#GiroDiSicilia

The Giro di Sicilia was a significant Italian road race held in Sicily over different historical periods. The first editions took place from 1912 to 1914, organized by the Automobile Club of Sicily as a long-distance endurance trial around the island. After a long hiatus, the race was revived in the post-war period, running from 1948 to 1957. During this second phase, from 1948 to 1950, the Giro di Sicilia was merged with the Targa Florio, adopting a 1,080 km route that circumnavigated the entire island—making it one of the longest and most demanding road races in Europe at the time. A notable event occurred during the 1950 edition, which featured top drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari, Alberto Ascari, and Clemente Biondetti. Despite these favorites, the race was unexpectedly won by the Bornigia brothers, Mario and Franco, who drove an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione. They completed the course in 12 hours, 26 minutes, and 33 seconds, at an average speed of 86.799 km/h—an impressive result given the road conditions and mechanical demands. A dramatic and tragic incident marked the 1957 edition when driver Gigi Olivari lost his life in a crash near Modica. This fatal accident, along with other tragedies from that period—most notably the 1957 Mille Miglia—amplified public and governmental concern about the dangers of high-speed racing on open public roads. These events contributed to the progressive discontinuation of many classic road races in Italy. In 1958, the final edition of the Giro di Sicilia was held in a different format: a regularity rally with sections including uphill speed trials. This structure conformed to new national regulations aimed at restricting competitive high-speed racing on public roads, signaling the end of the traditional era of open-road endurance events in Sicily.

We'll tell the story of this event on the occasion of its anniversary or when it will reach a sufficient number of cars.

If you would like to share your knowledge and archive, click on the banner JOIN THE LAB - HELP US TO IMPROVE & COMPLETE THE INFORMATION.

The census of all the cars related to this topic is in progress.