Client Ferrari SpA
Location On the road, from Palermo and in a lap of Sicily
Typology of the project and activity Automotive - Car Race Management - Coordination, Organisation and Production - Organisational secretariat and Costumer Relation Management - Partnership and comarketing management
Objectives
- To strengthen the value and identity of the brand through an event unlike any other in the world
- To help Ferrari clients relive the legend and historic tradition of the oldest race in the world: a race that wrote the epic pages of Italy's motor racing and sport history
- To engage the global Ferrari community in the brand's history: with 7 overall wins, the Maranello company claims third place in the rankings for most victories at the Targa
- To win the loyalty of clients of the Maranello company, welcoming both modern and classic Ferrari models so as to fulfil the dreams of countless Ferrari collectors all over the world
Strategic guidelines
The Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio project - a regularity rally open only to classic and modern Ferraris, which travels the Circuito delle Madonie (the Circuit of the Madonie) and a lap of Sicily - represents a client relations event of great importance to Ferrari, which turns to its top clients to both please them and confirm the pre-eminence of the Maranello company's story.
Action
As part of the Eco Targa Florio event, classic and modern Ferraris preceded the cars of the Eco Targa Florio Classic along the famous Circuito delle Madonie and in a lap of Sicily. The competition's route touched down in some of the island's most beautiful, evocative sites: in three days, the Ferraris travelled over 800 kilometres, passing through 64 towns. Competitors were challenged in 40 timed trials, 16 time controls, and 10 checkpoints.
The race was preceded by an opening dinner in the extensive park of Villa Malfitano Whitaker in Palermo, famous for its 16th century Neoclassical style. The following day, participants registered and submitted their vehicles to technical inspections: the true competition began in the early afternoon. After parading through Floriopoli, the historic starting point located in Cerda and a place that witnessed the birth and growth of today's motor racing legends, the Ferraris then launched into an intense three-day race. Straight onto the Piccolo Circolo delle Madonie in the direction of Ragusa Ibla, the finish line of the first stage: the route included the Pergusa Circuit and a special stop in Piazza Armerina for a private visit to Villa Romana del Casale and its mosaics, a UNESCO world heritage site. The second stage travelled the Ragusa-Taormina leg with a stop for lunch in the centre of Catania: in the heart of the city, at the University Rector's Office, the crews were welcomed by teams of flag throwers, crowds of admirers, and important institutional figures. Then it was back to more curves, those of Mount Etna all the way to the Sapienza refuge and returning to the sea at Taormina: the car's arrival and parade took place along the centrally-located Corso Umberto I, followed by an exclusive dinner at the renowned Ristorante Baronessa. The final stage brought the crews back to Palermo, by way of Bronte, Acquedolci, and Cefalù. At the end of the last trial, participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves fully in the history of the Targa Florio with a special visit to the Targa Florio Collesano Museum, home to a considerable, evocative collection of photos, rare documentaries, artefacts, and relics from the car race competed on the most difficult, captivating road of all time. Lastly, the finish line in Piazza Politeama in Palermo and the parade of each car and the crews on board concluded the event. The great Nino Vaccarella, a driver who left his mark in the race's hall of fame with three overall wins, took part in the event aboard a 2010 Ferrari California. It was in 1965 aboard a Ferrari 275 P2 that 'the professor', teamed with Lorenzo Bandini, won the Targa Florio for the first time.
The Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio was won by Verghini-Fuso at the wheel of a 1992 Ferrari 512 Tr: the crew was presented with their award in front of all the participants in the striking setting of Castello Utveggio, an Art Nouveau jewel of Palermo located on the promontory of Monte Pellegrino, ('the most beautiful promontory in the world,' as Goethe described it in his famous 'Italian Journey').
The numbers
- 44 competing cars selected, built between 1958 and 2011
- 22 different models
- 15 countries represented
- 18 Italian crews
- 26 foreign crews
- 100 personnel, between staff, timekeepers, and technicians
- 30 designated personnel for mounting stages, completing registrations, and distributing materials
- 231,913 total visitors to the website - www.ecotargaflorio.com
- 82,200 results in 0.22 seconds on Google using the search terms Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio
