It's time for the 9th Annual Molto Bella Auto Show!
Sunday, September 11, 2022 | 9 am-3 pm
(rain date: September 18, 2022)
There are car shows, and there are auto shows. And then there is the Molto Bella Auto Show.
A slight twist on the Italian phrase la macchina molto bella (very beautiful car), this invitational event celebrates its 9th overall year and its 4th at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio on Sunday, September 11, 2022 from 9 am to 3 pm on the lush green of the Great Meadow.
With a name like Molto Bella, people expect a showcase of more than its fair share of highly regarded, high-value Italian exotics. Not to disappoint, this year’s entries include the prancing horses of Scuderia Ferrari and Lamborghini’s fighting bulls as well as the tridents of Maserati. But, as was intended, the show delivers much more than that to the 5,000+ enthusiasts expected to attend that day.
The Cars
Conceived to be a fun, cool and diverse collection of 300 autos of the finest, most rare and most interesting order, Molto Bella IX brings together cars from the deep south, Midwest, Southwest and Upper South, in addition to those from all over Ohio. Some of the marques expected to grace the Great Meadow include Allard, Bugatti, Cheetah, Duesenberg, Jaguar, Lamborghini and Pierce Arrow.
This year's featured car is a very unique 1933 Ford Speedster. Bernie got a chance to see it up close at the 2022 Cleveland Auto Show . . . and now you can, too.
Check out this exciting 1963 Chevy Corvette Split Window that day.
This 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago looks heart-stoppingly untamed.
This striking 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica, elegant in its original Pelle Nero over Natural, is 1 of only 12 produced. Come see it!
The Venue
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, built between 1912 and 1915, is a 70-acre country estate with gardens located at 714 North Portage Path in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the largest homes in the United States. A National Historic Landmark, it is nationally significant as the home of F. A. Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, his wife Gertrude Penfield Seiberling and their family. Because the site had been a stone quarry in the past, the Seiberlings chose Stan Hywet (a loose translation from the Old English meaning “stone quarry” or “stone hewn”) as the name of their American country estate.
The Tudor revival consists of 64,500 square feet, 4 floors and a basement. All of the Seiberling family had a voice in its design: Gertrude wanted a music room, F.A. a private office, and their sons an indoor swimming pool. Reflecting the family’s love of hospitality and social events, the formal dining room seats 40, and there are 5 guest rooms, each with its own full bath and walk-in closet.
In the 1950s, the non-profit Stan Hywet Hall Foundation was formed to preserve the estate and, in 1957, the six Seiberling children donated Stan Hywet. In honor of the stone inscription above the front door of the manor house, which reads Non Nobis Solum (Not for Us Alone), Stan Hywet and its grounds are now open to the public as an historic museum and event venue.
The Show
The Molto Bella Auto Show was founded by long-time friends, car aficionados and collectors Frank Todaro and David Nelson. Built on their wide-ranging contacts in the collectible car world, the show honors a pledge made by Todaro and Nelson to honor the life and memory of Frank’s late father and Todaro’s Party Center founder, Camilo (Mel) Todaro, during his illness from kidney cancer.
A portion of the proceeds from Molto Bella will be donated to the Kidney Foundation, a non-profit organization established to assist patients in Summit County who suffer from kidney disease. It provides financial assistance for utility bills, dialysis transportation and prescription payments. This year’s car show goal is to donate $150,000 to the organization.
Molto Bella is also considered the heir apparent to the Glenmoor Gathering Auto Show, held for eighteen years at Glenmoor Country Club, once that glorious event had run its course. Intended to usher in a new, higher energy concept, Molta Bella is more than just a well-considered but conventional auto show. It goes well beyond the concours concept, with its emphasis on exacting restoration and authenticity and includes a little something for everyone.
Frank Todaro explains, “It’s all about the kind of cars and the mix of cars we pick, not just concours. Hot rods, touring cars, electric cars, movie cars, unique cars with unique histories are all part of the mix.”
“Our music is also designed to get away from the Beach Boys stuff you normally hear at cruises,” he continues. “We have a great selection of the blues playing, cigars for people who enjoy smoking, great food and a professionally laid-out space for the cars. Finally, there is no judging. People love not to be judged. Your car is your trophy … what more could you possibly need?”
The Sponsors
This year’s Molto Bella sponsors include Cornwell Tools, the Summit County Kidney Foundation, The Kidney Foundation of Ohio, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Summit Racing Equipment, Burns/McDonnell, Cell-O-Core, CLA, J.W. Didado Electric, transmit identity and Todaro’s Party Center.
Want to learn more? Visit:
The Molto Bella Auto Show
Sunday, September 11, 2022
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
714 North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio
9 am-3 pm
https://todaroscarshow.com/
What's It Like at the Molta Bella?
While the recent pandemic has put a damper on our car show attendance, we DO have great footage from 2019! Check out 6 interviews Bernie did that day, from Sean Joyce, the President of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, to true Car Idiots with great hearts as well as smoking rides.
Click here to get a sneak peek at what to expect on September 11: