Scuderia Non Originale

When a car is modified and is no longer as it came from the factory, it is said to be “non originale.” This generic label was coined in 2004, by the members of Scuderia Non Originale (SNO), a Club for fans of Italian sports cars and motorcycles.
The Club was founded in 2004 by Gary Williams, Richard Lane, Steve Smith, Tom Sahines, Ted Williams, and Ben Lamprecht. While showing their cars at Concorso Italiano, the largest annual celebration of Italian vehicles in the world, held in Monterey, California, they soon tired of being told by marque experts that their cars were not original, meaning they had non-stock colors, wheels, motors, and other changes.
When the group returned home from the car show, they consulted and decided to form a new group, naming it "Scuderia Non Originale" (SNO). SNO began as a joke aimed at the self-appointed experts encountered at Concorso Italiano. Club members soon began referring to these experts as “Originale Police,” thus coining yet another generic term. The group and its new website hit a responsive chord, and soon requests to join began coming to the SNO website from around the globe.
Today, Scuderia Non Originale is a worldwide organization for owners of Italian sporting machines, cars and motorcycles. Among its members are some of the top names in automotive journalism, automotive art, auto racing, and marque expertise. Fittingly, the first to join the founders was an Alfista (Alfa Romeo fan) who lives in Milan, Italy, the home of Alfa. Other countries represented now include the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Canada, South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Taiwan, Oceania, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Belgium, and Japan. The bond that connects SNO’s members is an appreciation for the time-honored practice of modifying one’s cars and motorcycles to suit personals tastes regarding appearance, handling, and power.
Ten years after coining the terms “non originale” and “Originale Police,” automobile enthusiasts around the world know their meaning, and the terms can be found on forums catering to fans of everything from Morris Minors to all manner of exotic Italian sports cars.
The Club lists only two requirements to belong to SNO: (1) Members must be more enamored with Italian sporting vehicles than is emotionally or financially healthy, and (2) They must accept fellow enthusiasts who change the wheels on their cars, modify mechanical systems, or make other changes, such as painting their cars non-stock colors.
Other than the two points noted above, there are no rules, no meetings, no dues or fees of any kind, and no activities, just a common understanding that cars are for people to modify and drive, just as they can also be cherished as “trailer queens,” a term commonly applied to highly restored, original-spec show cars that are rarely driven.
EVIDENCES OF GENERIC USAGE
1. http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=10709.15 -- "Re: Difference between Alfaholics and Classic Alfa parts that look the same? Reply #18 on: May 16, 2013, 10:42:14 AM -- Well then that is what I thought. I guess and given I am not all that fussed by originality to that extent, that I prefer to actually be able to see where I am going at night. Paying for high priced curvey glass script is not what floats my boat, if they are inferior to what else is available. The eyes in my cars look pretty to me, especially with their whiter light. Just so it is not misconstrued, I don't have an issue with originality, and people who chase this. I too have at times gone for this and I am a stickler for detail, but for me it is where such efforts are made that counts. Changing engines is not a problem, having nice wheels or a decent steering wheel etc if the original is inferior or just plain dull is a part of the process for me. I definitely belong in the Scuderia non Originale camp therefore.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2013, 10:56:17 AM by Davidm1750 »
2. http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?497694-Alfa-Scuderia-quot-non-originale-quot&s=0f2118b86d3285d32813fd064b33f128 -- Alfa Scuderia "non originale"—Hi folks. Well I've pulled my finger out and got myself membership of SXOC so I won't be loading up ekjim's Anglia project with my posts. An idea spawned a bit over a year ago to modify my classic 1967 Alfa GT stepnose into the car I alway have wanted it to be. Pretty classic lines but something interesting to make it go faster. There have been many transplant projects including twin sparks, V6 etc. To get any real power you have to spend big bucks and the gearbox is the weakest link. Anyhow I stumbled across a transplant that a Greek fellow living in Australia had done (SR20DET into a 1973 bertone). Everything looked so right under the bonnet and there was a tentative link between Nissan and Alfa (Alfa Arna was basically a joint Alfa / Nissan project) so that maintains the heritage link ... (Editor's note: SXOC is a club primarily for owners of Japanese sports cars, based in the United Kingdom. The heading this poster used has “non originale” in quotes and is so well understood on the SXOC.com website that it does not need to be explained in the text.)
3. http://bringatrailer.com/2013/04/21/1962-alfa-romeo-giulia-spider/—Apr 22 at 3:52 PM Pinarello—No need to get your panties in a wad Geoffrey. People do have different opinions. I’m sure we agree on Alfas more than we disagree. Erik got it right with his comment. At this level of resto I’d expect a more original car. BTW, I drive a very non-originale 71 GTV with a (horrors) hot rodded 2 liter, lowered suspension, Panasports, no bumpers, and it’s been mostly debadged to boot. (Editor's note: Bring-a-trailer.com is a hugely popular website for a broad spectrum of car crazies, and this poster feels no need to explain his “non-originale” remark, nor does anyone ask what he means; everyone understands.)
4. www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=363.395;wap2—Our very own "barn find"... - Alfa Romeo Owners Club Vic—Feb 25, 2013 - Hadn't planned to add to the original deadening that is still in place on the ... Plenty of flaws and non-originale bits on the car, it wouldn't win a concours. ... The best kind of restoration, everything done properly, but not so . (Editor's note: This is posted on the site of an Australian car club. Once again, the phrase is used generically and the author sees no need to explain, nor does anyone question his meaning.)
5. www.pistonheads.com/.../topic.asp?...not... -- Smokey - New Alfa Giulia Spider 101 - not quite concours - PistonHeads—The car runs very well and has throughout its life been restored rather badly. .... Anything non originale can be tracked down, suggest you use it first though, at least ... (I'd be inclined to put dual webers dcoe40s on until you find the original airbox.) (Editor's note: Pistonheads is a huge website for enthusiasts of American and foreign cars of all types and sizes. Note, yet again, the use of non originale and the fact that the phrase needs no explanation.)
6. 66gtv.blogspot.com/ -- The slow restoration of a 1966 Alfa Romeo GTV. -- Nov 26, 2006 - He lost some parts (namely the original 1600 cc engine), covered it and it ... It'll be a Scuderia Non-Originale car, of which I just so happen to be. (Editor's note: The person who posted this blog is a member of Scuderia Non Originale, but here he uses the phrase generically. We can be sure of this because people are Scuderia Non Originale members; their cars are either “originale” or “non originale,” meaning they either are restored to factory original condition or they are modified. The meaning in this case, as in the others cited, is clearly that the car in question is modified.)
7. http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-gtv-and-916-spider/342073-porsche-911-seats-in-a-gtv.html—Scuderia non originale! -- The seats are from a Porsche 911 996 interior according to the eBay advert, but boxster ones are the same dimensions and would work. Google images shows these seats in a 911 916. I think boxster ones would be better as they are less chunky but I wasn't sure if they folded forward for the rear seats so went with these in the end.
Insurance were fine with the seat change when I told them. I added it to my list of other mods on the policy like exhaust and air filter etc. (Editor's note: The “Scuderia non originale” headline refers to the car, not the club, as is obvious in the text. The author felt no need to explain that to anyone; everyone in the car world understands what he means.)
8. http://www.ferrari-talk.com/forums/f37/ferrari-308-hp-2967/—On a Ferrari forum, a thread was begun by someone who is thinking of modifying his Ferrari, which is sacrilege to large numbers of Ferrari owners. One owner thought the idea humorous, responding:
Ha ha ha!!!! Scuderia Non O.
Ha ha ha!!!!
Scuderia Non Originale!!!!!!
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
(Editor's note: There is no reference here to the club; only to the modifications being considered by a Ferrari owner.)
9. http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/search.php?searchid=9606865—A very modified GTV Posted By conedriver—I second this response. There are those who value absolute originality, which is fine; and there are those who have the "Scuderia Non Originale", attitude, which is just as acceptable to me. (Editor's note: This author sees “Scuderia Non Originale” as an attitude, not a club.)
10. http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/sedan-1962-1977/162600-alfistis-return-berlina-hot-rod-nightmare-3.html#post952683—I had to remove the Tikki knob (and it will go back to Jeff) as it was so long it would trap my fingers between the wheel and shift lever. But it was cool, and I plan to continue the "Scuderia Non-Originale" theme. (Editor's note: This person is not joining a club, he’s continuing a theme begun by the previous owner of his car, who modified it heavily.)

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