October 8, 2022: The 1029 km covered in the course of the Modena Cento Ore 2022 is only one of the amazing statistics from this year’s edition.
Here are some others:
- 10 uphill special stages on closed roads, some of the most beautiful in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines
- 10 average speed trials in the Regularity section
- 18 countries represented with the largest numbers of crews coming from the UK (67 people), Germany (33) and Switzerland (24). The crews that had travelled the furthest came from Mexico and Hong Kong.
- 19 car brands were represented. Porsche, fielding 22 cars, was the carmaker with the biggest turnout, followed by Alfa Romeo with 16 and Ferrari with 14.
- 2 circuits hosted the track races: the Mugello Circuit and the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit
- The legs ended in 3 different cities
- The oldest car was a 1934 Alfa Romeo 8 C 2.9, aged 88
- The youngest, at 24, was a 1998 Porsche 993 Turbo S, a special guest at the event
- 90% of participants were from abroad, confirming the Modena Cento Ore’s status as one of the sector’s most international events
- 10 traffic police agents escorted us throughout the journey, making us feel protected throughout
- 0 residual C02 emissions
- Over 600 people were involved in the event in various capacities, including organisers, staff, marshalls, timekeepers, photographers, cameramen…
The cars
Several of the cars taking part in the Modena Cento Ore 2022 undoubtedly deserve a mention for their wonderful past and, often, sporting achievements.
One such car is the 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Gruppo 4, a former Jolly Club car, driven by Lawrence Kadoorie and Daniel Philip Wells. Back in the day, it took part in various Italian and European championship events. Unfortunately, on this occasion, after looking very fast, it was forced to pull out following an oil pump failure during the race on the Misano Adriatico circuit Another is the 1977 Fiat 131 Abarth Rally, a former official team car previously used by Alen and Kivimaki and now driven by Peter Hanimann and Fritz Grab, still sporting its original “Olio Fiat” livery. One of the most aesthetically pleasing cars was Diego Meyer and Sarah Amoroso’s 1953 Ferrari 250 MM, originally sold in Italy and used in period by Incom SpA and film producer Industrie Cinematografiche Sociali (ICS). Another Ferrari that drew admiring looks was Martin and Susanne Halusa’s 1952 212 Export, one of the first forty racing cars produced by Ferrari, and one of only four produced and originally sold to gentleman driver Augusto Caraceni. Both of these Ferraris, quite apart from being considered among the most important collectibles in the world, have also raced in the past, achieving excellent results. It was a huge thrill for everyone to see them participating in the Competition section. Also deserving of a mention is the 1980 Opel Monza 3.0 E driven by Stephan Jocher and Matthias Jocher. This car won the 1980 European Touring Car Championship and took second overall in the 1981 Nürburgring 24 Hours. Superfast, fantastically noisy, and always spectacular were three Ford Escort RS 1600s, from 1972 and 1975, brought to the Modena Cento Ore by three British crews, who amazed and entertained the public enormously. The crews, who also prepared their cars, were Ben Gill – David Didcock, Kevin Jones – Lee Jones, and Ian Delglish – Jack Edward Didcock. And finally, how could we fail to mention Dimitri Plaquet Florian Merckx’s 1972 Porsche 911 S, which took part in the 1972 Tour de France?
The 2022 edition
As the curtain fell on the 2022 Modena Cento Ore, it was clear once again that this event is one of the most popular internationally. All its ingredients — circuit races, amazing scenery, road trips and uphill special stages— combine to make it extraordinary, but what makes it truly unique is the fact that the drivers, once they have taken off their helmets, have the opportunity to get to know a bit of Italian history and to sample some of the finest hospitality and superb culinary traditions that make this unique country so famous. This year, the gala evening was held in the spectacular setting of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, which was specially opened for the occasion. There could be no mistaking the crews’ surprise and wonder on entering the historic Sala dei Cinquecento, adorned with frescoes by Vasari. This year’s Modena Cento Ore, held in October, took place in remarkably warm and sunny weather. The participants in open-topped cars were all delighted to be able to top up their tans, and several said that they would be going home with great memories of a gorgeous early Italian autumn. As always, the Cento Ore saw some cars suffering dents or mechanical problems, as well as the odd, even spectacular, accident in which no drivers came to any harm. The climax of the event was a celebration in the centre of the city of Modena, the heart of Motor Valley: a parade of all the cars past the foot of the Ghirlandina tower, after they had completed the last leg, in Piazza Grande. Continuing a Modena Cento Ore tradition, part of the proceeds from the event are being donated to charity, specifically to the Panathlon Club of Modena. The donation will help to support sports projects for disabled children. The Cento Ore continues to be the only green event in this industry. Canossa Events also confirmed its ecofriendly outlook by once again implementing a CarbonZero protocol: the residual CO2 emissions produced by the Modena Cento Ore 2022 will be completely offset by the planting of new trees in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. La Modena Cento Ore remains the only ‘zero emissions’ event of its kind. In addition, as further confirmation of its commitment to maintaining high standards of environmental awareness, Canossa has applied for and obtained UNI EN ISO 14001: 2015 certification.
The success of the Modena Cento Ore is possible also thanks to the involvement of excellent partners such as world-leading auction house RM Sotheby’s, Sparco and I Greppi.
Today Canossa Events, which is headquartered in the heart of Motor Valley, is also present in the United States and the Middle East.
At the end of the event, Luigi Orlandini, President and CEO of Canossa Events and Cavallino, commented: “We have finally seen a return to the good old pre-pandemic days, with 100 fantastic cars arriving from all over the world, from Hong Kong to Brazil, and 18 countries represented. It was a very hard-fought competition, right up to the last special stage, and we couldn’t have asked for better conditions: five full days of summery sunshine. My thanks to all the participants and the whole team for this 21st edition, which has been a huge success.”
