Forget everything you know about Sicily. Yes, the economy is in shambles and the mafia is still alive and well there. But for you, the auto-tourist, these things don't matter. Somehow, this Mediterranean island emerged from centuries of outside domination and feudal rule into the automobile age, whereupon it became a…

Cefalù, Sicily — Vincent Tourneur always dug Porsches. They're fast, they're sleek, they win races. But when he stepped out of an aircraft one day only to find that the landing stairs hadn't yet been placed in front of the plane's hatch, the resulting fall rendered him a paraplegic.

Palermo, Sicily — My grandfather grew up in Sicily, and I've been listening to his stories about watching the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia for years. I thought those legendary Gran Tourismo races had long ago gone the way of the dodo, but I thought wrong.

Palermo, Sicily — Vintage car racing is, for the most part, a good old boys club; the emphasis being on 'old' and 'boys.' But there are exceptions, and a few popped up at this weekend's Targa Florio vintage car race in Sicily.

Palermo, Sicily — The Targa Florio was one of the world's first car races, and even though it took a nap for a few decades, it's back. Only now, little old ladies and white haired old men can compete in cars that were racing the course when they were young.

Cesarò, Sicily — Another day, another China-related Ferrari accident, this time at a race in Sicily. Not that China and its citizenry have more Ferrari problems than others, but China is flush with new money. That means Ferrari related incidents are an inevitable facet of life there now.

Gareth Roberts was a rising star in the rallying world, with a promising future as a co-driver to look forward to. He died on Saturday at a rally in Sicily when he and his driver, Craig Breen, crashed into a guardrail. He was 24.

Connoisseurs of vintage Top Gear clips will know that parallel parking a big, mid-engined Italian supercar—say, a Lamborghini Countach—is a chore. The same cannot be said of big, mid-engined Italian race cars, like this Alfa Romeo 33/2. And when its owner was kind enough to accept a hand, Jalopnik was there to help.

The monster Sicilian road race was the last of its breed to succumb to world automotive sissification in 1977. Before that, guys were racing 500+ HP sports prototypes through tiny Sicilian villages while locals crowded in, straining for a peek.

If you liked the vintage documentary about the 1958 Alpine Cup, you'll just have to blow off your job for the next 40 minutes or so to watch this '65 Targa Florio documentary.