Guizzardi Ettore

Ettore Guizzardi was born with petrol in his veins. As a child, he accompanied his father Enrico, a driver for the young Italian railways, on steam trains. That world of iron, steam, and tracks left a profound mark on him, but fate had in store for him much less straightforward paths.

In 1897, while travelling with his father, the train derailed near the villa of the Borghese princes in Albano Laziale. His father lost his life, and Ettore escaped with injuries and a severe blow to the head. Once healed, he began working for the Borghese family, first as a driver of a powerful six-horse automobile, then as the head of the entire fleet.

Prince Scipione Borghese, a man with great insight, immediately recognised that he had a brilliant mechanic and a natural driver on his hands. He sent Ettore to study engines at FIAT and at the Ansaldo workshops in Genoa, transforming him into his trusted chauffeur. Thus, in 1907, Ettore was chosen to take part in the legendary raid Peking-Paris, driving an Itala 35/45 HP, alongside the prince and journalist Luigi Barzini.

What followed was an epic adventure worthy of a novel. Departing on 10 June 1907 from Peking, the three Italians traversed deserts, steppes, swollen rivers, and non-existent roads, facing breakdowns, getting stuck, and encountering local populations who had never seen an automobile (and wondered where the horse was hidden). Thanks to Guizzardi's mechanical skill, the prince's tenacity, and Barzini's gripping reports, the Itala triumphantly arrived in Paris on 10 August 1907, with a full twenty days ahead of the second-placed vehicle.

It was a historic feat: the automobile proved it could conquer the world. Upon returning to Italy, Luigi Barzini wrote the bestseller The Half of the World Seen from an Automobile, published in eleven languages, in which he openly acknowledged that without the hands and brain of Ettore Guizzardi, the Itala would have never reached Paris.

In the following years, Guizzardi put his skills at the service of his country: he enlisted voluntarily as a driver in the First World War and rose to the rank of captain in the Second. He died at eighty-two years old, on 23 November 1963, with the well-deserved reputation of being one of the greatest mechanic-drivers in the history of motoring.

The Peking-Paris Raid: An Italian Endeavour

In 1907, the French newspaper Le Matin organised the Peking-Paris race to demonstrate that the automobile could challenge trains and ships on long journeys. Among the few courageous individuals who set off was Prince Scipione Borghese with his Itala, driven by his trusted Ettore Guizzardi.

The preparation was meticulous: mudguards converted into ramps, interchangeable tyres, strategic refuelling.

During the journey, Guizzardi was the silent hero: he repaired everything with minimal tools, improvised ingenious solutions, and kept the vehicle running under extreme conditions. Barzini, with his reports in the Corriere della Sera and the Daily Telegraph, transformed the endeavour into a global media event.

On 10 August 1907, when the Itala entered Paris, it was a triumph. An adventure that united technology, courage, friendship, and so much, much Italian ingenuity.