STORY OF THE DAY: Nuvolari Commands the Madonie

Tazio Nuvolari won the 23rd Targa Florio in Scuderia Ferrari’s number 10 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza. The race covered eight laps and 576 kilometres of Sicily’s 72-kilometre Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie. Nuvolari completed the distance in 7 hours 15 minutes 50.6 seconds, set the fastest lap and led an Alfa Romeo one-two ahead of Baconin Borzacchini; the Chiron and Varzi Bugatti finished third.

Nuvolari controlled the race from the opening lap and remained in front throughout, an exceptional performance on a course where changing road surfaces, mountain gradients and traffic continually tested concentration. His fastest lap of 52 minutes 56.6 seconds underlined the pace of the drive. The victory fulfilled the expectation surrounding the defending winner and reinforced his momentum in a season that would culminate in the 1932 European Drivers’ Championship.

The Monza was the short-wheelbase competition development of Vittorio Jano’s Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. Its 2,336cc supercharged straight-eight used two four-cylinder blocks with a central gear train serving the overhead camshafts and ancillaries. A strong ladder frame, light open bodywork and flexible engine delivery made the car particularly effective on the Madonie, where acceleration, braking stability and durability mattered as much as maximum speed.

Tazio Nuvolari was an Italian from Mantua who progressed from championship-level motorcycle competition to become Scuderia Ferrari’s outstanding early star. He had given the team its first outright victory in 1930 and won the Targa Florio for the first time in 1931. His repeat triumph in 1932 combined speed with sustained precision, qualities that made him uniquely formidable on Sicily’s long and unforgiving road circuit.