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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. |