Suggest public and private collections dedicated to automotive

Perugina Cup 1924-1927

Private collection
Photos on sheet of glass
Author: Claudio Belati
Revision: Sandro Fratticioli Photography - Perugia



Why do we open with a Bugatti? Because we consider it paying homage to a great immigrant, symbol of Italian creativity in the automotive field that in France, between the two World Wars, achieved a legendary status worldwide that still endures today.

In 1924 the Perugia chocolate company, famous for its dark Luisa and Baci, started a restyling of its corporate identity and communication strategy.
In order to send a powerful and innovative message, Perugina chose to connect its image with something that was revolutionizing the concept of mobility: the automobile.
It was the first time that a company had launched an international motor competition, making its own factory the reference point. Its road course wound through fields and small villages around Perugia.
With the Perugiana Cup, a great success was born. The company and the race had the same brand. Four years later, the company decided to restrict its engagement and became a sponsor in the current sense Perugia society was not ready to take on the heritage of a Cup that had what it took to match Targa Florio: a success had died..
Perugina continued its association with the automotive world: the mythical Topolino was the first prize for the competition connected to Saladin picture-cards. In the post-war period, Perugina sponsored the Umbria Auto Tour, a road race that attracted the best drivers.
Our virtual tour with the endorsers of modern mobility ends with the Baci airplane, a special livery designed for Alitalia Jumbo that connected Rome to New York.