The Joan Antoni Samaranch Olympic and Sports Museum was the venue for the presentation of the book “Barcelona, Paco Godia and Motor. A city and a driver, united by a common passion.” The event, featuring a roundtable discussion and the inauguration of a traveling exhibition under the same name, paid tribute to the figure of Francisco Godia, a Catalan motor icon.
The event was opened by Maria Teresa Samaranch, a member of the Barcelona Olympic Foundation’s board. Following her remarks, Liliana Godia Guardiola, daughter of Francisco Godia and President of the Francisco Godia Foundation: Josep Mateu i Negre, president of RACC, and David Escudé, President of the Barcelona Olympic Foundation and Barcelona’s Sports Commissioner.
The highlight of the day was a roundtable discussion led by Josep Autet, rally co-pilot and founder of JAS Info Service, featuring Valentí Fradera, the book’s author and an expert in motorsport history, and Luis Pérez-Sala, a former Formula 1 driver.
The event was filled with emotion, attended by close friends of the Godia family, including Joaquín Folch-Rusiñol, historic vehicle driver and collector, and Salvador Cañellas a celebrated driver on both two and four wheels.
Valentí Fradera i Pérez, author of the book
Valentí Fradera (Barcelona, 1969) is a motorsport enthusiast and expert in the history of automotive racing. After getting his start at La Llibreria del Motor, he joined the editorial team of F1 Racing magazine until 2011. Since then, he has collaborated with L’Esportiu and other specialized publications, including TodoRacing, Motor Clásico, Automóvil, and La Revista del RACC.
