1906:
Every competitor, taking account that we are talking about the beginning
of motor racing and that the track was not equipped of technical assistance,
could use 90 tires ( in addition to the 4 ones that should be on board
of the car by law) and 90 drums made of aluminium, which contained fuel
and other tools. Some days before the race, the pilots hid the tires
and the drums along the track.
The
first competitions of the Targa started from the straight stretch in
Buonfornello. Here, there was the old nucleus of Floriopoli: a structure,
totally made of wood. This structure burst into flames on 12th October
1923. It wasn’t rebuild in the same place: it was moved and rebuilt
after the crossroad towards Cerda, but completely of stonework. Later,
some changes were introduced in the building. Inside the Museum it is
possible to see a reproduction of the original lay-out of 1924, which
shows the plan of the stands that remained the same. The new Floriopoli
was opened on 27th April 1924.
The straight stretch in Buonfornello was chosen as starting grid. Then
the starting- point was moved towards the crossroads of Cerda: the present
SS 113 was the only way of connection between the province of Caltanissetta
and the Sicilian hinterland. This street was never closed during the
days of tests, it was closed only the day of the competition. The
need of keeping
open this road-connection was so strong, that it was decided that the
starting point should be created in front of the present railway
station of Cerda.
Competition of 1924: Antonio Ascari, the pilot of the Alfa Romeo RL TF
( TR model suitable for this tortuous circuit and therefore called “Targa
Florio”),was ahead of everybody, but he stopped 100 meters before
the arrival because of an about-face. all the fans pushed the car, but
it was a vain attempt. This event doesn’t seem curious, but the previous
year the same thing happened like that: 100 meters before the arrival,
after an exciting competition, a pilot stopped in the same point because
of a breakdown.
The women of the Targa
PARTECIPANTE |
ANNO |
AUTO |
Madame le Blon |
1906 |
|
Baronessa Antonietta D'Avanzo |
1922 |
Alfa Romeo |
Elisabetta Juneck |
1926 |
|
Contessa Margò Densieidel |
1928 |
Bugatti |
Ada Pace |
1958 '59 '60 '61 |
Alfa Romeo, Giulietta,
Ferrari, Osca |
Isabella Taruffi |
1957 |
|
Anna Maria Peduzzi |
1953 '54 '58 '59 '60 |
Stanguellini, Ferrari, Osca |
Contessa Maria Teresa De Filippis |
1955 |
Maserati |
Marie Claude Beaumont |
1972 |
|
Pat Moss |
|
|
Giusi Gagliano |
1971 '72 |
|
Cristine Bekers |
|
|
Anna Cambiaghi |
1975 '76 '77 |
|
Serena Pittoni |
1975 |
Alfa Romeo gtv |
Rosa Adele Facetti |
|
|
Lella Lombardi |
|
|
Carla Bresciani |
|
|
Alain Simone |
|
|
Soldano Rosalba |
|
|
|