Lot Essay
This watch was produced in 12 examples.
This watch belonged to the famous Sicilian sports car race driver Stefano La Motta, Barone di Salinella (b.1920-d.1951) who raced such sports cars as Alfa Romeo, Cisitalia and Ferrari and was a regular competitor of the annual traditional race around Sicily know as the "Giro Automobilistico di Sicilia", with its 11,000 bends, at the time the longest closed circuit race in Europe.
Following an interruption during the War Years, this race was begun again in 1948, and was then combined with the other famous Sicilian race the "Targa Florio", organised by Vincenzo Florio, a legendary figure within this sport. La Motta raced also in other circuits in Italy, for example the "Giro dell'Umbria" and the Naples Grand Prix. As President of the Palermo Football team, he lead it into the top national series (serie A) in 1948 and was responsible for the building of the Palermo hippodrome, then named "Ippodromo La Motta" and now called "Ippodromo della Favorita".
La Motta, in his fatal "Giro" of 1951 (then not combined with the Targa Florio) drove the latest novelty of the time, an Alfa Romeo 1900, and was heading the race, aiming to victory; but this was never to be as the car of La Motta and his co-pilot crashed in the deadly bend of Priolo, after Siracuse.
The following year, 1952, the 12th "Giro di Sicilia" was again combined with the Targa race but for the first time and in memory of the beloved sportsman deceased in his race to victory, it was entitled "Targa La Motta".
This watch belonged to the famous Sicilian sports car race driver Stefano La Motta, Barone di Salinella (b.1920-d.1951) who raced such sports cars as Alfa Romeo, Cisitalia and Ferrari and was a regular competitor of the annual traditional race around Sicily know as the "Giro Automobilistico di Sicilia", with its 11,000 bends, at the time the longest closed circuit race in Europe.
Following an interruption during the War Years, this race was begun again in 1948, and was then combined with the other famous Sicilian race the "Targa Florio", organised by Vincenzo Florio, a legendary figure within this sport. La Motta raced also in other circuits in Italy, for example the "Giro dell'Umbria" and the Naples Grand Prix. As President of the Palermo Football team, he lead it into the top national series (serie A) in 1948 and was responsible for the building of the Palermo hippodrome, then named "Ippodromo La Motta" and now called "Ippodromo della Favorita".
La Motta, in his fatal "Giro" of 1951 (then not combined with the Targa Florio) drove the latest novelty of the time, an Alfa Romeo 1900, and was heading the race, aiming to victory; but this was never to be as the car of La Motta and his co-pilot crashed in the deadly bend of Priolo, after Siracuse.
The following year, 1952, the 12th "Giro di Sicilia" was again combined with the Targa race but for the first time and in memory of the beloved sportsman deceased in his race to victory, it was entitled "Targa La Motta".