The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
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The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2001
Now the photographer gets his ride
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Cortina d’Ampezzo, 07th – 09th  September 2001


1951 – The first important victory for a Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

This year, the 29th issue of the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti celebrated the 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT victory with no less than 14 Aurelias taking part to relive the Coppa d’Oro’s former glory.
In 1951, Enrico Anselmi drove his B20 to victory at one of the most prestigious Italian road races in the 50’s – the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti – just 2 minutes and 23 seconds ahead of Umberto Castiglione in… another Lancia Aurelia B20 GT. Giulio Cabianca in an O.S.C.A. MT-4-1100 (chassis 1114) prevented a 1-2-3 victory for Lancia, placed 3rd 1 minute, 6 seconds ahead of Salvatore Ammendola’s B20 GT. What was so special about the B20 ?

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The Lancia Aurelia Gran Turismo – 50 years of success

The Lancia Aurelia debuted at Turin in 1950 and was kept in production for 8 years with more than 18,000 cars produced in total. It was the first automobile moved by a V6 engine, developed by Francesco de Virgilio under the direction of Vittorio Jano of pre-war Alfa fame. Characteristics of this completely new engine were the alloy head and block, the distribution with overhead valves, the cast-iron cylinder bore cooled from the liquid and the camshaft chain hydraulic driver, pushed from the oil pressure.

Lancia  produced the B20 in a lot of different versions, beginning in 1951 with the series 1 B20 GT with 75hp at 4500rpm from 1991ccm and ending with the series 6 B20 GT 2500 in 1953 with 118hp at 5300rpm from 2451ccm.

With marvellous road manners and the Aurelia’s tendency toward oversteering it was the preferred choice of race aces such like Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn. All significant rally victories were achieved with the early 2-liter cars due to less weight compared by later series of the Aurelia.

The saga of the unbeatable Aurelia began when Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Magioli drove a near-standard B20 Coupe in the 1951 Mille Miglia to a second place overall, beaten only by Gigi Villoresi in a 4.1 liter Ferrari 340 America and it continued with the victory described above at the 1951 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti !
And not to forget the fantastic class win at Le Mans 1951 for Giovanni Lurani and Giovanni Bracco in a B20.

A perfect car to drive to work weekdays and to win races at the weekend, the shape of this all-time great can only be described as wonderful with its soft, organic curves designed originally by Felice Mario Boano of Carrozzeria Ghia. The design layout later was refined by Pinin Farina to satisfy numerous requests of the market.

The Coppa d’Oro today

Held for regularity all competitors this year had to cope with 10  passes up and down the narrow Dolomite roads and through wonderful valleys. The main lap on Saturday started in Cortina from the Stadio del Ghiaccio through the following localities:

Passo Pocol, Passo Falzarego, Andraz, Digonera, Rocca Pietore, Serrai di Sottoguda, Malga Ciapela, Caprile, Alleghe, Taibon, Agordino, Frassené, Forcella Aurine, Gosaldo, Passo Cereda, Primiero, San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle, Passo Valles, Falcade, Caviola, San Tomaso Agordino, Alleghe, Selva di Cadore, Forcella Staulanza, Pecol, Col Santa Fosca, Passo Giau, Pecol, Cortina.

On Sunday the race was much shorter up the Passo Tre Croci to Misurina down to Dobbiacco and ended at the Hotel Montecroce where the final lunch and prize giving was held.

Fine wines offered from the sponsor ”Bosco del Merlo” together with wonderful Italian food-specialities gave this event a special note as well. Alvaro Schiavon and with him all the organisers of the Coppa d’Oro created an unique atmosphere of harmony and friendship. We all felt like being part of one big family.

Dreams can come true - Co-piloting a Ferrari 212 Export Touring barchetta

While watching a Ferrari Touring barchetta in events such like the Mille Miglia I often wished to have the chance to sit in such a time-machine only once in my life. And now, Inge and Harald Mergard offered me this unique opportunity for the Coppa d’Oro 2001 ! Unbelievable. A dream came true…

With Oke Moebus at the wheel and by my side, an ex-rally driver in Germany mainly on Alfa and Porsche, we could place ”our” Ferrari third behind Klaus Busch’s 166 MM Touring barchetta and a Healey Silverstone. Perfectly restored and maintained by DK Engineering our car, a Ferrari 212 Export Touring barchetta s/n 0084E to be exact, just ran great without any problems.

I know that I’m subjective now but for me it was and is the most beautiful car on earth ! Who needs other cars when you can own and drive this beauty ? I already fell in love when I heard its sound for the first time and I even fell asleep in the night still hearing its heartbeat.

Words can not describe my feelings waiting for the start with the stop watch in the one hand and the road book in the other and when Oke put his foot down the pedal roaring through Cortina. At the end I was speechless. I couldn’t count all the serpentines in which we drove sideways, I wasn’t able to pick up all these fascinating impressions in my mind and I do not know to how many spectators I waved my arms but anyway: A perfect weekend, a perfect world…..

The two rarest cars of the weekend – the Aston Martin DB 3S Coupe s/n 120 and the Fiat 8V Vignale

Have you ever seen an Aston Martin DB 3S Coupe ? No ? It will be forgiven, only two of these special Coupes exist today, a black one – chassis 119 – owned by Simon Draper and this car – chassis 120. Jeremy Cottingham from DK Engineering explained to me that this DB 3S is the only one still wearing the original Coupe bodywork. The current owner bought it just weeks ago from Japan, where it resided the last few years.

Only 11 Fiat 8V Vignale were produced, each with unique bodywork. Mr. Costa showed up with the very first example – chassis 000046 – built by Vignale. Conceived for street use unlike the ones bodied by Zagato or Touring, under its bonnet lies the same small displacement Fiat overhead-valve V-8 engine of only 1,996cc producing 110hp at 6,000 rpm. Fed by a pair of Weber 36 DCF 3 side-draft carburetors, these compact sports racers had an excellent power-to-weight ratio. And when combined with its good road holding characteristics, the Fiat 8V scored numerous victories, including the Italian Sports Car Championship in 1956.

The entry list 2001

Race-#

Team Make Type s/n


1

Miazzo/X Triumph TR 3

2

Ceccon/Ceccon Alfa Romeo 1900 SS E

3

Bernardi/Rolleri Porsche 356 Speedster

4

Beraldo/Sartoretto Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder

5

Bettoli/Lionello Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint

6

Guerra/Guerra Triumph TR 3

7

Marin/Cumial MG A

8

Dal Pos/Pessot Porsche 356 Cabriolet

9

Vidoli/Burba Porsche 356 Speedster

10

Sgobbi/Fanton Fiat 1100 TV

11

Fraticcioli/Fraticcioli Triumph TR 3A

12

Conti/Conti MG A

14

Bisol/Bisol Jaguar XK 150

16

Ruschena/Camilli Fiat 514 S

18

Bersano/Pagotto Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

19

Zorzan/Plantamura MG TD

20

Tresoldi/Tresoldi Porsche 356 Super

21

Viarisio/Loss Triumph TR 3 Sport

22

Bianchi/Bianchi De Tomaso Pantera GTS

23

Bozano/Campese Lancia Aurelia B20

24

Tucci/Solari Jaguar SS 100 Saloon

25

Russo/Bigoni Jaguar Mk II

26

Brandolin/Peruzzo Jaguar XK 140 DHC

28

Heyde/Lafleur Mercedes 300 SL

29

Massara/Schira Austin Healey 100/6

30

Balestrieri/Colzani MG TD

31

Harding/Thompson Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

32

Faletti/Sirtori Lancia Aurelia B24 S

33

Gandolfi/Gandolfi Lancia Aurelia B24 S

34

Stueken/Stueken Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

35

Caldini/Bianchi Lancia Aurelia B24 S

36

Chevillat/Chevillat Lancia Aurelia B20

37

Genovese/Patrizio Lancia Aurelia B20 Sport

39

Pandolfo/Posamai Jaguar XK 150 DHC

41

Rossi/Lattanzi Lancia Flaminia Coupe

42

Falcioni/Bevilacqua Lancia Aurelia B20 GT 2000

43

Aliventi/Antinori Lancia Aurelia B20 S

44

Costa/Facci Fiat 8V Vignale 000046

45

Corra/Corra Lancia Aurelia B20 GT 2000

46

Daisaku/Yusuke Giaur 750 Sport

48

Häring/Häring MG J4

49

Barvas/Grossi Alfa Romeo Giulietta SV

50

Berti/Paladin Lancia Flaminia Touring Spyder

51

Bottos/Bottos MG TD Sport

52

Pedrini/Roma Alfa Romeo 1750 Leontina

53

Imbert/Garolla Ferrari 250 GT/L 5209

55

Mergard/Mergard Ferrari 250 TR 0720TR

56

Moebus/Schmidt Ferrari 212 Export Touring 0084E

57

Busch/Huenerth Ferrari 166 MM Touring 0068M

59

X/X Aston Martin DB 3S Coupe 120

60

Belavitis/Martin Jaguar XK 120

61

Fontanella/Hofman Lancia Aurelia B20 S

62

Orlandini/Torricelli Jaguar XK 120 DHC

63

Odonti/Visentin Healey Silverstone

64

Galassi/Dal Pont Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet S2

67

Orlandi/Pontiroli Jaguar E-Type 3.8

68

Stove/Borsari Mercedes 230 SL

81

Zampieri/Guerrato Austin Healey 100/6

82

Trevisan/Trevisan Fiat Dino Spyder

83

Michieletto/Vendramin Austin Healey 100/6

85

Clerici/Clerici Lancia Aurelia B20

88

Caprioglio/Caprioglio Lancia Aurelia Sport Vignale

89

Marchesi/Stringhini Ferrari 365 GT 4 BB 17269



I can’t await next year’s Coppa d’Oro !