Keeping it Classy at the Coppa Gentlemen Sardi

We recently had the great fortune of taking part in the Giro di Sicilia on the beautiful island of Sicily and so enamoured were we with the rally on the ball to Italy’s boot that we decided to sample another of her islands as we participated in our very own Bentley in the Coppa Gentlemen Sardi (Sardinian Gentlemen’s Cup), the next event in the excellent ASI Circuito Tricolore program sponsored by Car & Classic taking place in and around Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, Italy’s second largest island after Sicily.

I spy – Our lorry for some reason was placed on the car deck

Whilst it feels like quite a remote place to visit, there are frequent ferries that sail from Livorno and Civitavecchia (near Rome) but that’s not to say it wasn’t a bit of an adventure loading a 100-year-old car onto! This year’s rally started in Tortolì, a couple of hours of stunning coastal route from Cagliari, so we headed up there bleary eyed after our overnight crossing.

Car & Classic representing with the Italian actress Sara Ricci, “Godmother” of the event

Tortoli is home to some of the most stunning beaches in Italy (and Italy has a lot of stunning beaches) and first stop was the local fisherman’s cooperative restaurant where a strict diet of copious amounts of fresh fried fish was imposed – we didn’t manage to finish but what we did eat was truly excellent.

There was an eclectic mix of 75 cars on display, from pre-war Italas to modern Ferraris and pretty much everything in between. The people’s vote, held in Tortoli on the Friday afternoon, saw the Italian favourite Lancia Delta Integrale take the win.

Some Italian road rallies can be a little exhausting but Saturday was a relaxing affair that allowed us time to visit some local historical sites before taking a boat trip to soak up some more of Italy’s most beautiful beaches, including Cala Goloritze and the award-winning Cala Mariolu – eat your heart out Maldives. The beachy fun was a welcome alternative to pounding out 500km a day as is the case with some rallies of this type so credit to the Associazione Automoto d’Epoca Sardegna who organised the event.

Maximum security at Mariolu beach

On Sunday we got to the meat and potatoes with the main driving route – a 150km passage through the mountains of inner Sardinia and back up to Cagliari. We found ourselves in a (fairly well matched) race with a 1930 Itala 65S with its revvy six-cylinder twin cam keeping up with our torquey 3/4.5-litre Bentley which added a little extra (and very welcome) spice to the drive.

With historic motorsport very much a part of the culture in Italy (and understandably so) we were warmly welcomed by the mayors of the towns en route as we wound our way along, sampling local wines and interesting cheeses, all the while seeing an alternative but equally stunning side to Sardinia than the usual beach holiday experience.

A worthy adversary – the Itala 65S

As with many Italian rallies the Polizia were in attendance with some vehicles from their historic fleet, including a stunning Willys Jeep that had previously been used for riot control. Thankfully its original services weren’t required for this year’s Gentlemen’s Cup. Everyone was very well behaved.

The Polizia’s Riot Jeep. Credit: Polizia di Stato

A number of the Italian police forces – including Padova and Cagliari – run a historic fleet to celebrate their histories and both were in attendance. Probably not something you’re going to see getting through UK tender processes though!

The rally ended in Cagliari with prize giving in the stunning mayoral offices at the town hall. The Coppa is part of the ASI Circuito Tricolore, the series of 18 selected events by Automotoclub Storico Italiano that take place in the whole country throughout the year. We are proud to be one of their main sponsors and at every event we assign a Car & Classic prize to a particularly significant historic vehicle; this time the winner was a 1930 Ford Model A, an incredibly well kept example proudly owned by a couple of young petrolheads.

Although not the highest mileage rally out there (albeit we put in a solid 1000km. including our trips to and from the ferry), the Coppa Gentlemen Sardi is a superb way to see an alternative Sardinia, away of from the usual tourist hotspots. As ever Italian towns gladly open their doors to classics, welcoming parking in central piazza’s and greeting the cars and drivers in droves.

It’s truly wonderful to see automotive heritage is still very much celebrated and welcomed all over the country, even on the islands. Associazione Automoto d’Epoca Sardegna president Alessandro Casciu and his team did a cracking job of planning and organising the event and we’ll definitely be adding the Coppa Gentlemen Sardi to our list for next year!