A Fitting Finale – The Gran Tour dell’Elba
October 11, 2024
Forget the Grand Tour, it’s all about the Gran Tour dell’Elba, and the final stage of the ASI Circuito Tricolore could only be on the Island of Elba, given that it was, until now, the only strip of land in the country still untouched by this magnificent series of historic motorsport events. Created by the ASI Automotoclub Storico Italiano (the national association which certifies historic vehicles) and proudly sponsored by Car & Classic, this year – from April to today – the series has been made up of 18 events developed by 18 federated clubs of the association throughout the Peninsula.
Even the so-called “minor” islands like Elba; 224 km² of quiet and wild beauty off the coast of Tuscany which hosted Napoleon in exile. It’s also a treasure chest full of passion for classic cars and bikes, so much so that the Il Balestrero club of Lucca, one of the largest in Italy, led by its legendary president Renzo Cardini, organizes the Elba Grand Tour every year, whose 2024 edition closed the Tricolore Circuit in style over the weekend from the 4th to the 6th of October.
But autumn, as we well know as Brits, can be rather capricious when it comes to the weather and it was a bit of a damp start for the participants of the gathering as the heavens opened up delivering a deluge of torrential rain that lasted for about two hours. This “water bomb” was probably triggered by a wave of jealousy on the Island of Elba, which for the first day of the rally had to give way to the nearby island of Pianosa, a particular highlight of the Tour. The weekend program began with a visit to the small island of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, a paradise with an uncontaminated appearance which hosted an extreme security prison until 1998, which, by keeping it inaccessible, contributed to preserving the nature of the place.
Even now it’s not possible to dock independently on the island since it is inhabited by semi-free prisoners, so it’s not every day that you can go and see it. Luckily, the rest of Friday was dry and even sunny, so the visit to the island, with all its richness of biodiversity, was as pleasant as it should have been.
The main destination the following day was the splendid Tenuta delle Ripalte, a panoramic country resort in a natural oasis which the 85 crews reached by a coastal road called “Seagulls Coast”. After a lunch, washed down with Aleatico, a typical Elba wine, the next stop was a little more adventurous – an abandoned iron mine, which is actually a pretty common feature in the rocks of the Island. Elba is a small green land with the same colours and olive trees as the rest of Tuscany but with mountains instead of hills, wild goats that climb there and quiet bays that lie at your feet. This is why every year so many aficionados never miss an edition of the Grand Tour, and it’s in the midst of these landscapes, travelling along the most evocative roads of the island (170 km this year), that you get to enjoy the drive and face the precision tests of the event. After all, the aim of the ASI Circuito Tricolore is precisely to promote knowledge and appreciation of the best of the Italian territories behind the wheel of historic cars.
As always, we awarded a particularly historically significant car with our coveted Car & Classic Trophy. And as always it wasn’t easy, because the Gran Tour dell’Elba participants, all rigorously ASI certified, were simply stunning. It was the last prize awarded but at the same time also the first, because for the first time it was awarded to a masterpiece from the Casa del Biscione: the stupendous 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS by Dino Barbieri. During this long journey which was the ASI Circuito Tricolore we awarded four Lancias, two Maseratis, two Fiats, one of which was a Fiat-Siata, a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing imported in Italy from Cuba in pieces aver a period of 20 years, and a Ford.
Among these, there are four pre-war and two magnificent handcrafted racers: a Giaur (a brand originated by the merger of Taraschi and the Roman company Giannini) with which none other than one of the most famous Italian women drivers, Maria, had raced at the time, a De Filippi, and a freshly restored Fiat Pasqualin/Giannini 750 Sport.
So as the curtain falls on the Gran Tour dell’Elba and this year’s ASI Circuito Tricolore, we finally have a chance to reflect on just how amazing the entire experience has been and we urge anyone with even a passing interest in historic and classic vehicles to get involved next year. Trust us, you will not be disappointed. Ciao for now!
Photos by Ph René
