The Acerbo Cup

This is the story of one of the most important motor racing events in the 20th century. Born in 1924, The Coppa Acerbo (The Acerbo Cup), placed on a 25.5km circuit entwined between the sea and the hills, between towns and countryside, has hosted the greatest race champions and the major car manufactures in history. From Nuvolari to Varzi, from Moss to Caracciola, from Rosemeyer to Fangio, all great race champions between the two world wars have squared off on this very difficult racetrack, onboard racing cars produced by Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, Auto Union, Ferrari, Vanwall, Bugatti, Maserati and many other stables.

The setting of horrible accidents like the one that cost Guy Moll his life; Pescara racetrack was an exciting mix of hairpin bends and straights, one of which, in 1950, Juan Manuel Fangio reached the speed record of 310.31 km/h. In 1957 the motor racing was included in the official calendar of the World Formula 1 championship. Richard Williams’ novel, “The last Road Race”, is about the race that Stirling Moss won on a Vanwall after a fierce duel against Fangio. The documentary recalls the history of the motor racing through a series of interviews with journalists, historians and supporters, and switches between a rich repertoire shorts collection and new films shoot on the racetrack with vintage cars.