About Drive and Restore

Drive and Restore is about keeping classic Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia cars on the road: how their engines work, where the cars and their badges came from, what goes wrong with them, and what it takes to restore one properly.

Who writes it

Articles are written by Luca de Ruiter, the pen name of a Dutch enthusiast who works in the trade of original Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia parts, many of them new old stock. That work means handling part numbers, exploded diagrams and the questions owners ask every day, and a lot of what ends up on this site starts with one of those questions. His day job is in technical infrastructure, which explains the soft spot for how things actually work.

How articles are researched

• Facts, dates and figures are checked against manufacturer archives, museum sources and reputable publications, and every article lists its sources at the bottom.
• When sources disagree, the article says so or leaves the disputed detail out, rather than guessing.
• Articles are updated when better information turns up; the date at the top shows the last update.

Links to parts suppliers

Some articles mention or link to suppliers of original parts, including businesses the author is involved with. Those links are there because they are useful to the reader, not because anyone paid for them.

Corrections

Spotted an error, or have a period photo or document that tells a better story? Corrections are always welcome.