GIO COLETTA

Pioneer -Sports Car and Road Racing - Inducted 2008

By Tom Johnston, 2008

Giovanni “Gio” Coletta was born in 1938 in the Casino area of Italy. Gio’s family were some of the few civilians that remained in Casino during the great siege of the city during World War II.

In the post war years as he was growing up, he fell in love with exotic automobiles. He tells of his second cousin the playboy who was a used car broker who introduced young Gio to brands like Cisitalia, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Moretti.

After training and becoming an expert mechanic in Italy, Gio decided to move to Canada in 1958. The Canadian Government was encouraging immigration however when Gio arrived in Vancouver (he had a sister in Mission) he found that the Government’s plea for experienced trades people was somewhat out of date and the economy was in recession and there were no jobs. Finally a job was found with the BC Sports Car Centre that handled all the exotic cars in the Vancouver area, the same brands that his cousin sold in Italy. Later, Gio joined racer Tom Constabaris in another local firm and for a brief stretch in California “I was very Impressed with the Laguna Seca track” he said, but soon found himself back in Vancouver.

While all of this was going on the new Westwood Racing Circuit was being developed and Gio soon

became a spectator and then a mechanic at the new track. Before long his car owners offered him a chance to drive their cars and they discovered that Gio was a talented driver and was usually faster than the owners. From the early 1960s up until 1972 Gio won races at Westwood and other circuits in his own Alfa Romeo cars and various other cars for owners such as Tom Constabaris, John Dunfield and GVMPS Pioneer Dr. Claire Wilson. Gio with various partners three times nearly won the Westwood season ending endurance race including an amazing second place in the 1968 10 hour event driving a tiny 1300 cc Alfa.

By 1972 Italian Motors of Edmonton hired Gio to drive their Alfa GTAM in the under two litre class of the Trans Am series.

By 1973 Gio was entering his own Alfa for his friend Ed Clements who went on to win the Canadian championship in his class at the rainy run-offs at Westwood.

Gio started an automobile service business in 1967 called Pacific Italia Auto and soon became an Alfa Romeo dealer. Later, he added the Renault brand and renamed the company Pacific Inter Auto.

Gio sold his successful business in 1989, when asked what he does now he says “I don’t know but I am sure busy”

Current cars are an Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale, a Lancia Scorpion and a tasty little Fiat 500.

One has to wonder what would have happened had Gio stayed in Italy and gone into motor sport full time, he might have been world champion, he was that good.

 

Above: In Bob Constabaris’ Lotus 61 (Gio Coletta collection)

Above: Alfa Romeo at Westwood 1970

Above: Another Alfa 1972