Phil Hill left, and Paolo Marzotto attended the 2002 Coppa d’Oro della Dolomiti.
Stories and photos by Alessandro Gerelli
Alessandro began attending the famous Coppa d’Oro events in the 1980s, when the first retro events were organized. He first reported on the event for VeloceToday 14 years ago in 2002, shortly after we began publishing weekly. Since then he has attended twelve times, right up to this year’s edition. We thought it might be appropriate to show a few images from each year and provide a link to the entire report. Click on the year to read the report. Editor.
Since 1972, a new competition has been organized as a revival of the Coppa d’Oro: it is a vintage rally, with a very low imposed speed and reserved for Sport and GT cars built from the 1940s to the 1960s.
In 2002 therefore there were two significant celebrations: 30 years of the Revival and 50 years since the Ferrari’s victory. The biggest surprise was the presence of Phil Hill, the unforgettable Formula 1 world champion in 1961 with Ferrari. Hill paid a lot of attention to all the participants and told a few interesting anecdotes about his career. Also on hand were Paolo Marzotto and Maria Teresa De Filippis, who was the first woman to drive a formula 1 car in 1958, gaining a 10th place in Spa Gran Prix with a Maserati 250F.
The outstanding 1952 Lancia Aurelia B52 Vignale Coupe entered by CAPRIOGLIO/POGGI.
Like the original events, the drivers were mainly Italians with only few exceptions (Japan, Germany, Netherlands and Montecarlo). The event winner, Mr. Canè together with Mrs. Galliani, drove a stunning BMW 328 of 1938; Canè is a well known Italian driver who has won all what can be won in the historic car races including the Mille Miglia.
Culled from the Alfa Museum, this is a prototype sports racer based on the Giulietta. The official name was the Competition 750, and had a 1300 Giulietta engine increased to 1500cc. Only two were built and neither was ever raced.
Not as strict as the organizers of the Mille Miglia, the more open Coppa Retro allows cars to run which were not in production during the years of the event. This allows nice collectables like this Lancia Appia Zagato to get some road time.
2007 celebrates the 60th birthday of Ferrari, of myself and the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti. The Coppa is held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a wonderful mountain small city in Italy, 160 kilometers north of Venice.
The first edition was organized on July 20th 1947: 308 kilometers across the Alps and Dolomites with a top altitude of 2239 meters at the Pordoi pass. For this reason the race was immediately nicknamed the “Alpine Mille Miglia”. 118 cars were at the start and only 74 arrived back to at Cortina. The winner was Salvatore Ammendola with an Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 at an average speed of about 77 kilometers per hour.
The race was stopped in 1957 because all road races in Italy were prohibited after the terrible accident at the Mille Miglia.
The cars now all arrive in huge trucks, but we wonder if this is keeping things in the proper perspective.
Ermini engine is built from unique castings.
This year’s Coppa D’Oro delle Dolomiti as seen by the camera of Alessandro Gerelli.
Fiat Jolly being jolly.
A Stanguellini 1100 sport of 1947.
All photos by Alessandro Gerelli. Names at end of captions are the entrants as listed in the program.
Umberto Marzotto was present at the prize giving. He was a participant during the 1950s.
Fiat 1100 S (1947).
1962 Lancia Flamina Sport Zagato.
Entrants at the Coppa D’Oro digitized by Alessandro Gerelli.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTC 1965 Viola-Viola (Italy).
Ferrari 375 MM 1953 Gnutti-Pozzi (Italy).
A look at some of the cars entered in this year’s Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti.
Fiat Abarth 750GT Zagato.
GNUTTI/POZZI Ferrari 340 America,1951.
A very rainy edition of the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti in Cortina d’Ampezzo witnessed the victory of Canè Galliani in both the events.
Giannini 750, built in 1937, (Gobbi/Piardi).
1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Castagna (Harris/De Vos).
Giuliano Canè is an Italian driver who has won many historical Mille Miglia and seven editions of the Coppa d’Oro. In an interview with a local newspaper, he said that the Coppa d’Oro in the 90s was at the same level as the Mille Miglia in terms of number of participants and even more qualified for drivers and cars.
A view of the mountains near Cortina and the Osca 372 FS.
Fiat 508 S Balilla Sport.
The Coppa d’Oro for historic cars has usually been held at the end of August, but for organizational reasons, it has been moved to mid-July.
The result was gorgeous from the weather point of view, and all the participants enjoyed the wonderful sights of the Dolomites, going from Cortina to Merano and then back to Cortina going up and down through many “Passi Dolomitici”.
The sole Bugatti in the wonderful environment of Corvara in Alta Badia.
The Bugatti T37 gets underway.
This year’s edition of the “Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti” held near Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy) had regulations that admitted cars built from 1919 till 1961, plus an additional class for cars from 1962 to 1965 with particular merits.
Lancia Aprilia Sport 1947.
Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Spider 1957 driven by the famous driver Arturo Merzario for the first time at the Coppa d’Oro.
For the twelfth time in fourteen years, Alessandro Gerelli has covered the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti from Cortina, Italy, beginning in 2002.
Maserati 176? GLS, 1954.
Delahaye 135S, 1937.