that easily redefines the term. While it was a labor of love, all good things must come to their eventual end, and soon, in what will truly be a transportation milestone of epic proportions, everything in Micoli’s enormous collection—yes, everything—will be packed and trucked to Indianapolis in time for Dana Mecum’s 37th Original Spring Classic at the Indiana State Fairgrounds this May 10-18.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his heritage, Micoli’s Size-XL collection includes an ensemble of highly collectible Ferraris with appearance, presentation and provenance that any Ferrarista would hold in very high regard.
For example, his two 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranellos represent a genuine landmark sports car for the brand—and why wouldn’t they, when bearing the name of Ferrari’s Italian hometown. This front-engined, V-12 coupe was launched in 2002, it scorches the Earth with 4-second 0-60 times, tops out at 202 MPH, and although a new-at-the-time F1 paddle-shifted automatic gearbox debuted that year, Micoli’s classic Rosso Corsa red 575 instead has Ferrari’s 6-speed manual transmission, taking input from that definitive, glorious, gated and chrome-plated shift lever.
However, for those who might prefer the fancy, F1 boy-racer paddle layout, Micoli’s other 575 has one of those, and that car is Fly Yellow.
Preceding the 575 on Ferrari’s depth chart is the 550 Maranello, which spanned the years 1996 to 2001. Micoli had to add one to his collection, since its place in Ferrari history is noteworthy. It marked Ferrari’s celebrated return to the front-engined, V-12, GT recipe for the first time since the beloved 365GTB and GTB/4 Daytonas got pulled from the lineup 23 years earlier.
A ferocious 1979 Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, a 2005 Ferrari Superamerica, a magnificent 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO in white, and an indescribable 2018 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Shooting Brake all will leave auction-goers shaking their heads in sheer euphoria.
Mr. Micoli certainly hasn’t devoted his entire collection to those investment-grade thoroughbreds from the Old Country. His 40-car menagerie has also made room for some certified American boulevard gunships, and each one reflects the originality and condition that Micoli insisted on when car shopping.
What Muscle Car collection could possibly be considered complete without a 1970 Hemi Cuda? The Micoli Collection boasts one of only 44 that were imported to Canada, this one showing fewer than 18,000 miles. This Mopar Hall-of-Famer also shows off an unblemished FC7 High Impact Violet exterior color (Plum Crazy, if you speak Dodge) and an A833 4-speed transmission with a Pistol Grip shifter.
Parked alongside it in Micoli’s commodious enclave are two other maxi-Mopars that just can’t be beat. The first is a 1971 Plymouth Cuda that looks like it underwent a very mild makeover, but there’s nothing mild about the mechanical thunderstorm providing the power. It’s a full-tilt Hemi engine built by Ray Barton, who is known by the Chrysler-powered drag-racing community as the man to see when you need horsepower abbondanza. Ray and his son David pieced together this big-block bullet in their shop in Reading, Pennsylvania, and Micoli couldn’t be happier with the result.
One of Micoli’s fast Fords is a fantastic 1964 Galaxie R-code hardtop that’s a Rangoon Red flashback to the heyday of the Blue Oval’s “Total Performance” era. The R-code reference identifies this righteously restored ruffian as having the 427 CI, 425 HP FE engine with high-rise cylinder heads, solid-lifter camshaft, Traction-Lok rear end and a 4-speed Toploader transmission.
The nickname “Border Bandit” along with Barrie Poole’s signature are handwritten on the dashboard, and while this native of Chatham, Ontario, may be unfamiliar to many, Poole’s outstanding drag racing career, including countless wins on the quarter-mile, have earned him a spot in the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame. Poole’s race-ready big Gal is being sold still wearing the exact paint livery it wore throughout its trophy-winning exploits.
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