Milano Roma 1905 - crash at Pizzighettone

I was send this old postcard that shows a car accident at Pizzighettone (Cremona, Italy; 60 km - 45 mi from Milan).

The comment is: Pizzighettone - Incidente automobilistico sul Ponte dell'Adda - Concorso A.C. Milano Roma, 16 maggio 1905 (Pizzighettone - Car crash on bridge over river Adda - Contest Automobil Club Milan Rome, May 16th 1905)

Does anybody know something more about this event and or this accident?

Ciao,
Guido

Guido

The Concorso di Turismo was a three-day event organised by the AC Milano 16-18 May, 1905.

The first circuit was 1,650km long from Milano and back, taking in Borgo S.Donnino, Modena, Pistoia, Arezzo, Todi, Roma, Viterbo, Siena, Firenze, Bologna, Padova and Brescia. It was won by Vincenzo Lancia in a FIAT.

The second circuit was 900 km long, Milano-Borgo S.Donnino-Modena-Firenze-Faenza-Ravenna-Padova-Mantova-Piacenza-Milano Modena, Florence and Milano. Split into two classes one was won by Lorenzo Ginori in a Zust and the other by the Queen of Italy's chauffeur Emanuele Cedrino in a FIAT.

The other circuit was for the smaller cars and was only 600km long with the route Milano-Piacenza-Modena-Mantova-CREMONA-Bobbio-Voghera-Milano. This was won by Reale in Peugeot Bebe.

What car it was in the accident on the bridge at Pizzighettone I have not a clue but it seems a bit big to be one of the small cars. In any case to get to Cremona on the first day I would have said was impossible. Possibly Pizzighettone was on the route for all the circuits as it is not far from Milano.

John

Originally posted by humphries
Guido

The Concorso di Turismo was a three-day event organised by the AC Milano 16-18 May, 1905.

The first circuit was 1,650km long from Milano and back, taking in Borgo S.Donnino, Modena, Pistoia, Arezzo, Todi, Roma, Viterbo, Siena, Firenze, Bologna, Padova and Brescia. It was won by Vincenzo Lancia in a FIAT.

So in fact a predecessor of the Mille Miglia.
Do you have more data about these races or were they more or less reliability runs.
Braunbeck does not say anything about this contest.


Gerrit Stevens

As recorded in the RACI 'Libro d'Oro' covering 1895-1947 Italian events, this Milan event was held on 15-17 May, 1905, not 16-18. It supported the contemporary Salone dell'Automobile in Milan, and was organised into what were listed as four categories, but numbered as five. Categoria I covered 1500kms and was won by Lancia's Fiat from Ceirano's Itala - Categoria II over 900kms won by Ginori's Fiat from Ferraro-Ventimiglia in a similarly-named car, and then without any Categoria III being recorded, Categoria IV fell to Cedrino's Fiat from Mochi's Florentia, and Categoria V to Reale's Bebe Peugeot from Soldati's Oldsmobile. All very odd. Not least, what happened to (and in) 'Categoria III'?

However, the report of the event in 'La France Automobile' offers far more detail, and yet another version of the outcome:

Category I:

1st place for Class I (chassis costing no more than 14,000 Francs), Vincenzo Lancia (24hp Fiat), 5,000 Francs and the President Chevalier Massoni Cup - 2nd 1,000 Francs and the MIlan AC Cup to Matteo Ceirano (24hp Itala) - 3rd place (and a big gold medal), Alessandro Ugeno (24hp Fiat).

1st place for Class II (chassis costing more than 14,000 Francs), Marquis Ginori (40hp Zust), King of Italy Cup - 2nd place, the Marquis Ferrero di Ventimiglia - (ah, that explains the name) 24hp Fiat - won the Confalioneri Cup.

Category II:

Class III (chassis costing 5,000-11,000 Francs) - no entrants presented themselves for the start (aaah, so there's our answer).

Class IV (chassis costing 5,000-14,000 Francs) - 1st Cedrino (16hp Fiat) - 1,000 Francs and AC MIlano Cup - 2nd Einochi (16hp Florentia), 500 Francs and a big gold medal.

Category III:

Class V (chassis costing less than 5,000 Francs) - 1st L. Soldati (7hp Chevrolet) 1,000 Francs and the AC di Milano Members' Cup - 2nd N. Soldati (7hp Oldsmobile) 300 Lire and a big gold medal - 3rd Reale (7hp Peugeot), big gold medal - following on were Tamagni (10hp Marchand) and Tosta (10hp Ford).

The results were decided by a judging jury comprising the Chevalier A, Massoni as President, Count L. Taverna as Secretary, Chevalier G. Colteletti, Chevalier L. Beaux, L. Ferrause (wot no title?) and Dr G. Guastalla...

Given the conflicts of preferred terminology, different currencies etc...this example just underlines the difficulty of deciding definitive information from differing contemporary sources.

What makes you think I'm bored...and avoiding doing something gainful???

DCN

How many French Francs to the pound in 1905 ? And how much did a 3 bedroom house in south - East England cost at that time ? What did a small road car cost at that time in France and in England .

(There are plenty of important things I ought to be doing as well ! )