The Winter Marathon is the most important winter event dedicated to historic cars in the Italian Automobile Club calendar. It marks the beginning of a new year dedicated to the competitions reserved for classics. And compared to the others, the Winter Marathon has an extra ingredient: its unique route.
More than 270 miles through nine mountain passes, with magnificent scenery and incredible UNESCO heritage site views, the 29th Winter Marathon started with 106 cars built before 1968, plus a few exceptional historical and collectible models produced by 1976.
The long Winter Marathon weekend started on Thursday January 19 with technical testing of the 110 cars entered, while in the evening at the Trofeo APT reserved to the first 32 registered cars, the winner was the crew of Alexander and Francesca Molgora, driving a 1954 Triumph TR2
On Friday at 2am from Madonna di Campiglio the race itself began. The UBI trophy; the essence of the Winter Marathon.
Twelve hours of driving, interrupted only by a brief stop at 9pm, witnessed Alberto Aliverti and Alberto Maffi, of the Franciacorta Team in a 1937 Fiat 508 C with 277 penalty, take the finishing line first, repeating the success achieved in 2015.
Second place went instead to Andrea Belometti and Emanuele Peli on a sportif 1932 Fiat Siata 508 S Balilla Sport of the Loro Piana Classic Team, which also includes the third classified, Luca Patron and Massimo Danilo Casale on a Bentley 3-litre of 1925, the oldest car at the start of this year.
The Winter Marathon also saw its share of dropouts, mainly due to mechanical failures, including a Lancia Aprilia of 1939, and a 1967 Fulvia Coupé 1.3 Rally, while an error in the road book interpretation finished the chances of one of the favourite teams that finished third in 2016.
There were two camps of competitors in the Winter Marathon teams: the lucky and the brave. The former were given this name precisely because they had the good fortune to run in closed cars, and the latter on cars without a roof, facing the cold night on the 2,239m Passo Pordoi and the 2,240m of the Passo Sella.
Around 40 per cent of this year’s route was changed from previously, and received excellent feedback from the participants. Saturday’s activities on the frozen lake, reserved for pre-war cars (Trophy Ma-Fra) and the first 32 classified (Trophy Eberhard), which was dominated for the third consecutive year by Di Pietra team on a stunning 1938 Fiat 508 C, were also successful.
The Eberhard Trpphy, names after the famous Swiss watchmaker, which was among the main sponsors as well as official time keeper of the Winter Marathon, was won by runners Belometti-Peli, followed by two Porsche 356 C Coupe won a Tazio Nuvolari collection watch.
The Winter Marathon Eberhard & Co was also in the race as a factory team, with a beautiful Lancia Flavia Coupe 1.3 S Safari of 1976, driven by brand ambassador and world rally champion in 1988 and 1989, Miki Biasion, who said: “What a big difference between the rally and regularity races!”
Another main sponsor of the Winter Marathon is Porsche, with Porsche Center Brescia, who participated in the race with a car, a beautiful Porsche 911 S 1968 with an unmistakable yellow livery. Porsche has always been among the most prolific brands at the event along with Volvo, with the P1800, Fiat and Lancia.
The Winter Marathon made a unique event of its kind. The awakening from the winter slumber– an event that dispels the myth of historic cars in the garage, covered and resting until the summer. This awakening, reserved for classics, is now such a spectacle that it is becoming increasingly popular among the public. #CuNextYear!
Photo credit: Winter Marathon – Pierpaolo Romano
![Comunque il #BlueMonday non esiste.
Al massimo il Blu infinito della MC20 che credo sia la miglior supercar provata. 🔵🔵
[w/ @bridgestoneeurope @bridgestonetires]
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