One Last Time

 

1973 saw the 57^th running of the Targa Florio on the Piccolo Circuito delle Madonie, Sicily.  A battle for victory by the 3.0 Sports Prototypes, especially the Ferrari 312 PBs and Alfa Romeo T33/TT/12s, was expected.  As it turned out, however, the race was won by the Martini Racing Porsche 911 RSR of Herbert Muller and Gijs van Lennep. Sandro Munari and Jean Claude Andruet were second in the new Lancia Stratos, with another Martini 911 RSR of Leo Kinnunen and Claude Haldi third.  And this was to be the last Targa that served as a round of the World Sportscar Championship, the circuit being deemed unacceptably hazardous in the wake of a spate of accidents to drivers, and injuries sustained by several spectators. In a pre-race accident, Charles Blyth, whose Lancia Fulvia had failed scrutineering, sustained fatal injuries.  During the race, Ferruccio Deiana crashed his Renault Alpine A110, killing a spectator. 

This account however focuses on the wide and diverse range of entries for the race.  Whilst the 312 and the 33 were outstanding racing cars in their era, several other distinctive machines - if much less well known - ran in 1973.  Seven of these are celebrated in the survey below. 

Momo-Conrero Opel

#19 Giorgio Pianta and Pino Pica

Virgilio Conrero’s early career included several highlights – honing his engine development/tuning expertise at Fiat; a key engineer with the Cisitalia/Porsche 360 F1 project; with his own constructor workshop - Autotecnica Conrero - newly established, he created a Ghia-bodied Conrero-Alfa Romeo 1900 and ran this in the 1953 Mille Miglia; numerous victories in the late Fifties/early Sixties; success with a Conrero Formula Junior car and with Alfa Romeo specials based on the Giulietta; collaboration in 1961 with Alejandro De Tomaso on a Grand Prix car with an Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based engine. 

After expanding his business during the Sixties by establishing ‘approved tuner’ relationships with Renault, Triumph and the burgeoning Japanese manufacturers, Conrero secured a substantial contract with Opel to build/prepare/run cars in competition on its behalf.  Positive results soon flowed, with Conrero’s version of the Opel GT beginning to take class honours in 1970.  The following season saw a class victory in the Targa Florio – with this car, Conrero had developed a Porsche-beater, raising his stock further. 

Encouraged by the success achieved with the GT, Conrero then developed an open top Group 5/6 prototype in the style of the Chevron B19 S, Lola T212 and Abarth 2000 SP; (there was comment that the body styling appeared to be a copy of the Ferrari 312 PB).  The car was entered for the 1973 running of the Targa Florio, with drivers Giorgio Pianta and Pino Pica.  Designated as a Momo-Conrero, the car is seen below with Conrero himself (standing) on the left:

The Momo association seems very natural – the brand’s founder, Gianpiero Moretti, and Virgilio Conrero were both charismatic and entrepreneurial figures on the Italian sports car racing scene in the era.  However, their collaboration this time was unsuccessful, the car being retired after 4 laps.  Indications were that the car’s pneumatic suspension had caused stability issues and the brakes did not stand up well to the demands of the Madonie circuit.¹  It had been competitive though, with a 26^th fastest race lap of 42'35"2 and was running in 7^th place overall on laps 1 and 4.

1.www.targapedia.com/biblioteca/riviste/automobile_historique/tf_R_AutomobileHistorique_2001_05_TargaFlorio1973.pdf

Daren Mk. 3

#12 Jack Wheeler and Martin Davidson 

One of the lesser-known British sportscar marques is Fairthorpe.  In business for just short of twenty years in the Fifties to the early Seventies, the Buckinghamshire-based manufacturer made a variety of small sportscars primarily based on Triumph chassis/mechanicals/engines and utilising glass fibre body construction.  An ex-Daimler man, John Green, joined Fairthorpe as General Manager in the late Fifties.  He set about developing a new model and this proved to be a significant step forward for the company.  Called the Electron Minor, it became the leading Fairthorpe product. 

Along with his expertise as a manager and an engineer, Green could boast ability behind the wheel of a racing car.  So, it was not unexpected that he designed and built a track car in parallel with his work for Fairthorpe.  But thus, he became associated with another obscure British racing name, even less familiar to most than Fairthorpe - the Daren.  It was successful until regulation spurred Green to develop a new, lighter car, known as the Daren Mk. 2.  This had a more sophisticated, semi-monocoque construction and lent itself to series production.  In 1971, a Mk.3 was made for well-known club racer, Jack Wheeler.  Wheeler intended the car for some serious racing on the European scene, and, accordingly specified a pretty serious engine: the BRM P56/60 V8, Endurance/Tasman, 2.0 specification.  Six Mk. 3s were built and several entries are recorded in the 1971/2/3 seasons.  Reliability was not especially good – from 35 starts there were only nine finishes and the best result was a second, (for Arthur Collier in a SMRC event at Ingliston). 

Partnered by Martin Davidson, Wheeler took the car to Sicily for 1972’s Targa Florio.  The effort/expense was not however very well rewarded, the Daren failing to complete the first lap as a result of ignition trouble.  Undaunted, they were back for the 1973 event, and, though  two laps down, were still running at the finish, classified as 29^th overall, 7^th in class.  It was an encouraging outcome and Wheeler must have been hopeful as he arrived in Germany two weeks later for the Nurburgring 1000 kms.  Initially in Practice, the car was competitive amongst the 2 litre opposition – RSR, Lola T290, Chevron B21/23, for example – qualifying 33^rd in a 52 car field.  However, with only one lap completed, the engine was subject to a valve failure and had to be retired.

Scrutineering stickers on the Daren

The Daren Mk.3 driven by Wheeler/Davidson to 7^th in class.  ©Bernard Cahier

In 2020 the car, unrun since that Nurburgring disappointment 47 years earlier, was sold as a rolling chassis by Bonhams at Goodwood for £18,400 – details here.

AMS 273

11 chassis - #43, #47, #63, #65, #68, #69, #82, #83, #84, #86, #87

At the outset of his engineering career, Tancredi Simonetti worked firstly at OSI, (Officine Stampaggi Industriali), the Ghia subsidiary in Turin.  This business, set up to build special small production volume models, primarily for Fiat and Ford, became defunct in 1967, prompting Simonetti to start constructing a car of his own design.  He based it on a prototype developed by the remnants of the ATS, (Automobili Turismo e Sport) business that had briefly blossomed as a breakaway of talent from Ferrari in 1962.  Simonetti formed a new company, Attrezzature Meccaniche Speciali (AMS) to produce his 1.0 car and Scuderia Autoracing to run it.  From 1969 to 1972 AMS ‘1000 SP’ chassis ran with a variety of engine makes and displacements, becoming successful and popular with owner/drivers and small teams.  An improved model, designated 273, was introduced in early 1973, and no fewer than 11 of these were to be seen on that year’s Targa Florio.  Quite an impressive representation for such a small/’young’ builder, especially in comparison with the numbers running for some of the heavy hitters: Porsche, 17; Alfa Romeo, 17; Lancia, 13.  Engines powering the 273s were: Alfa Romeo 1600; Ford Cosworth 1000, 1300 and 1600; Giliberti-Ford 1600; Giliberti-Alfa 1300; Giliberti-Fiat 1000 and 1300. 

Best result was for #65, the AMS-Ford of Pasquale Anastasio and Giovanni Lo Voi, 15^th overall and 1^st in class:

Anastasio/Lo Voi, 15^th. Courtesy Piergiorgio Ferreri

#47, a Giliberti-Cosworth-engined 273 took Vito Veninata and Giuseppe Iacono to 38^th overall, 5^th in the 1.3-1.6 class.  #84, with Ford power, was driven to 40^th, 2^nd in the 1.0 class, by Stefano Sebastiani and Antonio Palangio:

Six of the AMS cars failed to finish – shown below, top row, left to right: #43 of Vimercati/Cocchetti; #63 of Di Cristoforo/Lo Piccolo; #69 of Manzo/Nicolosi.  Lower row, left to right: #82 of Verrocchio/De Antoni; #83 of Donà/Govoni; #86 of  Bartoli/"Jorkrysa."

Two driver pairings ran but were unable to qualify for the race:  Gianfranco La Mazza and Massimo Cavatorta in a Ford-engined example, and Salvatore Barraco and Giuseppe Virgilio, whose AMS was powered by a Giliberti-Fiat 1300. 

Only a couple of AMSs appeared at the following year’s emasculated Targa Florio.  The marque’s cars were active on the sports racing scene for the remainder of the decade, but the 277 model was the last of the line.

CR CDS 134B
#62 Salvatore Calascibetta and Alfonso Merendino

My earlier use of the term ‘less well known’ is inadequate in regard to this car!  Very little has been documented about the machine, though its lead driver has been celebrated for his persistence – he ran in the Targa Florio 13 times.  This was mainly on an amateur and largely self-financed basis, though he scored a class win driving an Opel for the Conrero-run factory team in 1971. 

I have been unable to find any trace of the ‘CR CDS 134B’ running in any other event.  As to its origin, the best clue is that in a couple of brief mentions, the car is described as ‘artisan-made’/’handcrafted.’  Since Salvatore ran a workshop in Palermo, my best guess is that he ‘designed’ and built the car from scratch.  As to nomenclature, C R perhaps stands for Calascibetta Racing and the prominent CDS sponsorship decals refer to the proprietary electronic ignition coil/unit - so it's likely that Salvatore derived some funding from this commercial source. 

The car was entered by ‘Krista Buchwald’ – this name is recorded only once and only in regard to the 1973 Targa Florio.  Motive power was provided by an Abarth-tuned Fiat 1300 engine.  It ran until the 7^th lap, on which it broke down with fuel starvation and had to be retired.

CR CDS 134B of Calascibetta/Merendino. Courtesy Vittorio Giordano

GiGi P2 Speciale

#64 Antonio Riolo and Giuseppe Garofalo 

The Riolo family automotive retailing business expanded in its Palermo premises from a general garage to a multi-franchise dealership over the post-war years.  In the Sixties/Seventies, it was mainly a Lancia and Citroen representative.  Today its primary focus is with the Audi brand. 

Antonio’s 1973 Targa Florio adventure seems to have been a one-off – as was that of co-driver, Giuseppe Garofalo.  The same can be said for the car – it does not appear in any other race results database.  I understand – but have not so far confirmed – that it was eventually acquired by prominent Lancia enthusiast, Loris Giorgetti.  This would be logical as the GiGi was powered by a Lancia 1300 engine, (Fulvia spec I imagine). 

The P2 was entered by Scuderia Pegaso. The Palermo-based Scuderia had first tackled the Targa Florio in 1964, running a contingent of characterful cars: 2 Alfa Sprint Zagatos, an Alfa Giulietta SS and an Abarth Simca 1300 Bialbero.  The team added Lancia and Ferrari models for the following year and continued to make the Targa Florio its principal interest – with the occasional excursion to Mugello, Vallelunga and Monza – through to 1974. 

The car has a rather strange appearance in contemporary photographs as the ground clearance looks unusually large, there is a curious reverse rake and the tyres – especially the fronts – are less wide than might be expected.  Despite these possible disadvantages, Riolo/Garofalo brought it home 24^th, 2^nd in class.

Left to right: GiGi P2 in the pits; on its way to 2^nd in class; the Riolo Palermo dealership

Bizzarrini 128P Fiat 

#66 Massimo Larini 

Giotto Bizzarrini’s consultancy became known as Bizzarrini S.p.A. after his spell working with Iso ended in 1966.  Under his own name Bizzarrini then produced the much lauded 5300 GT Strada model, but the engineering was more accomplished than the business management, and the company had failed by 1969.  His activities from then became spasmodic and fragmented, though still characterised by flashes of brilliance.  In 1971, as something of an indulgence, he set about designing and building a competition car specified on the basis of a personal ideal.  Thus, came about the 128P Barchetta.  Two chassis were constructed, the Targa Florio-running example being exhibited currently in Turin’s Museo Nazional dell’Automobile.¹

Bizzarrini 128P as displayed in the Nazional dell’Automobile  Courtesy David Tarallo

The Fiat 128 engine was uprated to output around 130 bhp.  Given Bizzarrini’s reputation as a very accomplished suspension/steering tuner, much was expected of the car on the Circuitto Piccolo.  In the event, qualifying did not go too well, the car being 73^rd of 81.  The race was even less kind – Larini having to retire it with accident damage on the first lap – thus neither Bizzarrini nor Antonio Finiguerra, who had been entered, actually drove it.

Bizzarrini 128P on the Targa Florio

A superb set of detail photographs of the sister car can be seen here  - they were posted at the time of its sale by auction in 2019.  Also reproduced is an illustrated Ruoteclassiche magazine article about that car’s ‘rescue’ and restoration.

Ruoteclassiche magazine article

Giotto Bizzarrini at work on the 128P

1. More photographs of the Museum installation of the 128P can be seen on David Tarello’s blog, Pit Lane Italia 

To round off this survey I’m including a car that evades my opening criterion regarding characterisation as being ‘less well known.’  This car would be making big news in the world of international motorsport throughout the decade.  It was wonderfully distinctive in its functional capability and both innovative and attention-grabbing in its looks.  It’s just that in May 1973 it was the new kid on the block, albeit one that would grow up very quickly . . 

. . . Lancia Stratos

   

#4 (and #4T) Sandro Munari and Jean-Claude Andruet

Lancia’s new flagship competition car broke cover in prototype guise in 1971.  However, it was not seen in its definitive form until 1973 by when the distinctive Marcello Gandini styling had been further refined and, after a period of indecision, the Ferrari Dino engine confirmed.  With production of the 500 examples required for FIA homologation ongoing, a Stratos was making its World Championship circuit racing debut at May’s Targa Florio.  The race-run car entered is said to have been #0002 and it wore race number 04, with Sandro Munari and Jean Claude-Andruet at the wheel.  A second chassis was used in practice, identified with race number 4T and Turin road-registered, PROVA TO 1098.  The car sustained damage to the left hand side. 

As well as looking sensational, #04, ran reliably, avoiding the suspension problems that had afflicted the car’s very first rally outings. And it’s 280 bhp V6 engine made it fully competitive with the 911 RSRs, despite the Porsches having about 35 more bhp on tap.  This was thanks to the car’s handling characteristics and its weight being around 60 kgs lighter than the 911’s 940 kgs.  It finished second, with a deficit of just 6 minutes, between the winning RSR of Muller/van Lennep and that of third-placed Kinnunen/Haldi.  Munari’s fastest race lap was quicker than all but one of the numerous Porsches, and was bettered only by Muller, the two Ferrari 312 PBs of Ickx and Merzario and the Alfa 33 of Stommelen.  The Stratos moved up to third place on Lap 3, second on the following tour, and remained there for the rest of the race.  So no fluke, and not a late-inherited position:  it must have been a very encouraging outcome for the Lancia Corse team.

Left, 2^nd place for Stratos #4;  Centre, rear view. Courtesy Revs Institute for Automotive Research;  Right, T car. Courtesy Effe Model Cannata

Much of the information (and images reproduced) in this article has been derived from the excellent website, ‘Targapedia,’ the work of Enzo and Federica Manzo – I’m very grateful to them for all their work and diligence in creating and maintaining such a valuable motorsport history resource.