The first historical revival of the Campione d’Italia Circuit has entered the annals of motoring culture as a luminous triumph, transforming the quiet lakeside enclave into a vibrant theatre of history, passion, and elegance. From 4 to 7 September 2025, the tiny circuit of just 1,116 metres, once dubbed in the 1930s “the smallest circuit in the world”, was reborn in all its splendour, a stage upon which cars, motorcycles, boats and karts told a story that entwined past and present in a seamless celebration of engineering artistry.
It was in 1937 that the Campione Circuit hosted its original epic, when the likes of Luigi Villoresi, Franco Cortese, Giovanni Lurani, Piero Dusio, Carlo Felice Trossi, and the eventual victor Giovanni Rocco pitted their machines against the twisting lakeside roads. Almost ninety years later, the revival of that spirit was entrusted to Ermanno De Angelis and Nunzia Del Gaudio of Victorious, with the indispensable support of the Municipality of Campione d’Italia and the Automobile Club Lugano Classic. Their vision unfolded as a living pageant of heritage, drawing thousands of spectators into a world where history was not merely observed but felt.
Over one hundred cars, twenty-two historic motorcycles, twenty karts, and six vintage boats were arrayed across the town in a shimmering tribute to mechanical genius. The lakefront paddock became a museum without walls, where Bugatti, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Amilcar, MG, Bentley, Lagonda and Jaguar gleamed in the September light, accompanied by modern icons such as Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz and a striking cohort of Dallara. A quintet of formidable Formula cars commanded special attention: the Brabham Cosworth BT24-3 F1, Graham Hill’s Shadow DN1 3A, Riccardo Patrese’s Arrows A1, and others from the collections of the Silvio Moser Museum and Master Class Motors. Among them, the star of the weekend, Marco Coppini’s 1978 Arrows A/1, ultimately claimed the coveted Best in Show award, a verdict joyfully echoed by the public’s acclaim.
The “Casino di Campione”, guardian of the town’s architectural skyline, served as a symbolic backdrop to a programme as rich as it was varied. There were aquatic displays and street food, music and pop-up stores, while NeroForte simulators allowed visitors to race virtually at no cost. The public marvelled at vintage karts dating back to the 1950s, and applauded as historic motorcycles and boats reclaimed their moment of glory. Roberto Canesi (Mayor of Campione), joined Senator Elena Murelli, President of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for Historic Vehicles, at the inauguration. Murelli herself drove a FIAT 508 Morelli from the EverGreenCars collection, embodying the principle that participation is the highest form of celebration.
The presence of Jurgen Barth, legendary winner of the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, further elevated the atmosphere. With good humour, he signed autographs while at the wheel of a 1950 Jaguar XK120 OTS, reminding the crowds why his name is etched into racing folklore. Alongside the track action, the “Campione in Pista” exhibition revived the town’s motorsport soul, and hundreds of visitors passed through its halls in a pilgrimage of memory.
Hospitality and refinement marked every stage of the long weekend. Upon arrival, participants received a welcome bag from Tucano, an official Mille Miglia Shop jacket, a Lavor pressure washer, Ma-Fra products, a voucher from The Mall Luxury Outlet, the official buffer of the Campione Circuit, and a Casino-branded umbrella. On Friday, after the first warm-up laps and a driver’s briefing in the “Salone delle Feste” high within the Casino, the cars paraded into Lugano. There, EGM Cigars greeted participants with a personalised Circuito di Campione cigar, and local guides led tours of the city before an elegant aperitif at the Lugano Town Hall, courtesy of Banca del Ceresio. The prequel concluded with a gala dinner atop Mario Botta’s architectural landmark, gathering three hundred guests in a glittering overture to the weekend.
Saturday witnessed the heartbeat of the revival. At nine in the morning, the first cars took to the circuit, divided into seven groups and narrated for the public by journalist Dedo Tanzi. The night-time sessions, with the lakeside promenade illuminated by paddock lights, created an atmosphere almost theatrical in its intensity. By Sunday, anticipation reached its zenith with the “Concorso d’Eleganza Dinamico”. Bernard Weber’s Lagonda V12 Le Mans emerged victorious among the cars, pursued by Horbach and Muller’s Ferrari 348 TB Challenge and Jean Marc Rusconi’s Amilcar C6. Emilio Castelli’s Aermacchi 408 triumphed in the motorcycle class, Gianluca Lopes’s Riva Olympic in the boats, and Leonardo Garatti’s 1962 “Tony Kart” among the karts. The awards ceremony in the Salone delle Feste, attended by over two hundred, was the fitting crescendo of a weekend already rich with splendour.
The event achieved the rare distinction of becoming the first classic gathering to receive ESG Sustainability Certification through the collaboration of BrainsHub and GSD Global Sustainable Development. A tree was planted and a plaque unveiled by Falegnameria Svanotti in the presence of Mayor Canesi, FIVA President Tiddo Bresters, Italian Ambassador to Switzerland Gian Lorenzo Cornado, Senator Murelli, the organisers and Ivan Porfido, CEO of GSD Group. That same day, the unveiling of the Poste Italiane stamp dedicated to the event took place, destined to be preserved in the Poste Italiane Museum.
Children from Campione’s schools were invited to interpret the cars through drawings, which will be exhibited at the Civic Gallery. Media partners, including Celebre Magazine World, Rinascimento Magazine, Luxury Investment Magazine, Octane, Legends Magazine, Spirit, Klassiek & Techniek, DHRC, and La Domenica del Corriere del Ticino, amplified the story far beyond the lakeshore, ensuring that the resonance of this extraordinary celebration reached an international audience.
The event was made possible by an intricate network of institutions, partners and sponsors. The Mantua-based company Lavor and the Salone delle Feste of the Casino of Campione d’Italia were principal sponsors, while Bomberg was the Official Watch, Cantina Il Cavaliere the Official Wine, and Bliss the Official Drink. Tucano Milano 1985 provided the official bag, Matrix and Nero Forte the gaming platforms, F&H Lugano 1881 the Official Jewellery, Garage Maffeis the Official Cars, TSM the Official Insurance, Noci Motor Classic the Official Assistance, Web Valleys the official website partner, Wikimedia the cultural partner, and Renè the official photographer. Additional partners included Swiss Diamond Hotel Lake Lugano, MCM Motors, 1000 Miglia Shop, EGM Cigars, Altair Ego, Pacto, GSD Group, MAFRA, The Mall Luxury Outlet, Enrique Napp, the artist behind the official poster and artwork, Legend Grand Prix Salzburgring, La GeCO, 31 International, Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano, Aperigala, Securitas, Free Oldtimer Meeting, AFM Banqueting and ASPEN Group.
Institutional and cultural support was equally vital: the Regio Insubrica Working Community, Automobile Club Lugano Classic, FIVA, Ticino Section of the Swiss Touring Club, Automobile Clubs of Como and Novara, Lugano Airport, Federitaly, Aiti Servizi, Cercle Pegase Amilcar, as well as the Tazio Nuvolari, Fangio and Mille Miglia Museums and Wikimedia’s Italian and Swiss sections. Special thanks were extended to Automobile Club Como, with President Enrico Gelpi and Director Roberto Conforti, for providing marshals, while Italsoccorso oversaw medical readiness. The Carabinieri of Campione d’Italia, the Melide Fire Brigade, the Giubbe Verdi, the National Association of Carabinieri of Olgiate Comasco, the municipal cleaning services, towing teams, and the residents themselves were all praised for their commitment.
The organisational excellence was due in no small part to Victorious and Brains Hub, supported by a tireless staff including Michele Di Mauro, Francesca Suzan Cipani, Fabiana Simonelli, Vania Tonello, Diego Passera, Davide Tirabassi, Elio Fontana, Massimo Balinzo, Alba Camponovo, Elisabetta Brozzi, Matteo Fadda and Sandro Rusconi, who hosted the gala evening with distinction. This first edition has been a pure confirmation of memory, of beauty, and of community. By making admission free, the organisers ensured that enthusiasm was shared by all, residents, visitors, experts and neophytes alike. Already, the committee looks to the future, determined to consolidate the Campione d’Italia Circuit as a unique and exclusive reference point for classic car enthusiasts.
If the inaugural revival was a promise, then its success has rendered that promise into certainty: the smallest circuit in the world has once more become the grandest stage for history’s most enduring passions.
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Article edited by Massimo Basile
Editor & Founder