Reviving the Spirit of the Silver Fox

Now in its seventh edition, the ‘Silver Fox Invitational’ returns and expands to the entire weekend of June 7th and 8th with a major new feature. The event, conceived by Prisca Taruffi—daughter of the legendary Piero Taruffi, an icon of Italian motorsport, and herself a rally champion—is celebrated to remember the myth of the ‘Silver Fox’, a nickname given to Taruffi for his early gray hair and cunning behind the wheel. It will be an entire weekend dedicated to the passion for motors, between vintage cars and motorcycles and the now-classic couples golf tournament. The whole event will take place in the enchanting setting of the Parco di Roma Golf Club. The appointment for the tournament and the exhibition of the vehicles is set for Sunday, June 8th, but this year there is a special addition: the Taruffi motorcyclist, the so-called ‘arrow man’, will be particularly celebrated on the centenary of his first two-wheel victory. A historical reenactment on Saturday, June 7th, will bring back the emotion of the Monte Mario Circuit, the stage of that feat. ‘Destiny has united two important centenaries: my father’s first motorcycle victory, on the AJS 350 that my grandfather gave him for his high school diploma, and that of the Royal Rome Prize. My father participated in the latter with both cars and motorcycles,’ said Prisca Taruffi, enthusiastic about the event that will take place on June 7th and 8th. ‘Thanks to this combination, the Silver Fox, now in its 7th edition, is enriched with the second day. The Exhibition will feature the aforementioned AJS 350, but also the Bugatti T 35 that won the first edition of the Royal Rome Prize. I wish to thank Giuseppina Fusco, president of AC Rome, and Alessandro Onorato, councilor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism, and Fashion; as well as Dr. Pietro Gasbarra, president of the Parco di Roma Golf Club, the location that hosts us for the third year. I also want to highlight the first participation of the State Police, which will line up four cars and two motorcycles from their Historical Museum.’ At the press conference, Giuseppina Fusco, president of the Automobile Club Rome; Alessandro Onorato, Councilor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism, and Fashion of the City of Rome; Mariano Angelucci, President of the Tourism, Fashion, and International Relations Commission of the City of Rome; and Giulia Tempesta, President of the Budget Commission of the City of Rome, participated. A great novelty: the reenactment on Saturday, June 7th—Piero Taruffi, famous for his feats with innovative vehicles like the Gilera-powered bisiluro, later Maserati, with which he achieved many of his 34 world records, was also the winner of the Carrera Panamericana in 1951, the Targa Florio in 1954, and the legendary Mille Miglia in 1957. But not everyone knows that his career began with motorcycles. In 1925, riding the AJS 350, he won the Monte Mario Hill Climb. To celebrate the centenary of this triumph, on Saturday, June 7th, from 9:30 am to 11 am, there will be a reenactment with vintage cars and motorcycles along the same route, starting from Piazza dei Quiriti and tackling the Monte Mario climb. Not only that, on Saturday, June 7th, thanks to the collaboration with the Automobile Club Rome, the centenary of the Royal Rome Prize will also be celebrated. The reenactment will include part of the track of that historic race. Among the stars on display, an extraordinary Bugatti T35, the same car that in 1925 triumphed in the first edition of the race with Carlo Masetti at the wheel. A novelty that further enriches this motorsport passion weekend. Silver Fox Exhibition—With an increasingly high level of participating vehicles, the Silver Fox Exhibition is now a pride for the Capital. The exhibition of historic cars and motorcycles, sponsored by ACI Storico, will be held on Sunday, June 8th at the Parco di Roma Golf Club. A unique opportunity to admire true jewels of vintage motoring and motorcycling, including a replica of the Norton 500 4-cylinder and the AJS 350 Big Port with which Taruffi won his first race in 1925. An exceptional jury will evaluate the models on display and award various recognitions, including the prestigious ‘Best of the Show’ award. This year, to make this edition even more special, Giovanni Malagò, president of CONI (among the event’s sponsors), wanted to honor Taruffi—who was also Azzurro d’Italia—by signing two commemorative plaques. Two prizes, one for cars and one for motorcycles, will be awarded at the gala dinner, which will close with a touching emotional clip dedicated to the ‘arrow man’. Golf Amateur Challenge—On Sunday, June 8th, it will also be the turn of the Golf Amateur Challenge, which will be held at the Parco di Roma Golf Club. The couples tournament (HCP limited to 28) will be played with the Fourball format, also known as ‘four balls the best’: each player plays their own ball, and for each hole, the best score of the team is considered. The tournament includes men’s, women’s, and mixed teams. Prizes are up for grabs for the first gross couple, the first two net couples, the first lady/mixed couple, as well as special prizes, male and female, for the driving contest, the nearest to the pin, and the nearest to the second shot.