Cesana - Sestriere

Dedicated to Gianni Agnelli, the Cesana-Sestriere hillclimb follows a thrilling 10.4 km ascent through hairpin bends in the Olympic mountains outside Turin.

Organised by Automobile Club Torino, the 38th edition of the Cesana-Sestriere - Trofeo Giovanni Agnelli is a competition valid for the European and Italian Hill Climb Championships for vintage cars. The spectacular 10.4-kilometre route climbs from 1300 m a.s.l. in Cesana Torinese to 2035 m a.s.l. in Sestriere through the natural beauty of the Turin Alps. It is a fascinating challenge for the 150 drivers participating in the speed race and for the 100 who signed up for the parade.

This year's edition is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Abarth, the guest of honour of the competition. The special relationship between the Turin-based auto maker and the Cesana-Sestriere dates back to the first edition of the race, held in 1961 on occasion of the centenary of the Unification of Italy with the participation of city cars tuned up with racing components specially designed by Abarth. The bond was bolstered even further in the early Seventies when the Abarth 3000 scored two wins a row, specifically in 1970 with Arturo Merzario and in 1971 with Austrian Johannes Ortner.

There will be two vintage Abarths picked from the FCA Heritage collection and treasured in the new multi-functional Heritage Hub on the starting line in Cesana, this year, namely the 1964 Abarth 2400 coupé and the 1974 Fiat 500 with "Abarth Classiche 595" tune-up kit.