1933 TARGA FLORIO TROPHY won by Antonio Brivio on Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 “Monza”

Rare Bronze Plaque signed Dropsy.

Size 54x41.5 cm Mahogany and Brass Frame 78x59 cm

Targa Florio was created by Vincenzo Florio, a Sicilian automobile enthusiast and brother of Ignazio Florio Jr. The winner received the famous trophy: a gold Targa (“targa” means “plate” in Italian) engraved by the artist Frenchman René Lalique showing a racing car against a backdrop of the Sicilian landscape.

The first edition took place on May 6, 1906 in three laps of a loop of approximately 150 km. Ten competitors took the start and it was Alessandro Cagno who won at the wheel of his Itala at an average of 46.8 km/h.

The second edition took place in April 1907 with fifty registrations. It was Felice Nazzaro on a Fiat who won at an average of 54 km/h.

After mixed success, in 1911 it became the 1000 km Tour of Sicily. Initially a single stage, it was divided into two stages in 1913: Palermo-Agrigento and Agrigento-Palermo.

From 1922 to 1924, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz competed for first place. From 1925 to 1928, it was a Bugatti parenthesis then the return of Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. A slow loss of interest in the route began until the Second World War.

It was in 1951 that the Targa regained its glory on the classic course with duels between Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari. In 1955, the race was included in the official calendar of the World Championship, in the same way as the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the 1000 km of Monza. The lap average then reached 122.5 km/h in 1972.

This race has not been part of the world championship for brands since 1973. It will no longer be run after the 1977 edition, the date on which the race will be banned, following the exit of the road of a car which mowed down a group of spectators. A rally event and a historic event nevertheless continue to be organized each year.

Finally, during its three-quarters of a century of existence, run by the biggest automobile brands1, it became one of the legendary races in motor racing.

Vincenzo Florio, an avid motorist whose wealth came from the growing and processing of grapes to produce Marsala wine, sponsored the Coppa Florio Cup at Brescia beginning in 1904 and the Targa Florio series of races over various long circuits around the island of Sicily beginning in
1906. Florio sought artists to create appropriate trophies for the races and the first Coppa Florio trophy commission was given to Polak Aine .

While the first Targa Florio trophy was commissioned to Réne Lalique. Lalique created a rectangular "targa" plaque, the word used in Italy for the "license plate" on motor vehicles. areHis work depicted the race car with driver and mechanic in bas relief speeding down a road bordered by wildflowers, underneath a flock of swallows.

The flowers and bird were highlighted with
enamels. Lalique produced the plaques until 1907 when his
artistic interest turned to glass.

Beginning in 1908, the plaques were designed and cast by Cambellotti, who produced the third-place prize won by Bordino in 1924 (left) and who continued to produce plaques until 1925.
The honor was then passed to Dropsy, who produced his first plaque for the race of 1926 (right), which was won by Costantini in a Type-35 Bugatti.
Bugatti cars also took second and third.

Dropsy captured the movement of man, machine and animal as they pass through the environment at speed.

He studied under Thomas, Patey and Injalbert, all prominent artists in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He was later a member of the Society of the Institute of French Artists and was knighted in the French Legion of Honor.

24^ TARGA FLORIO
28 maggio 1933

1
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#8) - MARCHESE ANTONIO "TONINO" BRIVIO
KM. 504,000
PICCOLO CIRCUITO IN 6H. 35' 06" 76,536 KMH. 7 GIRI - PART. 14 CLASSIFICATI 5

2
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#4) - RENATO BALESTRERO
3
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#5) - GUGLIELMO CARRAROLI
4
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#12) - CARLO GAZZABINI
5
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#9) - REMO D'ALESSIO
ftm
BUGATTI TYPE 37 (#1) - LETTERIO PICCOLO CUCINOTTA
rit
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#11) - LILLO NAPOLI
rit
ALFA ROMEO 6C 2300 (#7) - GIUSEPPE VIRGILIO
rit
ALFA ROMEO 6C 1750 (#3) - N. LO BUE
rit
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#13) - PIETRO GHERSI
rit
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2600 (#10) - BACONIN BORZACCHINI GIRO VELOCE
rit
BUGATTI TYPE 37 (#2) - AGOSTINO GIARDINA
rit
BUGATTI TYPE 35 C (#14) - FRANCESCO TOIA
rit
ALFA ROMEO 8C 2300 (#6) - COSTANTINO MAGISTRI
np
BUGATTI (#?) - CASANO

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