The classic re-enactment of the oldest race in the world is back. On the roads of the Madonie in Sicily, FCA Heritage and Abarth are starring in the latest edition of the Targa Florio to celebrate the past and present of the brand with the scorpion badge.
Palermo-based magnate Vincenzo Florio founded the race in 1906 with the aim of establishing a "practical and exact paragon for evaluating the motor car", as he quaintly put it. So began the Targa Florio, which this year is in its 102nd edition.
From 4 to 7 October, Palermo will be the spectacular backdrop of the "Targa Florio Classica", the regularity rally for vintage cars that re-enacts the oldest car race in the world.
Abarth will be Main Sponsor of the event organised by AC Palermo, in partnership with the Automobile Club of Italy. The enduring bond that links the race informally known as the "Cursa" and the brand with the scorpion badge is being renewed this year.
Three vintage Abarth cars picked from the FCA Heritage collection are taking part in the Targa Florio Classica, namely an Abarth 2400 coupé (1964), a Fiat 500 (1974) fitting a “Cassetta di Trasformazione Abarth 595” tune-up kit and an Autobianchi A112 Abarth 58 HP (1974). Each car encapsulates the trademark Abarth take on a major mass-production car category, respectively as a manufacturer of high-end GT cars in its own right, an inventor of tune-up kits for small-engine Fiat cars and a maker of the sports versions of popular mass-production models after the merger with Fiat in 1971.
More than just history and vintage cars. In Piazza Verdi, Abarth fans are invited to experience the latest additions to the line-up and put their authentic performance to the test on the streets of Mondello.
The guests of honour at the Sicilian event are Anneliese Abarth, who is leading the parade before the flag drops in the 2400 Coupé that belonged to her husband, and Eris Tondelli, the famous Abarth racing and test driver, who in the 1960s worked on developing the 595 and who is taking part in a 500 equipped with a replica of the vintage tune-up kit made by Abarth Classiche.
To make the event even more exclusive, FCA Heritage is organising a special Certificate of Authenticity session reserved for classic Abarth and Lancia car owners from Sicily. From 1 to 3 October, the experts are at the service of collectors and enthusiasts in the Motor Village in Palermo to present the activities and services provided by FCA Heritage.
Read the stories of the Abarth cars that FCA Heritage is bringing to the 2018 Targa Florio:
Abarth 2400 Coupé Allemano: Carlo’s cherished runabout
Fiat 500 with “Abarth Classiche 595 Conversion Kit”: Still the same beast
Autobianchi A112 Abarth 58 HP: 58 horsepower and a scorpion
More info on
www.targa-florio.it