The Foundation concerns itself with the promotion of the world’s oldest and most famous motor race: The Targa Florio, invented by Vincenzo Florio, Sicilian entrepreneur. The ‘Targa’ which literally translates as plate or award refers to the solid gold prize that was awarded to each year’s winner of the famous race. The foundation seeks to protect and promote the history of this famous event by assisting in the promotion of various cultural events which are carefully managed independently.

The foundation was created by enthusiasts of the Targa Florio, including drivers who took part in the original event as well as spectators who haven’t forgotten the spectacle of seeing some of the world’s best known drivers battle it out around public roads on one of the world’s most challenging circuits…..Independently funded without any outside contribution the Foundation seeks to maintain and promote the history of the original event, without doubt one of the most famous motor races in history. The Foundation boasts an impressive collection of ephemera purchased and put together by friends and supporters of the Foundation. It is worth pointing out that fans from as far away as Japan and New Zealand have recreated their own ‘Targa Florio’ creating a similar course, road signs and pits like the original event itself but nothing can detract from the sense of history and passion this unforgettable event imprinted in the minds of enthusiasts all over the world. This magic can only be captured in Sicily in Vincenzo Florio’s TARGA FLORIO!

The Targa Florio Foundation organizes and promotes a number of events both in Italy and abroad to help keep the memory of this famous event alive. This includes art exhibitions, stands at some of the better known motoring events, meetings and talks. To do so the Foundation employs the use of a number of experts in their field, art specialists, historians, former competitors, libraries and institutions. A recent product of the Foundation was a postage stamp to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the Targa Florio of which 3 million copies were printed.

The Foundation occupies itself with marketing and promotion in the automobile sector and has set up various cultural exchanges with other countries with whom they cooperate with the promotion of the various events that they organize.

In this sector culture and information technology are considered irreplaceable in what they contribute to Italy’s automobile world. The shared enthusiasm both in Italy and abroad for Italy, its products and culture are represented by the Targa Florio Foundation. For 15 years the Foundation has promoted a number of events both in Italy and as far away as Japan and Israel. Many of these events have been sponsored by the Italian President.

But the Foundation is also about research. This is something that can be seen in a number of events that the Foundation organizes. At the Science and Technical Museum in Tokyo they are currently displaying a hybrid vehicle ‘Bizzarini Eco Targa’ which conforms to Euro 5, and is 4 wheel drive which was built by the ‘Universita La Sapienza Polo’ in Rome to participate in the Eco Targa, an event the Foundation organizes to promote the design of economically viable vehicles for the future. There is a separate leaflet available regarding the Eco Targa.

This vehicle together with a solar powered prototype will be exhibited at Villa Malfitano and will participate in the FIA event. The Foundation participates closely with the Palermo Automobile Club with whom it is a founder of the Targa Florio Museum in Collesano.