1921 GRAND PRIX SEASON -

28 Giulio Masetti
G. Masetti
Fiat 14B/S57A

25 Max Sailer
M. Sailer
Mercedes 28/95 Sports

34 Giuseppe Campari
SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo
Alfa Romeo 40/60

TARGA FLORIO

Medio Circuito Madonie - Palermo (I), 29 May 1921.
Targa Florio: 4 laps x 108 km (67.1 mi) = 432 km (268.4 mi)

No.	Driver	Entrant	Car	Type	Engine

	Category up to 2000 cc
1	"Febo"	"Febo"	Fiat	501	1.5	S-4
2	Giuseppe Giordano	G. Giordano	Fiat	501	1.5	S-4	DNA - did not appear
3	Tersilio Bergese	T. Bergese	Fiat	501	1.5	S-4
4	Paolo Tuccimei	P. Tuccimei	Chiribiri		1.5	S-4
5	Giuseppe Piro	G. Piro	Fiat	501	1.5	S-4

	Category 2001 to 3000 cc
6	Luigi Gismondi	Società Anonima Giovanni Ceirano	Ceirano	15/20	3.0	S-4
7	Giacinto Ghia	Società Anonima Autocostruzioni Diatto	Diatto	4DC	3.0	S-4
8	Ernesto Ceirano	Società Anonima Giovanni Ceirano	Ceirano	15/20	3.0	S-4
9	Paolo Arnone	P. Arnone	Ceirano	15/20	3.0	S-4
10	Giulio Foresti	Fabbrica Automobili Itala	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4
11	Augusto Tarabusi	Società Ceirano Automobili Torino	SCAT
12	Luigi Mocca	Società Ceirano Automobili Torino	SCAT
13	Antonio Moriondo	Fabbrica Automobili Itala	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4
14		Fabbrica Automobili Itala	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4	DNA - did not appear
15	Costantino Marano	C. Marano	Ford	T	2.9	S-4
16	Giulio Landi	G. Landi	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4
17	Luigi Lopez	Fabbrica Automobili Itala	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4
18	Domenico Gamboni	Società Anonima Autocostruzioni Diatto	Diatto	4DS	3.0	S-4

	Category 3001 to 4500 cc
19	Giuseppe Pellegrino	G. Pellegrino	Fiat	3 ter	4.4	S-4
20	Enzo Ferrari	SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C	Alfa Romeo	20/30 ES	4.2	S-4
21	Ugo Sivocci	SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C	Alfa Romeo	20/30 ES	4.2	S-4
22	Giuseppe Baldoni	SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C	Alfa Romeo	20/30 ES	4.2	S-4

	Category over 4500 cc
23	Luigi Angelini	L. Angelini	SCAT	120 hp Hispano-S.		V-8
24	Carlo Ferrario	C. Ferrario	Mercedes	28/95	7.2	S-6
25	Max Sailer	M. Sailer	Mercedes	28/95 Sports	7.2	S-6
26	Buzzetti	Buzzetti	SCAT			S-4	DNA - did not appear
27	James Tagliavia	J. Tagliavia	Itala	35 hp	4.9	S-4

	Racing Car Category
28	Giulio Masetti	G. Masetti	Fiat	14B/S57A	4.9	S-4
29	Guido Ninive	G. Ninive	Itala	51S	2.8	S-4
30	Eraldo Fracassi	E. Fracassi	Ford			S-4
31	Carmelo Caruso	C. Caruso	Imera			S-4
32	Antonio Ascari	SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C	Alfa Romeo	20/30 ES	4.2	S-4	DNS - did not start
33	Giuseppe Albanese	G. Albanese	Aquila-Italiana			S-4
34	Giuseppe Campari	SA Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C	Alfa Romeo	40/60	6.1	S-4
35	M. Romieux	M. Romieux	M. R.		1.5	S-4
36	Costantino Trombetta	Costantino Trombetta Statopoulos	Fiat	14B/S57A	4.9	S-4
37	Pietro Bordino	Fiat SpA	Fiat	801/401	3.0	S-4
38	Ferdinando Minoia	Fiat SpA	Fiat	801/401	3.0	S-4

Giulio Masetti wins the Targa Florio with Fiat - Sailer 2nd with Mercedes

by Hans Etzrodt

The 1921 free formula Targa Florio was the first important race in the calendar and its outcome was eagerly awaited by many enthusiasts. 32 Italian cars battled against two from Germany. An awkward situation had developed as for the first time after the war Mercedes was at the start during a time when hostile feelings towards Germany were still widespread. Evidently French and British press were not enthusiastic about it. The 34 cars from 12 different makes, divided into five categories, had to drive four times around the 108 km twisting mountain circuit with 1500 turns per lap. Sailer (Mercedes) led Masetti (Fiat) after the first lap, followed by the four Alfa Romeos of Sivocci, Campari, Ferrari, Bandoni and Foresti (Itala). After five cars had retired, only 29 started the second lap, which was led by Masetti ahead of Sivocci, Sailer, Campari, Ferrari, Foresti and Minoia (Fiat). After another eight cars had dropped out, 21 started for the third lap, with Masetti still in first place, followed by Sailer, Sivocci, Ferrari, Campari, the Italas of Moriondo and Foresti with Minoia in eighth place. 19 cars started on the last lap with an uncertain outcome. Masetti (Fiat) won the great battle with Sailer (Mercedes) second, followed by the Alfa Romeos of Campari, Sivocci and Ferrari, the Italas of Foresti, Moriondo and Landi, Minoia (Fiat) and Ceirano (Ceirano) in tenth place. There were six more finishers and 18 retirements.

The Targa Florio was named after its founder, Count Vincenzo Florio. 1921 was the 12th recurrence of the race held to free formula regulations for the racecar category without restrictions of engine capacity or weight. The production cars were divided into four categories according to engine capacity, up to 2000 cc, 2001 to 3000 cc, 3001 to 4500 cc and category over 4500 cc. As production car was understood only a car described in normal factory sales catalogues. As such it had to be for sale and at least 50 chassis had to be produced by the factory. Further, engine stroke and bore, also the lay-out of the valves had to conform with the production type. Competitors had to strip cylinders of engines for inspection. If the production car did not conform with the characteristics required, it was classified as racing car. Drivers and riding mechanics could be changed during the race, but had to be predetermined beforehand with changes only at the end of a lap in presence of an official.
The cars had to cover four laps of the 108 km Medium Madonie circuit, equal to 432 km. It was in use since 1919 and included approximately 1500 turns per lap through the mountainous Madonie region of Sicily. The narrow circuit with its steep gradients was a true measure of both driver and car. The start and finish took place near Cerda train station just a few meters above sea level. The road led several miles up to Cerda village at 273 meters altitude. From here the course twisted uphill to Caltavuturo at 640 meters after which the tight, twisting road wound through the Madonie Mountains and turned back past a depot to refuel and change tires in the town of Polizzi, 917 meters above sea level. Tortuous hairpin bends followed next, snaking downhill through the mountain village of Collesano at 500 meters and then on to Campofelice, just 50 meters above sea level. From there it was downhill to the seven km fast coastal straight where it was possible to use top gear. Then the circuit turned inland to the finish near the Cerda train station.

Entries:
For the first time since 1914, Mercedes cars went racing again with two cars at the Targa Florio but unofficially as independent entries. International and German press wrongly reported that Mercedes went racing again, sometimes with long and dreadful political commentary, as Germany was still disliked especially in France due to the devastating great war. As a fact, at the end of 1920 Max Sailer had been invited by his Italian friends to take part at the 1921 Targa Florio. In mid-January he decided to investigate the course with his 28/95 hp Mercedes tourer and an Italian speaking mechanic. After bad experiences in Sicily three weeks later, Sailer returned to Stuttgart. On hand of his report, the DMG Board decided not to take part but gave him the option to participate privately. Initially Sailer did not like to enter but over the following weeks his Italian friends succeeded to have him change his mind. Eventually two private Mercedes entries were the only foreign cars besides two Fords and made the 1921 Targa Florio an international event. Peugeot, Talbot-Darracq and Sunbeam were absent as they entered the following day at Indianapolis. The large list of 38 entries with only 34 starters was split up into the following five categories.
Category up to 2000 cc:
From four 501 Fiats, three showed up at the start for "Febo", Bergese and Piro. The Chiribiri of Tuccimei had a Targa Florio type body with a barrel tank behind the seats, then spare tires, leaning on top of the other.
Category 2001 to 3000 cc:
Diatto arrived with two works entries, a 4DC for Ghia and a 4DS for Gamboni. These were the corsa and sports version of their 3-Liter cars. At the beginning of 1921, they produced the Diatto 4 DS with 4-cylinder (85 x 120 mm) 2724 cc engine, producing 50 hp and a top speed of 150 km/h, a modified 4 DC version. In 1920, Diatto produced a 3-Liter car with 4-cylinder (90 x 116 mm) 2952 cc engine, prodviding 105 hp at 3700 rpm. The top speed of the car was 180 km/h with a weight of 1050 kg. The Itala works arrived with four cars of the type 51 sports version with 2.8-L four-cylinder engine for Foresti, Moriondo and Lopez, while another 51S for Landi was entered independently. The Ceirano works entered two type CS2H cars for Gismondi and Ernesto Ceirano while Arnone's car was an independent entry. The SCAT factory entered two cars of unknown type for Tarabusi and Mocca. There also was a single 2.9-L Ford for Marano.
Category 3001 to 4500 cc:
Alfa Romeo entered three type 20/30, a 1910 design produced until 1920, whereas the 20/30 ES with a 4082 cc (100 x 130 mm) 4-cyl. engine produced 49 hp at 2400 rpm. Drivers were Ferrari, Sivocci and Baldoni. Another car in the 4500 category was entered by Fiat, a "type 3 ter" based on an originally old-fashioned touring model, driven by Pellegrino.
Category over 4500 cc:
On May 15, Max Sailer and Christian Lautenschlager as reserve driver left with two Mercedes type 28/95 Sport, modified since 1913, with 7274 cc (105 x 140 mm) 6-cylinder engines, producing a maximum of 110 hp at 2000 rpm, propelling the heavy 1800 kg car to 140 km/h top speed. Two additional 28/95 tourers carrying mechanics and spare parts accompanied the 4-car team, which drove from Stuttgart over Zürich, Milan and Rome to Naples and from there per ship to Palermo. The Madonie circuit had been improved since Sailer's January visit and road workers were busy with improvements and road repairs even just before the race. For practice Sailer drove only two laps at moderate speeds to memorize the more difficult parts. The second type 28/95 Sport was painted in red for the Italian Carlo Ferrario. There also was a SCAT entered by Luigi Angelini with a 120 hp Hispano-Suiza 12/14 V-8 engine and an Itala 35 hp-type with 4-cylinder 4.9-L engine.
Racing Car Category:
Count Giulio Masetti entered independently a red Fiat 1914 racecar type 14B/S57A with a 4-cylinder (104 x 143 mm) 4959 cc engine with shaft-driven ohc for the 8 valves, delivering 150 hp at 3500 rpm. The weight was 1170 kg and top speed 180 km/h. A second 14B/S57A was driven also independently by Trombetta. Two Fiat Grand Prix cars were entered for Bordino and Minoia, the type 801/401 with a straight-8 (65 x 112 mm) 2973 cc engine with shaft-driven twin ohc for 16 valves, delivering 120 hp at 4400 rpm. The car's weight was quoted as 920 kg and top speed 160 km/h. Alfa Romeo entered for Campari a 40/60-type with 6082 cc (110 x 160 mm) 4-cyl. engine, a 1913 design developed for racing, producing 82 hp at 2400 rpm in 1920. The car's weight was 1100 kg. There was also an Itala 51S with 2.8-L 4-cylinder engine for Ninive, an Imera for Caruso, a Ford for Fracassi, an Aquila-Italiana for Albanese and M. Romieux with his M.R.

Race:
A few hours before the start it had rained. Despite the poor weather, an enormous pilgrimage of local enthusiasts arrived from Palermo by special trains, cars and on foot in the first hours of Sunday morning. The grandstands and the pits were decorated with garlands and flowers. Amongst the non-starters was Ascari due to slight indisposition. Giordano (1500 Fiat) and Buzzetti (4500 SCAT) were also withdrawn, while Baldoni, instead of the #14 (3000 Itala) drove a 3000 Alfa Romeo, replacing Carlo Masetti. Altogether there were 34 starters. The totalizator game had Minoia as the big favorite followed by Bordino, both in Fiats.
The starting order was decided by drawing lots for each category. All cars started individually in order of race numbers at intervals of three minutes. However, the cars were not necessarily released at three-minute intervals. The starting times were determined beforehand according to the race numbers and if cars did not appear at the start (e. g. #2, then the car #3) was held to its predetermined time of departure. The start for the 34 cars began at 5:30 in the morning and the last driver left at 7:21.