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Scipione Borghese
1871–1927
An Italian nobleman with a taste for adventure, he became famous for winning the brutal 1907 Peking-to-Paris motor race. He also served in public life, moving between aristocratic privilege, early motoring, and politics in a rapidly changing Italy.
1 Audiobook
Van Peking naar Parijs per auto
by Luigi Barzini, Scipione Borghese
About the author
Born in 1871 into the powerful Borghese family, Scipione Borghese was the 10th Prince of Sulmona and grew up in a world of wealth, status, and public attention. He is best remembered today as one of the bold figures of early motoring, when long-distance automobile travel was still dangerous, uncertain, and spectacular.
His greatest claim to fame came in 1907, when he won the Peking-to-Paris race in an Itala, with journalist Luigi Barzini traveling alongside him. The journey helped turn him into an international celebrity and became one of the defining stories of the pioneer age of the automobile.
Borghese was more than a sportsman. He also took part in Italian political life and remained a prominent public figure until his death in 1927. His life sits at an interesting crossroads of nobility, technology, and modern mass fame.