The Silver Flag Hillclimb won the award for Best European Historic Event in 2005, and that accounted for the entry being over-subscribed by 80 cars for this year’s June 30–July 2 running. Organizer Claudio Casali nevertheless managed to accommodate an excellent field for an event that now has been extended to run over three days. Other than one run on the 8-kilometer hill having to be cancelled on Saturday due to David Robey’s Abarth Scorpion catching fire and completely burning up, the other runs ran very efficiently. One of the many attractions of the Silver Flag is its wonderful hospitality and social programs, with dinners in local castles in the evening, as well as lunch on Sunday at the top of the hill at Vernasca.
A large group of prewar cars from all over Europe included some rarely seen machinery, including the Cisitalia 202 of Alessandro Scagliani, which won the Concours “Elegance” prize. The Grists took “Best of Show Postwar” with their Alfa Romeo TZ2, while a total of 10 TZs were in attendance, including cars from the Alfa Romeo museum at Arese. Walter Burani had his ex-Lauda Ferrari 312T out, which won “Best Rear Engine Racecar,” while Violati’s Ferrari 250GTO was named “Best Ferrari.”
VRJ’s European Editor Ed McDonough drove Lorenzo Prandina’s magnificent Lola T290 powered by an F1 Tecno Flat-12 engine—which could be heard over the entire 8-kilometer course! Gianni Codiferro served as riding mechanic for Ed in Codiferro’s 1929 Salmson SS, with the pair winning the prewar class and the award for “Best Performance of Car and Drivers.”
Special guests and judges included Ferrari’s Mauro Forghieri, journalist Adriano Cimarosti, and Dr. Roberto Loi, President of the Italian Historic Automobile Club.
