When the Covid-19 pandemic reached onto the shores of the Italian Peninsula, it marred the entire region for months, putting it - along with most of the world - into a perpetual state of stillness. Despite the ongoing darkness surrounding them, those Italians never fail to show their relaxed and cheerful La Dolce Vita, bringing a ray of hope that joy is never lost, painful as it may have been. We shared that spirit of solidarity around the world, even as the "new normal" proved hard to accept.
No movement, no work, no fun, and complete silence. I ordinarily associate the sounds of Italy - apart from the boisterous and soulful orchestras - with sweet, sweet engine notes. Is that a peaked crescendo of V12, I hear, or the baritone deepness rumbling in a V8? Besides, Italy is as Jeremy Clarkson calls it, God's very own racetrack. Car enthusiasts are a very diverse bunch, existing across all corners around the globe. A JDM tuner roaming the streets of California, a high-riding off-roader trekking the dunes of the Sahara, or supercars punching down the Riviera.
The Hills Are Alive, With The Sound Of Engine.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Many a Ferraris were seen this day.
We share a similar passions for things with wheels, and goes like the clappers. Yet, some of us are more emotive than others, and I dare say that the Italians are the most passionate car enthusiasts in the world. The entire population have a common love, espousing huge bouts of enjoyment watching cars speed by their homes. Observe, and take as an example of how Italians craft their cars, and how they'd smile and cheer with a huge grin when seeing any car.
With the outbreak of Coronavirus hitting hard, Italy's automotive sector is busy doing other things, from charity runs, to using their factories in making protective, and medical equipment. With months in hibernation, there's been a build-up of excited emotions among lovers of cars, just patiently waiting to once again hit the road, and hear those glorious engines fire up once more. Now, just in time before those passions reach a boiling point, the first ever post-lockdown rally will be held in Italy, and boy are we ecstatic.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Happy faces, happier cars.
Or at least, it was held a few days ago, as I only heard of it today. Too bad you can't see it live, but at least here's some wonderful photos and videos of it, eh? Organised by Canossa, and among the many automotive events that they manage, the rally is called the Stella Alpina. In English anyways, it stands for Alpine Star, and putting aside its similarities to a company that makes sporty clothing, the clue might be in the scenery itself.
The Stella Alpina is held in the breath-takingly picturesque mountain range of the Dolomites, in north-eastern Italy. Announced as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and rising to a peak of nearly 11,000-feet above sea level, the Dolomites is a heavenly place for anyone to visit. It's perfect for skiing, cycling, or just hiking around, smelling nature. Or, you could adapt the natural geography of the mountains and hills to race your cars around its twisty, curvy, hairpin bends with countless changes in elevation.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | The Dolomites.
This is the sort of road that we all dream to drive on, someday in our lives. Why settle for the calmness and serenity of Mother Nature, when you can take in those wonderful sights to the sounds of a Ferrari V12 in the background? I find that it's best when the hills are alive with the sound of engines, and the familiar fumes of petrol tickling your nostrils. Why settle for just the sight of wild horses roaming in the plains and foothills, when you can have a Prancing Horse for yourself?
A chance to responsibly escape our locked-down homes, once more kicking tyres and lighting fires, the bookings for taking part in the Stella Alpina was closed in just two weeks. That's all it took for passionate enthusiasts across Europe to find ways of re-igniting their cars, who've mostly spent the last few months sitting idle in a garage. Mind you, it's not complementary to get in either, as there's a $2,500 fee per person to get your car into the rally. That's quite an expensive holiday.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Getting timed, getting prepared.
Though if you're thinking that the Stella Alpina is just an event for cruising comfortably around in style, then you may want to re-calibrate your expectations. While not as arduous as the 1,000-mile Mille Miglia, the Stella Alpina is no walk in the park. Participants are taking part in a "classic regularity" rally, which involves both timed, and average-speed trials at various stages. Respectively, these events will judge by how accurately they can get from one checkpoint to the next within an allotted time, or how consistently they can maintain their speed from start to finish.
For both, there will be points deduction for going either over, or below the benchmark, getting within the acceptable margin of error. These trials are a test of precision and focus, not just with your driving skill, but your ability to analyse and calculate the route, traffic, and whatever car you brought along. There are no such things as a race for absolute speed, or seeing who can get there first. These rallies are held on public roads, and driving like a racer would no doubt put pedestrians, and other road-users in harm's way.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | More Ferraris!
Making sure to have fun, and stay safe, as I always say. But worry not, as just like the Mille Miglia, you're obliged to have a co-driver who can do all the maths, while you could stay focused on piloting the car. It'll still be a difficult task however, as you'll both have to do this for a total of 500km (310-miles), and on a packed schedule spanning 3 days. Nevertheless, despite a seemingly stringent timeframe, expect nothing less than to be pampered like a celebrity on tour.
All that rallying on lovely mountain roads would mean nothing if you're peering your weary eyes on the speedometer the whole way through, no? It would be a crying shame if you're missing out on the rest, and that's where Stella Alpina helps to cater the very best of the local hospitality - Italian food, cheeses, bread, wine, and no doubt a cup of espresso, or two! While you're driving hard, trust that the organisers have allowed every chance to slow down, and take in the sights. There's also breaks to let you stretch your legs, or fix that old jalopy of yours.
A Clash Of Titans.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Not one, but two Dinos.
Mind you, I wrote that before taking a closer look into the list of cars that are taking part in the rally, and I now realise how wrong I am. There are no jalopies to be seen here, only the finest selection of cars, both that you can buy brand new today, and ones that'll appear on the vintage classifieds. These are automobiles that have been cared for like they're the Baby Jesus, and there are 77 rallying this time around. Not 77 people, but 77 cars. That's quite a lot for a convoy driving through rural mountain passes, not counting the support cars and other spectators.
So far as I know, there are two gods that the Italians pray to: God with a capital 'G', and Ferrari. Not being much of a religious person, I'd happily kneel and pray to Ferrari any hour, or day of the week. On their site, there's an entire entry list of cars in the Stella Alpina rally, and from what I counted, there are 42 Ferraris in total - quite a disproportionate amount, perhaps. Among them is an old 1974 Dino, which I heartily call a Ferrari, despite some Prancing Horse purists insisting against it.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Back to the Future.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are a wrath of newer Ferraris including the rare gem that is the F12 TDF, the V12 roofless grand-tourer as the 812 GTS, and the racy 488 Pista Piloti. Among other notable cars that have caught my eye are the Dallara Stradale, which is a pretty hardcore choice for this sort of driving. There are some other Italian vintage-mobiles, like the Lancia Fulvia, some Alfa Romeos, and a Fiat Dino. The latter of them is a rarity that shares the V6 engine with that aforementioned Ferrari Dino.
British classics have invaded this event as well, with the superfast and super-pretty Jaguar XK120, MGA, and the Triumph TR3. Sitting alongside them are a school of old-fashioned Germanic engineering with the 911T, and gorgeous BMW 507. Curiously, someone even brought along a couple of wafty barges for these mountain roads, cruising in luxury with the Mercedes Adenauer and the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II.
Credits to: Canossa - Stella Alpina 2020 | Here are some non-Ferraris.
It's amazing to see all these cars hanging around together, as I can't imagine there being too many gatherings where you'd find automobiles from times past, and present. In the end, the Stella Alpina marks the first of many more automotive events to come, as the world walks one step closer towards a more ordinary life. With enthusiast's rallies like this, or motorsports events from Formula 1 to the Dakar Rally, we're now hearing the roar of engines awaken across the globe, purring in anger. Now awaken from your slumber, my pretties, and reclaim those roads, as you are destined to.