May 2026 (G.T.) – It’s the book we’ve all been waiting forbr, a real treat for enthusiasts and collectors alike, created as part of a collaboration between the ASI-Automotoclub Storico Italiano (Italian Historic Automotoclub, ed.) and the Italian public broadcaster RAI-Radiotelevisione Italiana. Entitled ‘Onde e cavalli vapore’ (Waves and Horsepower), it takes the reader on a fascinating journey through a century of Italian history, told through the vehicles that have made it possible to see, hear and experience the country first-hand. It was presented on Saturday 16 May 2026 at the RAI stand at the Turin International Book Fair.
14 May 2026, Turin International Book Fair. The Italian Minister for Culture, Alessandro Giuli, poses at the RAI stand surrounded by the historical vehicles used for shooting audio-visual footage, and leafing through the new book ‘Onde e cavalli vapore’, published by Rai Libri and the ASI-Automotoclub Storico Italiano. https://www.facebook.com/AutomotoclubStoricoItaliano/?locale=it_IT
The authors are Tiziana Ribichesu (Vice-Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations for RAI), Gino Alberico (RAI Research Centre), Pasquale Alfieri (Head of Corporate Relations for ASI) and Roberto Valentini (Editor-in-Chief of La Manovella). From the earliest radio broadcasts by the Unione Radiofonica Italiana (the Italian Radio Union) to the most advanced radio and television technologies, this book explores the key role played by RAI’s vehicles and its public service mission: the cars, vans, directors’ coaches, motorbikes and helicopters that have brought the news out of the studios, travelling to every corner of the country and rendering events, stories and changes in society accessible to everyone.
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The new book ‘Onde e cavalli vapore’ (Waves and Horsepower), created in collaboration between RAI and ASI, made its highly successful debut at the Turin International Book Fair, and will be available in bookshops, online stores and on the ASI Shop Libri from 27 May https://asiservice.it/asi-shop/libri/
Luca Gastaldi, from the Press Office of ASI-Automotoclub Storico Italiano, explains: “In the early 1980s, RAI took ownership of a number of motorcycles that were iconic at the time: the Guzzi 850 T3, fitted with three disc brakes; a bike designed for long journeys which was comfortable, easy to manoeuvre, sturdy and reliable. At least fifteen of this models were added to RAI’s fleet, and one of them has survived to this day.
RAI’s Moto Guzzi 850 T3, used for mobile television shoots (restored and now back in service), on display at the RAI stand at the International Book Fair, Turin, 14–16 May 2026. One of the vehicles featured in the book ‘Onde e cavalli vapore’ (Waves and Horsepower). https://www.facebook.com/AutomotoclubStoricoItaliano/?locale=it_IT
After years of dwelling in obscurity, and having been removed from the National Vehicle Register, the Moto Guzzi 850 T3 is now back on the road, re-registered and fully restored, thanks to a partnership between RAI and the Automotoclub Storico Italiano; it still bears the original RAI lettering and is equipped with a full recording system, including a radio link and a helical antenna for the transmitter.
More than half a century of history… on the road again. The restored 1975 Moto Guzzi 850 T3 in the RAI vehicle fleet. Photo courtesy of ASI.
This model, which dates back to 1975, remained in use until 1985, and was equipped for mobile television broadcasting with an audio-video signal transmitter, as well as a Sony BVP 110 P ‘single-tube’ camera featuring the effective Trinicon colour tube; this has also been brought back into service just as it was back then, when it was used by the TV station primarily to cover the Giro d’Italia cycling race.”
The Moto Guzzi 850 T3, the queen of motorcycle tourism with all the edge and grit of a sports bike, boasts a ‘patented’ three-disc integrated braking system (as highlighted in the original brochure); its predecessor was the 850-T model (launched at the Milan Motor Show in 1973), while its successors were the T4 and T5 models, with specially-equipped versions featuring windscreens, sirens and flashing lights, designed for the Carabinieri rapid response motorcycle unit.
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See also – Articles and videos on RaiNews.it:
https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2026/05/onde-e-cavalli-vapore-un-libro-che-racconta-come-il-servizio-pubblico-ha-messo-in-moto-il-paese-1d9d166b-437f-4dbc-bc96-5f921389fe5b.html
ASI OFFICIAL VIDEO – TWO SHORES, ONE PASSION.
CELEBRATIONS TO MARK THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASI (1966–2026) IN BARDOLINO AND AT THE VITTORIALE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRX8Y4YV3fw
https://www.facebook.com/AutomotoclubStoricoItaliano/?locale=it_IT
AUTOMOTOCLUB STORICO ITALIANO, TURIN:
https://asifed.it/
