The history of the 1947 Piacenza Circuit

Piacenza Circuit, May 11, 1947

In 1947, Italy had only recently emerged from the Second World War. Reconstruction was beginning, and the rubble left by the conflict could still be seen in the cities. In a country that also lacked gasoline and tires, cars were even built by salvaging military vehicles left on the ground.

On 11 May 1947 the Automobile Club of Piacenza — a small city in Emilia-Romagna — organised the first car race after the end of the war on Fàcsal, a tree-lined avenue that runs along the ancient walls of the city. The event was called the “Prima di campionato 1947,” also known as the “Circuito di Piacenza 1947.”

The occasion was so important that the most famous car manufacturers — Maserati, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Fiat — gathered in Piacenza. Among the participants was the extraordinary debut of the first Ferrari: the legendary Ferrari 125 S.

In the race were famous drivers such as Ascari, Villoresi, Taruffi and Cortese, as well as the young Zagato and Bertone, who later became celebrated coachbuilders around the world. In the crowded stands, among many figures from the motorsport world watching the cars flash through the city streets, were Enzo Ferrari and the Maserati brothers.

Franco Cortese’s Ferrari 125 S got off to a good start, but with three laps to go its fuel pump failed and it had to retire. Guido Barbieri in a Maserati A6CS won the race. Still, the Maranello car aroused great interest among fans and led Enzo Ferrari to describe the performance of Cortese and his 125 S as “a promising failure.” Ferrari was prophetic: already at the next race, the Caracalla Circuit in Rome, the Ferrari 125 S driven by Cortese triumphed — the beginning of a very long series of victories.