Thanks to Les, Lucy & Ray Bayliss, their friend Patrick, also Ken Cooke of 750MC for the following article:
In 1906, inspired by the great road races of the early part of the century a wealthy Sicilian, Vincenzo Florio, instructed a Parisian goldsmith to prepare a solid gold plate - a Targa - as a prize for a motor race to be held in Sicily. The race was to be the ultimate test of man and machine, contested over 277 miles of winding mountain roads, unsurfaced and unguarded rising from sea level to 3670 ft and back again. An additional hazard for the first drivers to practice on the course was what they described as " sniper fire" ! Cavaliere Florio sent for the three principal Brigands of the island and nominated them "Stewards of the Meeting" and sent them back to the mountains with instructions that his guests should suffer no more harassment. The order held good for all the following races. With support from works teams, the race caught the public imagination and was held annually over similar courses. Florio himself competed in his race, the best result he achieved was 2nd. In the Voiturette class driving a single cylinder De Dion in 1907.
In 1926 the Spanish driver, Zubiaga, decided to enter his sports Austin 7 . The course was the Medium Madonie circuit of 67 miles, which had to be covered 4 times - 268 miles - by the "Voiturette" class. Zubiaga completed the race, 3rd. in class behind an 1100cc. Salmson.
So when we received an invitation to join the Landesgruppe Rheinland DAVC. On a rally to Sicily, to include a lap of the Targa Florio circuit, we thought it appropriate to commemorate Senor Zubiaga's achievement by taking Austin 7,s. As we would be away from home for 3 weeks and needed to carry our spares and luggage, and bearing in mind that we would be crossing Europe in October, a basic racing Austin 7 was out. And so it was that the 1930 Chummy of Ken & Eileen Cooke, the 1936 Nippy of Steve Bradford -Best & Ian Mansell and our 1931 Swallow Saloon travelled to Cologne for the start of the rally.
The first surprise came when we received the list of entrants. Apart from our cars the only other pre-war cars were a 1937 930V Horch V8 of 3.6 litres and a 1937 Humber 16 Drophead Coupe'. The cut-off date was 1967 and the faster cars included XK120,140 ,150 and E Type Jaguars, 190,230 &300SL Mercedes , Austin Healeys and even a Chevrolet Corvette. Obviously we would need to get up early to stay with these. Other interesting cars included a pretty 1957 Mercedes Cabriolet, MG TC & TF and a Borgward Isabella Coupe.
Our route took us from the ferry at Calais across Belgium , mostly on back roads to avoid the large towns. After an overnight stop in Belgium, we followed country roads, south of Maastricht to Aachen, and reached the picturesque town of Kornelimunster in time for lunch. The weather was fine and the car ran beautifully for the rest of the day, finally bringing us to the Cathedral City of Cologne.
During the evening we met up with fellow rallyists Steve, Ian and Ludwig & Christa Drathen who were to guide us the following morning. We enjoyed an evening meal in a very pleasant pub by the river Rhine. The news that we had to meet at 4.30 the following morning for our journey to the railway station came as rather a shock, and our hosts went far beyond the call of duty in preparing coffee for us and seeing us off!
The organisation of the tour, mainly by 750 Club member Michael Reinecke, was impeccable throughout. At Cologne the cars were loaded on motorail for the journey to Lindau on the Bodensee. We were able to catch up on some sleep and enjoy the scenery for a few hours. At Lindau we met more of the rally entrants and started on our leisurely journey to Vaduz in Lichtenstein, where we were entertained by the director of tourism. After suitable refreshment we continued through the foothills of the Alps to our overnight stop at Thusis. A very convivial evening with speeches in English and German and a gift to our hosts of a print showing our cars with Lord Austin in front of his home, Lickey Grange. We in turn received gifts of various cooked meats and a chocolate pig from some of the rally sponsors.
The following day took us over the Julier Pass at 2284 metres to St. Moritz. We resisted the temptation of a run on the Cresta - no snow ! although locals assured us it was expected within the week. At this point the coil on my Swallow failed, and after a prolonged process of elimination - involving changing the plugs twice and the carburettor three times - was eventually diagnosed correctly (When did you last have a coil break down under load ?). Assistance (and a spare) was on hand from the ADAC van which accompanied the rally (I said the organisation was impeccable !) The Malojapass at 1815 metres had more severe gradients, but the steepest were fortunately on the way down. The rest of the day's journey was all downhill, following the shore of Lakes Como & Lecco with a stop at the pretty lakeside town of Varenna.
At Lecco the evening rush hour coincided with a heavy downpour and the journey to our hotel in Milan, including a long stretch of Autostrada, was completed on flooded roads and traffic often down to Austin 7 speed. The luxury of the hotel was much appreciated.
What a contrast for the next day. As we left Milan by the "Ricefields Route" the sun came out and stayed with us to Sicily. Again we used a mountain route, but the climbs this time were less severe and the landscape very attractive. We stopped for refreshment at the attractive old town of Bobbio, where the handouts describing our cars that we had prepared in Italian were much appreciated. At a roadside stop we were alarmed to hear a series of shotgun blasts. An old man we met laughed and explained it was not intended for us, but a scarer to keep cinghali (wild boar) away from the crops.
The traffic in Genoa was an education, coping with driving on the right, the vagaries of Austin 7 brakes, lack of speed and attacks from both sides by kamikaze scooters. Fortunately the route book provided was excellent, as signs for the ferry port were practically non-existent. One group hired a taxi and followed him in convoy to the port. The Italian attitude to loading a ferry gives plenty of scope for individual initiative ! They even managed a traffic jam complete with blaring horns on the boat.
If traffic in Genoa was bad, Palermo was worse - but a police escort was provided - stopping traffic at junctions, blowing sirens and whistles and if that didn't work - waving guns ! They took us to the access to the Autostrada and a 40 mile drive to the resort town which was to be our base for the next 10 days, Cefalu. Despite arriving at around 10pm, a 4 course meal was awaiting.
A 6am. start for the bus and ferry trip to the island of Vulcano. Not to be missed for the sight of the smoking volcano which last erupted in 1890. Perhaps fortunately we did not bring the cars, as the sides would have made an ideal trials hill with the bonus of a banked track at the top - the VSCC would have loved it ! After the stiff climb to the crater and another 4 course lunch, we were pleased to relax in the mud springs and swim in the hot sea - a unique sensation - like a huge open air jacuzzi. The downside was the strong smell of sulphur, which stayed with us until the following day.
As there was nothing organised for the next day we had intended to do some maintenance, but heavy rain put paid to that. Instead we explored the shops and bars of Cefalu and I managed to remember the Italian for coil - "bobina". After the usual enquiry "What model is it for / Que modella ?" and replying 1931 Austin 7 a coil was produced to replace the one borrowed from the ADAC van.
Another 7am start for the bus trip to Etna on the East of the Island. Our bus took us to 2000metres, passing several ruined buildings caught in the last eruption 2 years ago. The courses of the various eruptions could be seen clearly, the earlier ones now having well established vegetation, the more recent huge black rivers of rock. The cable car and a 4 wheel drive bus took us to close to the summit, the actual summit being roped off due to volcanic activity. The wind at the top was freezing and we were glad to shelter in a series of hollows from which steam was belching - strangely there was no smell. It was then that we appreciated that the cloud which constantly surrounded the volcano was actually steam issuing from it. Because of this phenomenon the best viewing time is in the morning - hence our early start. As we descended the top was already becoming more obscure. A surprise to me was the number of smaller craters on the surface of the mountain, marking previous eruptions. I had always imagined that eruptions were always from the top.
For the Sunday, a meeting had been arranged with the local Palermo historic car club. Lots of interest for us as a Dino Ferrari, Lancia's Augusta, Appia, Aurelia and Flaminia, Alfa Romeo Guilia and MGA joined us. Again we formed a parade, Austin 7's to the fore, following another police escort slowly through the old town of Cefalu - to the obvious delight of tourists and locals. After a stop on the sea front we were flagged off to our lunch stop, close to the start of the Targa Florio. Lunch over, we found the start, admired the bust erected to Vincenzo Florio and used a lot of film on the historic site - the lettering still clearly visible on the peeling buildings.
We set off for our lap, conscious of Vaccerella's epic 40 minute lap to win for Ferrari the 1965 race. What a course, rising from sea level to 3670ft. and back again, through 700 bends and a 3 mile straight - all in 47 miles , which had to be covered 8 times. How anyone could maintain their concentration for that time at racing speeds can only be marvelled at. That they did so in the early races, with the road surfaces of the time, for 12 hours over the 360 miles, is little short of a miracle. Even at Austin 7 speed you never seem to be going straight and very soon become disoriented. At least these days Armco provides some protection from the sheer drops but the road still provides all the excitement any sane person needs. Because of regular landslips and the winter snows, when the area becomes a ski resort, the surface is very irregular. One of our group commented that his 911 Porsche would not handle it well, you need quite a lot of suspension travel and excellent brakes. Aerodynamics and absolute power are less important. If you want to know what heroes those early drivers were, just try maintaining their average in a modern car, then think that their times included a number of tyre changes on non-detachable wheels, dealing with unsurfaced roads and relying on 2 wheel brakes with crude lining materials. Heroes indeed.
As we drove around the circuit, among magnificent scenery, we were reminded of the aces who drove here - clearly painted on the walls - Vaccarella, Biondetti, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, although I looked in vain for Nuvolari & Varzi.
Back at the hotel I discovered the results of the "Red Mist" - 6 broken spokes , so a job for tomorrow. But meanwhile there was a Gala dinner to enjoy in the company of our Italian friends. Conversations were now conducted in at least four languages and somehow we all seemed to understand some of what was going on.
Another day, another tour of the Targa circuit, this time around the long Madonie Circuit. We drove into the mountains again, mostly in 2nd and 3rd gear, but occasionally reduced to 1st for some of the steeper climbs. After visiting the old town of Castelbuono, where, at the Mayor's request, we did a lap of honour around the town, we went on to the remote village of Sperlinga. A local guide gave us an interesting commentary as we toured the ruined castle and cave dwellings, some of which were occupied until very recently by local people. They provide a cool , dry environment - very welcome in a Sicilian summer. Although choosing caves as dwellings and working areas, the early inhabitants were sophisticated enough to use the local ironstone to produce metal objects and weapons. Lunchtime brought more serious eating and the afternoon took us through remote mountain roads where sheep, cattle and horses roamed.
The plan for the next tour included the coastal town of Trapani on the west side of the island and a visit to Erice - a mountain village steeped in Greek legend. Despite the obvious charms of a visit to the home of Aphrodite, the limits of Austin 7 performance and our endurance meant that we headed straight for the afternoon stop, Segesta. We were pleased that we had time to appreciate our guided tour of the Greco - Roman theatre and Greek temple. There was time enough for our guide to give us detailed descriptions of the customs and lifestyles of the early inhabitants and to point out the perfection in the proportions of the temple. Due mainly to political problems the temple was never finished and remained open to the elements, but provided many clues to the construction techniques used.
Finally our last day in Sicily, the itinery provided for a short journey into the mountains for a wine tasting at a former Benedictine monastery. A short journey perhaps , but it provided the steepest climbs of the trip. We were down to 1st. gear most of the time and even the Jaguars and the Horch boiled - the first time ever the owner told us. The most serious breakdown of the trip occurred when the halfshaft on the MG TC of Willi Hollander failed. Willi has owned the car for 35 years and produced the spare he had been carrying for 20 of them ! A phone call and a short trip to a local engineer solved the problem of removing the hub and pressing it onto the new shaft, but it was necessary to remove the diff to get the broken piece out. The ADAC van provided gasket material and the job was completed with lots of advice in around 2 hours - in time for lunch. More climbing - this time 1 in 4 but a shorter climb to a very pleasant rustic restaurant where we were entertained by a lively local band.
Time for one last swim before the journey to Palermo. At the Autostrada exit for the port we were met by a Police escort for the journey through the chaotic traffic, to await our ferry. We were hardly shocked to discover that it was running late, which would cause problems for our journey to Milan. Michael persuaded the crew to allow us on last, after all the freight was loaded. This gave us pole position and a start of the best part of an hour at Genoa, although it meant that we did not get to our cabins until 12.45.
Friday brought us beautiful sunny weather for the ferry journey, with most of the party catching up on their sunbathing and generally re-charging their batteries before the long haul to Lindau.
As promised our cars were first off the boat and after a dash through Genoa, attempting to keep our guide's Mercedes 230SL in sight, we reached the Autostrada safely for the 21/2 hour journey to Milan. Despite our lack of power on the hills the other Austins stayed in convoy with us and we reached our hotel after midnight. The other rallyists cheered us in and to our amazement another 3 course hot meal greeted us. This was a time for goodbyes, as a number of our party were leaving the next morning for their own destinations or to continue their tours.
A 6.00am. start to beat the traffic out of Milan and give us a head start on our journey to Lindau. We reached the Swiss border in darkness and bought our Motorway pass. The border guards seemed concerned - "How fast does it go ?" . "Ochenta Kilometros". - "No, what speed ?" - "Eighty," - and so on . They obviously did not believe us but allowed us to drive on their Motorway. Around Lugano and the lakes the going was easy and we made good progress. After turning off at Bellinzona we started on the climb to the St. Bernadino Pass. The early stages were mostly taken in 3rd.but as we got to the series of hairpin bends we were down to 2nd. With the final climb into the village of St Bernardino in 1st. the road then levelled and we thought that was it ! but more climbing was ahead until we reached the tunnel and the snow level. To go over for the fun of it , or use the tunnel for the speed and security ? We decided that the low cloud would mean a miserable trip over and opted for the tunnel. From now it was all downhill (well almost !) and we stopped for breakfast, where we were joined by the Chummy of Eileen and Ken. As we sat in the restaurant the faster cars began to appear.
On again using the Motorway to Lichtenstein, Austria and finally Germany - 5 countries in one morning, not bad in an Austin 7 ! At Lindau we reported at the railhead and then spent a couple of hours relaxing in the sun in the lovely old town and by the harbour. We admired the old canoe-stern paddle steamer and watched some enthusiasts with a steam launch. Beer seemed to play a major part in the firing-up procedure. The cigars they smoked looked big enough for emergency fuel supplies and the funnel was belching out black sulphurous smoke - no government health warnings here !
Back in time for loading, to say more goodbyes - this time to Andreas and Anna and their wonderful ADAC van. Then on to the train for Koln, which we reached around midnight. In the morning we took leave of the other Austins who were going to meet Helmut Kasimirov of the Dixi Club in Dusseldorf.
We took the Autobahn to Aachen and travelled through Maastricht and by back roads through Louvain and Brussels. The decision to go through the centre was frustrated by a series of one-way systems. After a few circuits we became disoriented and headed out towards the ring road. On the credit side this gave us close-up views of the Atomium and Chinese Palace, but we were relieved to find the road out to Aalst where we stopped for the night. Aalst was a revelation, lovely medieval buildings and a good choice of restaurants. We had an excellent meal in the most photogenic - a conversion of the old market hall with a view of the square and attractive Belfort.
Off again to Ghent, which the tourist office told us has more listed buildings than any other town in Belgium - 2 castles, 19 museums, a Cathedral and whole streets of medieval buildings. We visited one castle which housed the torture museum - not for the faint hearted. Morning coffee in one of the squares was enlivened by some very talented street musicians.
Back on the road to Ypres, entered through the Menin Gate, a moving experience. What appear to be magnificent Norman and medieval buildings are actually mostly reconstructions after being almost totally destroyed in the 1914/18 war. A credit to the spirit and ability of their designers and constructors.
Then to our final stop of the tour - St. Omer. We knew this town from previous 750 Club ambles and headed for the centrally located Ibis hotel, with its secure car park. An evening stroll and pleasant meal and actually time to enjoy a leisurely bath. The Belgian roads had been the roughest of the tour and combined with strong headwinds had slowed our progress and convinced me that a plug change was due. I took the time to check the car over for the last leg of the journey - a short drive to the ferry, where it started to rain, and the 90 wet motorway miles home, where we arrived at 15.30 - still on French petrol.
What an adventure it had been. We had been soaked, terrified, boiled, baked, steamed and frozen. We had also driven on some of the most dramatic roads in Europe, had basked in sunshine, eaten memorable meals, enjoyed excellent company and been treated with courtesy and kindness. The memories of the hair-raising journeys through Palermo, the lap of the Targa Florio course, the Alpine passes, the volcanoes and the unfailing good humour of our hosts will stay with us for a long time.
Our thanks go to everyone involved in the tour for making it so memorable, and especially to Michael Reinecke who never stopped working to ensure that everything went like clockwork. Thank you all.