Talk:Targa Florio

Winning times of 1906 and 1911
It does seem very odd that 1906 and 1911 should have the exact same times, so I've looked around to see what the sources say (I've converted Imperial to metric in brackets using Google for greater accuracy):


 * Formula2.net (an archive) only has 1906, and is given as 9:32'22.0", average 46.80 km/h over 446.469 km
 * targaflorio.info (linked in this article) gives 9:32'22.0" for 1906, and 1911 , both over 446.469 km, with 1906 average 46.800 km/h, 1911 average 46.802 km/h
 * Motorsport Magazine only gives times: 9h 33m 22.000s for 1906 ; 9h 32m 22.400s for 1911
 * GEL gives 9h33m22.0 for 1906, average 29.08 mph (46.799724 km/h) over 277.42 miles (446.464212km); 9h32m22.4 for 1911 , average 46.80 km/h over 446.46 km
 * William Court's "Power and Glory" gives (for 1906) an average of 29.1 miles/h (46.83191 km/h) over 277.2 miles (446.11016 km)
 * A book called "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Motor Racing" gives only average speeds: for 1906 29.18mph/46.95km/h (worth noting 29.18mph is 46.960658km/h), and for 1911 29.08mph/46.79km/h (only source saying 1911 was SLOWER that 1906)

I think a large part of the problem is rounding errors by different people calculating different values, forward and backward. Using (to make sure I don't make an arithmetic error), I've looked at a few things: For 446.469km distance, 46.8 km/h gives 9 hours, 32 minutes, 24 seconds, 46.802km/h gives 9 hours, 32 minutes, 22 seconds (which is what the other sources also say for 1911). But in 1906 maybe average speed was reported to nearest 10th only, in which case using 46.75km/h gives as long as 9 hours, 33 minutes, 1 seconds, and if it was to nearest 5th it could be as long as 9 hours, 33 minutes, 37 seconds.

However, it's also worth pointing out that taking the average speed of 29.08 mph, and distance 277.42 miles from GEL for 1906 gives a time of 9 hours, 32 minutes, 24 seconds which makes the TIME of 9h33m22.0 a bit suspect.

Anyway, if anyone has any other information they can add that would be much appreciated! A7V2 (talk) 23:57, 9 August 2019 (UTC)
 * I may have solved my own problem: an old (recently aquired) edition of Autocourse has a list of past winners with times, I will adjust according to it. A7V2 (talk) 11:34, 15 August 2019 (UTC)


 * Hi there - I've recently bought Pino Fondi's "Targa Florio 20th Century Epic" - with the byline"Official Centenary Book". A staggering book of details of every race of the Targa Florio.
 * Anyway - for 1906, it was a distance 446.469km (3 laps), won by A.Cagno with a time of 9h32m22.0 (ave speed= 46.802kph)
 * and for 1911 it was 3 laps & exactly the same distance, won by E.Ceirano in a time of 9h32m22.4 (ave speed= 46.801kph)
 * So, indeed, it would seem an uncanny coincidence of an identical time to the second!
 * Checking against the 2nd-place drivers: 1906 E.Graziani 10h05m32.2, and 1911 M.Cortese 9h58m20.4 which would suggest they are not copy-errors Philby NZ (talk)
 * Hmmm, given that actually on a second reading, most of the sources I listed do line up with 9h32m22.0 in 1906, and 9h32m22.4 in 1911, and presumably the book you mention would be the best researched when it comes to the Targa Florio, it's probably safe to say that the 9h32m20.0 for 1906 I found in the 1959 Autocourse is just an error. I'll change it to 9h32m22.0, and give Motorsport Magazine as the reference, you can add/change it to the Targa Florio book if you prefer though. Thanks. A7V2 (talk) 11:49, 30 October 2019 (UTC)

First race won by a horse?
Top Gear Season 4, Ep8 claims that the first ever Targa Florio was orgnanized by the first man on the island with an automobile, and that the first race he organized was between his car, a man on a horse and a man on a bicycle. It claims that the horse won, which is believable for the era. I know that much of what is said on Top Gear is not to be regarded as truth, but this doesn't sound like something that they just made up out of thin air. What is the deal with this story, and if it's true, wouldn't it be relevant to this page?

Idumea47b (talk) 05:48, 20 December 2020 (UTC)


 * Well, according to this is perhaps half-true. It doesn't give a year (although from the text, presumably before 1903) but Vincenzo Florio apparently did organise a race between his car, a horse and a bicycle, but not actually the Targa Florio of course. Potentially worth a mention here or in Vincenzo Florio I suppose. A7V2 (talk) 11:43, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

"The 3rd Targa Florio Australian Tribute 2019 will be held..." needs updating
It's now 2023. Barefoot through the chollas (talk) 23:07, 23 August 2023 (UTC)