4 replies to this topic

[Nanni Dietrich]

The Trofeo Sardo was a gruelling road race held in the 1950s in Sardinia island. The race course started from the region's capital Cagliari to reach Sassari - some 215 kilometers - in northern part of the island, and back to Cagliari. A total of 420/430 kilometers on gravel/paved narrow roads.

Winner of the 1955 edition of the race was Sicilian Prince Gaetano STARRABBA in a Maserati A6GCS, from Mario BORNIGIA's Ferrari and Britain's Dan MARGULIES, third in a Jaguar C-type.

In his precious book "Settant'anni di gare automobilistiche in Italia", the author Emanuele Alberto Carli wrote that both Starrabba and Bornigia replaced co-drivers with ballast. 

Dan Margulies raced with a human co-driver, indeed and Emanuele Albert Carli listed him as one Norman Hill GRAHAM.

 

Do you also think what I think?

 

By the way, I had never heard before.

 

[Tim Murray]

Graham described his experiences in this event in Life at the Limit. He reckoned the event was rather hazardous as they went from Cagliari to Sassari and then turned round and came back again along the same road, dodging donkeys and other hazards - a true road race. He’d managed to find a crash helmet made of compressed cardboard (!) and some goggles in a local cycle shop, and says he took photos for Autosport during the event. This was all part of a long European tour he made as mechanic for Margulies during 1955.

More discussion on the Trofeo Sardo in this earlier thread:

Motor racing in Sardinia

[JoBo]

The Trofeo Sardo was a gruelling road race held in the 1950s in Sardinia island. The race course started from the region's capital Cagliari to reach Sassari - some 215 kilometers - in northern part of the island, and back to Cagliari. A total of 420/430 kilometers on gravel/paved narrow roads.

Winner of the 1955 edition of the race was Sicilian Prince Gaetano STARRABBA in a Maserati A6GCS, from Mario BORNIGIA's Ferrari and Britain's Dan MARGULIES, third in a Jaguar C-type.

In his precious book "Settant'anni di gare automobilistiche in Italia", the author Emanuele Alberto Carli wrote that both Starrabba and Bornigia replaced co-drivers with ballast. 

Dan Margulies raced with a human co-driver, indeed and Emanuele Albert Carli listed him as one Norman Hill GRAHAM.

 

Do you also think what I think?

 

By the way, I had never heard before.

Do you have an entry list available for that race? Photos?

 

JoBo

[Roger Clark]

Graham Hill wrote a brief report in Autosport 3/6/55. As well as those already mentioned, he lists Siracusa (Stanguellini) 4th, Bianchi (OSCA) 5th, Lumbroso (Lancia) 6th. Piero Pisano (500C Fiat) was killed in an accident.  Of over 60 starters, 42 finished.   There is a photograph of the Jaguar entering Cagliari. 
 

in 2010, The Automobile published the story of Margulies’ career across several episodes. He was on a tour, racing at Bari on 15th May, Sardinia 22nd Mayand the Eifelrennen a week later. The C-type was very reliable and needed very little work between races, luckily, as Dan described Hill as “not an ace mechanic”

 

On the weekend  23rd/24th July the two of them drove in the nocturnal 10 hours of Messina. After the race, Hill caught a fast train back to London to get married. It was their last event together as Hill needed regular employment and he got a job at Lotus. 

[D-Type]

Martin Krejci has this: http://www.wsrp.cz/n...amp1955.html#34

And Racing Sports Cars is remarkably similar https://www.racingsp...05-21-6120.html

Edited by D-Type, 23 March 2020 - 14:15.