STORY OF THE DAY: Von Trips and Hawthorn Win in Sicily

On 11 May 1958, Wolfgang von Trips and Mike Hawthorn won the Targa Florio in the number 102 Ferrari 250 TR. Their victory on Sicily’s Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie gave Ferrari a major result in one of the most arduous rounds of the World Sportscar Championship.

The Targa demanded repeated negotiation of mountain bends, villages, rough surfaces and dramatic elevation changes. Von Trips and Hawthorn combined speed with the restraint required to preserve the Testa Rossa through hours of constant acceleration and braking, overcoming rivals whose smaller cars were naturally agile on the narrow course.

The 250 TR combined a tubular chassis with a front-mounted three-litre Colombo V12. Its open bodywork, broad power delivery and proven durability made it a versatile endurance racer. The car’s relatively modest engine capacity also helped balance performance, fuel use and handling on Sicily’s intensely varied roads.

Von Trips was a German Ferrari works driver developing into a leading Formula One competitor. Hawthorn was a British Grand Prix star, a Le Mans winner and the future 1958 Formula One world champion. Their shared victory joined two exceptionally quick drivers at contrasting stages of distinguished Ferrari careers.