A Sicilian Affair: The Bulgari 904

Jeweller, designer, businessman and racer: Gianni Bulgari has certainly led a full and glamorous life. He was heir to a family firm that counted movie stars and aristocracy among its clients – Richard Burton once said that the only Italian word Elizabeth Taylor knew was ‘Bulgari’. It gave Gianni the means to indulge his passion for motor racing, and in 1964 he bought a new Porsche 904 directly from the factory. With its stiff chassis, lightweight glassfibre body, and rear-mounted four-cam engine, the 904 was the German marque’s latest contender in the ultra-competitive world of GT racing. Bulgari’s first outing with chassis ‘904 080’ came at the 1964 Targa Florio. His new car was perfectly suited to the 44-mile Piccolo Madonie circuit, which twisted and turned through the Sicilian countryside. This was road-racing in its most traditional form. Gianni arrived a week early in order to practice, and said of the 904 that ‘it represented an enormous step forward’ – quite a compliment from a man who’d previously owned and raced a 250 GTO. The practice paid off: Gianni led the great race at half-distance before being forced to retire with suspension damage. After that, he campaigned the 904 in hillclimbs and race meetings alike, winning at the challenging old Mugello road circuit. Today, the 904 evokes that golden period of dual-purpose GT cars that were equally at home on the road as they were on the track – and it can still make every journey feel like a lap of the Piccolo Madonie. #porsche904 #roadracing #targaflorio #1964 #bulgari Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidstonmoto... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kidston-Moto... Please Comment, Share and Subscribe to our Channel, we need your help to share our passion! © 2026 - Kidston Productions. Please do not repost without consent.