Centenary of the Monza Circuit ... FIAT receives an award for victory in the first Italian Grand Prix contested there


 

Monza, 9th September, 2022

The Monza Circuit is turning 100, as the third oldest racetrack in the world still in use, and the oldest in Europe.



A packed schedule of events is lined up to commemorate this milestone, at which over 300,000 visitors are expected next weekend. The Municipality of Monza is also holding a series of historical events, including a celebration of the brands – cars and motorbikes alike – that took part in the first Grand Prix contested on the Monza circuit a century ago. The honor of taking to the top step of the podium among the cars falls to FIAT, for its 6-cylinder 804 driven by Pietro Bordino (September 10th, 1922).

Equipped with a 95-hp 2.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine paired with four-speed manual transmission, the FIAT 804 could reach a top speed of 170 km/h and was very difficult to drive as a result of its limited weight (650 kg). Even so, Bordino managed to tame the car's power, increased for this race to 112 hp. It went on to rack up a clear win over the other competitors.

This victory will be recalled the evening of Friday, September 9th in Monza’s main square, with a ceremony in which Pietro Maria Meda – Vice-President of ACI Milano and President of EICMA – will hand over a commemorative plaque to representatives of the Heritage department.



A stamp has also been issued by Poste Italiane to celebrate, with a reproduction of a work by the British designer Michael Turner, depicting a point in the race when the FIAT 804 – in the foreground – was speeding down the straight flanked by the stands.