The Coppa delle Alpi 2019 was staged 4-7 December through some of the most striking mountain passes in Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The first winter regularity rally for vintage cars organised by 1000 Miglia Srl, the team that coordinates the Mille Miglia, the inaugural edition of the Alpine Cup competed through 15 Alpine passes over nearly 1,200 kilometers.
The four-day Coppa delle Alpi saw 45 intrepid teams pit their pre-1976 cars against a unique set of challenges with snow and ice added to the usual mix of curves and elevation changes.The favored marque was Porsche with nine entries, followed by Lancia (7), Jaguar (6), Fiat (5) and Alfa Romeo (4). Participants crossed unique landscapes and breathtaking scenery such as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy, the 19th-century Romanesque Revival Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria and the stunning Lake Resia in the western portion of Italy against the border with Switzerland.
For each leg, a trophy was awarded to that day’s winning team to the city of arrival — Brixen, Seefeld and Saint Moritz. The first overall ranking competitors and the winners of the three city leg trophies all received acceptance to the 2020 running of the Mille Miglia. In addition, the debut ‘Alpine Cup’ also served as the last race in the Italian Major Events Championship for 2019.
Among the many interesting cars participating in the Coppa delle Alpi 2019, notable entrants included the 1932 Fiat 514 Coppa delle Alpi driven by Pietta and Lazzarini from Brescia; the 1935 Lagonda M45 Rapide driven by Siegried Gronkowski and Sascha Haarbach from Germany; the 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Zagato of the Dutch crew Van Gerwen-Van Ingen and the 1951 Aston Martin DB2 of Michel Decremer and Marie Claire Martens from Belgium.
The 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 driven by the Dutch crew of Frans van Haren and Leony Hendriks originally ran in the as a Works entrant at the 1932 Le Mans 24 Hours, raced by Tim Birkin and Earl Howe. Later in its life, the 8C Alfa was owned by the Mussolini regime’s Air Force Minister, Marshal Italo Balbo, who is reputed to have delivered rousing political speeches while sitting on its bonnet. Congrats to its present owner for enjoying it on this year’s Coppa delle Alpi.
The team of Antonio ‘Nino’ Margiotta and Guido Urbini won the 2019 edition of the Coppa delle Alpi driving a 1947 Volvo PV 444. The were followed by Gianmario Fontanella who drove a 1955 Porsche 356 A 1600 together with Anna Maria Covelli and the expert couple from Bologna formed by Massimo Zanasi and Barbara Bertini in a 1958 Volvo Amazon P120.
For three legs the pediatrician from Palermo Giovanni Moceri, with his 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, was leading the ranking assisted by Daniele Bonetti from Brescia. While Moceri lost ground on the final day and slipped into sixth position, he still won the overall Italian Great Events Championship for 2019.
Alberto Piantoni, CEO of 1000 Miglia Srl, said: “It was a unique experience to see these cars that have made history speed through the whiteness of the snowy mountains and breathtaking natural landscapes. This formula across the Alps of four countries has garnered much acclaim and approval, and we are already ready to work on the next edition.”
Our first Coppa delle Alpi photo gallery captures the spirit of the event as well as the striking contrast of beautiful vintage cars, often tucked away in a climate-controlled garage from now until spring, against a backdrop of wintry countryside and snowcapped mountains.
Coppa delle Alpi 2019 – Photo Gallery
Coppa delle Alpi 2019 – Overall Results
1. Nino Margiotta and Guido Urbini (ITA) – 1947 Volvo PV 444
2. Gianmario Fontanella and Anna Maria Covelli (ITA) – 1955 Porsche 356 A 1600
3. Massimo Zanasi and Barbara Bertini (ITA) – 1958 Volvo Amazon P120
4. Andrea Belometti and Doriano Vavassori (ITA) – 1937 Fiat 508 C Balilla 1100
5. Ezio Sala and Romano Bacci (ITA) – 1937 Lancia Aprilia Berlina 1350
Coppa delle Alpi 2019 – Trophy Winners
Brixen Trophy (Day One) – Massimo Zanasi and Barbara Bertini (ITA) – 1958 Volvo Amazon P120
Seefeld Trophy (Day Two) – Giovanni Moceri and Daniele Bonetti (ITA) – 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT
St. Moritz Trophy (Day Three) – Massimo Zanasi and Barbara Bertini (ITA) – 1958 Volvo Amazon P120
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