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Our start point
Grand Hotel Rimini 


Mille Miglia cars


Pirelli advert

Mike Hawthorn

Lamborghini MarzalAlberto Ascari
Enzo Monument

Mags Campbell (right) with husband Don (left) during the 2013 tour

Ferrari Transporter


Maserati Eldorado

Maria Teresa De Filippis

Parmigiano Reggiano

 Dallara P217

Graeme Gallaoway's Anglia
Motor Valley Virtual Tour  26 to 29 December 2020  
Report by Margaret Campbell


Not able to visit our family in Norway for Christmas this year we were de-lighted to be able to join our Italian friend Achille Tresoldsi and his C20H team from CLUB DEI VENTI ALL'ORA TRIESTE on a wonderful 4 day Motor Valley Virtual Tour which began on Boxing Day.

In 2013 the CCHMSC’s Continental Tour “Trans Italia” followed the route of the Mille Miglia down the coast of the Adriatic and visited some of the towns, museums and factories that we encountered on this virtual tour bringing back wonderful memories.


Day 1

We were faced with a map that had no definite starting point but some clues as to where it was - it turned out to be the Grand Hotel in Rimini from where we travelled the 31 miles to the second question which was where the map was marked from. 

Our route for the day took us from Rimini to Imola and along the way we visited museums, restaurants, vineyards and racing circuits and investigated the “Prancing Horse”, Fellini’s films, good food and wine, the Mille Miglia, bearings and Pirelli Tyres.  Mileages were also required.
(Photos are: the Grand Hotel, Mille Miglia Cars, a Piadina, Bottle of L’Albana, the Cavallino Rampante (prancing horse) and advert for tyres)


Day 2

We leave the Imola circuit, having driven counterclockwise round it,  and head towards Bologna learning about Desmodromic valves and “Mike the Bike” en route.  Today we also visit the museum dedicated to Ferruccio Lamborghini and learn about the association with the Bull symbol of the company and how there is a red wine named after the Miura “Sangue di Miura”.

We also visit the Lamborghini factory and discover the only model not named after bulls or bullfighting is the Countach, which is named after a curious expression by an employee of the company when he first saw the design.  Our day finishes at the little town of Castelfranco Emilia, west of Bologna, at the Pagani factory where we learn that Horacio Pagani was designing and making models of sports cars out of balsa and tin cans at the age of 12.  Finally we have to identify a photograph of Alberto Ascari and another Pirelli tyre. A different model this time.
(Photos: Lamborghini Marzal, Lamborghini Logo, Bottles of Sangue di Miura, Alberto Ascari, Mike Hawthorn on his Ducati 900 SS, a Pagani and the Imola circuit).

Day 3

We leave Castelfranco Emilia and head to the heart of Motor Valley where we see the monument dedicated to Enzo Ferrari in Maranello and visit the Fiorano Circuit (Ferrari’s test track).  We also learn that the Fountain of Neptune in the city of Bologna was the inspiration for the Trident logo of Maserati.

Today is a shorter day of driving as there is much to explore and by lunch time we find our selves in Modena where we visit the Osteria Francescana restaurant and sample Massimo Bottura’s famous “Dropped Lemon Tart”. 

After lunch we head for the Ferrari museum and factory discover-ing all sorts of information from small details such as Enzo always used a fountain pen with violet ink for writing to learning that all 6-cylinder Ferraris are badged Dino.  We also discovered that the beautiful Ferrari car transporter was bodied by Carrozzeria Bartoletti.

(Photos: Enzo monument, Dropped Lemon Tart, Maserati Logo, Ferrari Transporter, visiting Ferrari and the iconic Dino 246).

Day 4

A longer mileage today so left Modena heading north west towards Parma.  En route we visit the impressive Maserati collection of Umberto Panini including the Maserati Tipo 420 M/58 Eldorado.  Panini is probably better known as being the man who is famous for producing sticker book collections.  We learn that Italian driver Maria Teresa De Filippis was the first woman to participate in Formula 1.

Moving on, we pass the now abandoned “Blue Factory” the site of the re-birth of Bugatti cars. 

We are now in the land of Parmigiano Reggiano which is produced exclusively in the province of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and in some areas near Mantova and Bologna, in plains, hills and mountains between the Po and Reno River.

Passing through Verano we see the motor racing circuit Riccardo Paletti named after the Italian F1 driver who was tragically killed at the start of his second race.  The track hosts stage rounds for nu-merous racing series including Formula 3, prototypes and GT cars, plus a variety of motorcycle classes. The course is also regularly used for testing, primarily by Dallara, the race car constructor based in Varano.

Having travelled 185 km today we end our day and the tour just south of Piacenza at the home of the racing team AF Corse who won their class at the 24 hour Le Mans twice with the Ferrari 458 Italia.

(Photos: Maserati Eldorado, Maria Teresa De Filippis, Parmigiano Reggiano, Dallara P217 and the Riccardo Paletti Circuit).


A big thank you to all involved in making this an informative and entertaining way to spend post Christmas.

Published 5 January 2021
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