When we received an email from the marina office asking anyone with cars parked along the marina's perimetre to put them in the car park because there was a 'vintage car show' taking place the next day, little did we know that the show was actually the second day start of the Eco Targa Florio Classic 2012 and what a treat we were in for.

The Targa Florio is one of the world's oldest motor races and, together with the Mille Miglia, is certainly the most famous Italian race in the world. Founded in 1906 by Vicenzio Florio, a Palermo businessman, it was an open road endurance automobile race held in the Madonie mountains, near Palermo.

One of the toughest competitions in Europe, the first Targa Florio covered a whole tour of the island through multiple hairpin curves on treacherous mountain roads, at heights where severe changes in climate frequently occurred. The track length in the race's last decades was limited to the 72 kilometres (45 mi) of the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, which was lapped 11 times.

Due to safety concerns, especially by ex-F1 racer, Helmut Marko, who called the race "totally insane", the last Targa Florio was run in 1973, when it became impossible for the event to retain its international status after a number of horrendous and 2 fatal accidents.

The event was re-launched this year and we were very lucky to see close up some great classics that had taken part in previous Targa Florio's. One of our planned winter trips is to visit the Targa Florio museum and to drive some of the mountainous circuit; unfortunately, it won't be in a classic car!

For photos, click HERE