Giro d'Italia automobilistico

The Giro d'Italia automobilistico was an automobile race around Italy, historically first held in 1901, then reinstituted as annual event between 1973 and 1980, resurrected for 1988 and 1989, and again in 2011.

Both in its historical and modern iterations the Giro d'Italia was inspired by its French equivalent, the Tour de France Automobile.

[1] These included nine Fiats, four Panhards, four Peugeots, three Renaults, two Rossellis, two Morses, and one each from Benz, Ceirano, Delahaye, Marchand, Daimler, De Dion, Isotta Fraschini and Darracq.

The 1934 edition was held over three days and 5,687 km (3,534 mi), on a circular route from Rome to Calabria and back, including a stage in Messina on the island of Sicily.

[2][3][4][5] The 1954 edition was held over ten days, seven stages and 5,763 km (3,581 mi), beginning and ending at the Monza Circuit and stopping at Sanremo, Naples, Bari, Rimini, Merano and Turin along the way.

Another notable entrant was Arturo Merzario, on an ill-prepared Jolly Club Group 5 Stratos, stopped by an engine seizure already on the first day, at Casale.

Amongst the notable entrants there were two Lancia-Marlboro Stratos Turbo of Facetti/Sodano and Pinto/Bernacchini, with the "silhouette" body allowed by the newly enacted Special production cars Group 5 rules.

Other Group 5 "silhouette" cars were Merzario's Ford Escort, Finotto's BMW-Schnitzer 2002 Turbo and Mannini's Fiat X1/9-based Dallara Icsunonove.