Castell´Arquato, 28th-30th of June
Every year the small village of Castell´Arquato and the road up the
hill to Vernasca are setting for the Vernasca Silver Flag. The
traditional hill climb was part of the Italian hill climb championship
in the 1950s and 1960s before reappearing in the mid-nineties as
a historic car event. Now in its 18th edition this weekend became
a fixed date in the classic car calendar for those who love to drive
their cars rather than just show them and although growing over
all these years the event kept an character that was described by
a regular entrant as “refreshing amateurish” in the best possible
sense. Unlike many huge commercial events in the summer
season dominated by main sponsors, professional organisation
teams and media crowd the Vernasca Silver Flag is organized by
the passionate Piacenza Historic Car & Motorcycle Club for like-
minded to enjoy a weekend in comfortable ambience and as the
three runs up the hill are not timed there is not even a sporting
ambition the driving force of the participants but just the fun of it.
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On Friday afternoon the registration takes place at the “centre” of
Castell´Arquato, for the next three days the small parking lot
becomes the paddocks, the papers could be collected under the
banner of the event in a small tent in a lovely alley. As (including
some support cars and a parade of Porsche 911) more than 200
cars had to find a place in the centre the paddocks were
extended to the piazza in front of one of very few hotels in the
village, the Hotel Leon D´Oro is the place to stay for the regular
entrants who tend to book their room years in advance. When
talking to the concierge of the hotel he pointed out that they have
almost every year the same guests but always with different cars,
this year the line-up in front of the entrance was a row of four early
racing Ferrari. Three 12 cylinder Ferrari from the 1950s and a 500
Mondial were set up in the sun that just came out this afternoon
after a few cloudy days. All the three 12 cylinder started life
bodied by Touring and whereas the two cars with the consecutive
number, the 212 Export (0112E) and the 340 America (0114A)
still have their Berlinetta and Barchetta body the third one (0102E)
became famous as movie car at “The Racers” starring Kirk
Douglas. For the movie it was rebodied by Autodromo with a new
body, after a restoration a few years ago it was seen in this
configuration at various events including the 2009 Mille Miglia
where it was parked alongside the second car of the movie.
Two more Ferrari could be admired over the road with a 250 GT
SWB (replica) and the 166P/206P Prototype (0834). The later
could look back on a long racing history starting as a 166P
Berlinetta in long distance races including the 1000km at Monza
and the Nürburgring plus an unsuccessful outing at Le Mans in
1965 before it was converted to a 206P to be run in the European
hill climb championship giving Ludovico Scarfiotti the title at the
end of the year. In the next years it ran no less than three times
the Targa Florio finishing 4th in 1967 in the hands of Vittorio
Venturi and Jonathan Williams. The Vernasca Silver Flag saw the
reunion of the car with Williams after 46 years, Williams took
place on the small passenger seat on the last of the three runs up
the hill.
The main rival of the 1950s, the marque with the trident was
represented by four cars of this era with a Maserati 300 S (1840),
a A6 GCS, a 150 S (1659) and a 200S (2402) plus a 1933 8 CM
(3015) remembering that Maserati was already successful before
the war.
But it was not just Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo holding up
the Italian flag in the years after the war but numerous small
displacement cars built by enthusiasts and small companies.
Most of these barchettas and single seaters were based on parts
of the mass production Fiat and built around light chassis with
spartan aluminium body to compete in the smaller race car
classes with huge success. Due to the ending “ini” (the Italian
diminutive) these popular racers are today known as the
Etceterini, names included Ermini, Stanguellini, Bandini or Siata.
Many of these cars could be seen every year at the Mille Miglia
and this year's Vernasca Silver Flag had them as main theme
after Abarth, Ferrari and “Best of British” in previous editions. No
less than 37 examples were entered in the class “piccolo bolidi,
grandi passioni” (small racers, great passion), most of them for
sure in Italian racing red. Beside the more common names
mentioned above Gilco, Giaur, Taraschi or Volpini might by
unknown to some of the spectators who lined up mainly at the
start in Castell´Arquato during the weekend. It is always a
pleasure to see the enthusiasm of the drivers and co-drivers in
these very small cars waving and smiling all the way up the hill
and one can hardly imagine what it means to ride for 1000 miles
under these circumstances.
Further classes included the Tourismo class with several Alfa
Romeo GTA, the Gran Tourismo featuring some Abarth, the
Ferrari Export, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and TZ1 but also Lancia
Rally and Stratos and a Porsche 935 Fabcar. The sports car
class saw the Jaguar, Maserati and Lotus from the 1950s and
early 1960s, the Prototype class McLaren, Chevron, Porsche and
Abarth followed by single seaters and pre-war cars.
The pre-war cars included several Bugatti going up the hill in very
different speed, whereas some were more touristic others took
the hairpins in full drift. Two Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 with beautiful
coachwork by Zagato and Castagna were followed by some fast
blown MG. The two last cars were a duo of Fiat 501 from the
1920s and these were by far the slowest car taking the hill in a
low gear to get to the top.
Fortunately the weather forecast was wrong this weekend with
predicted low temperatures and barely sun. Even the opening
dinner was relocated to the inside as the traditionally intended
location at the archaeological area of Velleia Romana was
expected to be too cold that evening but during the Friday
afternoon the sun was out and especially the Sunday was very
pleasant both for the drivers waiting in their cars at the start and
the spectators.
The weekend ended Sunday afternoon after the last climb up the
hill with a lunch taken on top of Vernasca overlooking the entire
area with a great visibility. The lunch taken under the tent on ale-
benches showed once more that most of the owners and drivers
of these cars do not need a high-toned setting to enjoy
themselves as long as the atmosphere is friendly and the day
could be spent with like-minded. The event is a very familiar one
with most entrants knowing each other for years and most of
them certainly will come back as long as it is kept down-to-earth.
But also for the spectators the Vernasca Silver Flag was again a
very interesting weekend with cars spanning 7 decades ranging
from the small Peugeot Bebé to a duo of Lancia Rally Group B
and one can be curious what feature we will see next year and
what cars the regular entrants will bring along.
Report & images ... Peter Singhof www.classiccarphotography.de
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