With his company, Canossa Events, Luigi Orlandini has been the designer and organizer of many events related to the historic car sector. Since 2011, he has been contributing to the promotion of Made in Italy and the Motor Valley in the world, making sure that both participants and enthusiasts appreciate the experiences and live every single moment to the fullest.

Italian Speed Festival, Alfa Revival Cup, Youngtimer Cup, Cavallino Classic Cup and Terre di Canossa: these are just a few of the many magnificent events that Luigi Orlandini and his Staff organize every year.

But there is one, in particular, born at the dawn of the new millennium, which in its entirety represents a perfect combination of wonderful historic cars, gentlemen drivers, competition, tourism, exciting roads, breathtaking scenery, food and wine, and moments of relaxation. We are talking about the famous Modena Cento Ore, whose 21st edition was held last week, in the heart of the Motor Valley.

In this interview Luigi Orlandini talks to us about the event and shares his opinion about the Made in Italy and the future of Motor Valley.

The Modena Cento Ore is participated by people from all over the world. Yet how would you describe it to people who are not familiar with it?

Modena Cento Ore is a one-of-a-kind experience. It is a very competitive event and, at the same time, it is reserved to gentlemen drivers. It combines racing on the track and special stages closed to traffic with drives through some of Italy’s most scenic roads and places. And all this, of course, with highly valuable collector cars. Another important aspect is the warm-hearted hospitality and the all the experiences it offers beside driving: 5-star hotels, evenings in special places with the best dishes of the Italian cuisine, great wines and entertainment. After all, to borrow a famous phrase from Enzo Ferrari, Modena Cento Ore cannot be described, you can only experience it!

How many participants signed up for the 2022 edition? What was new, compared to the past editions?

Modena Cento Ore is an event that we deliberately limit to a maximum of one hundred cars, because we feel it is the best number for gaining relevance while maintaining top-quality standards. After two years of pandemic, during which the event was still held although with reduced numbers, we are now back to the regular capacity. Every year we change the route to offer new challenges and new content. What never changes is the arrival in Modena in Piazza Grande, a place of rare beauty and a UNESCO World heritage site.

With absolutely no intention to upset any participant, is there a car from this year’s Modena Cento Ora that won the heart of Luigi Orlandini?

This is a very difficult choice. If I really had to pick one, this year it would be the 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C Monza.

Again, according to your personal taste, which of the wonderful historic cars that have taken part to this competition over the years would you rank as the number one?

Definitely the Ferrari 250 GTO chassis No. 3527 GT that Lord Laidlaw brought for the 2017 edition.

Modena Cento Ora runs across the roads of the Emilia-Romagna region – what does being born in the Motor Valley mean to you?

To be born here means to have this land in your blood, to have the love for motors in your DNA. This is one-of-a-kind territory, and we have to do our best to promote it. In this sense, the Modena Cento Ore has an important role, as it brings many foreign collectors from all over the world right to our land, the land of motors. Regione Emilia-Romagna and its President Stefano Bonaccini have really done a lot for the Motor Valley, I would personally like to thank them for that.

What does “Made in Italy” mean to you, also in relation to the many activities you follow with Canossa Events?

“Made in Italy” is not just about products that are made in Italy, it is everything that pertains to our way of interpreting life. With our merits and our flaws, we are a unique country in the world, and with Canossa Events we try to promote our culture to the best of our ability. We do this by organizing many events here but also by taking our values abroad, particularly to America and the Middle East, where our branches are located. Both in Italy and around the world, we have exceptional teams that perfectly embody our way of being “Made in Italy” with an added value that I think is very important: diversity. In fact, among our staff, we have many people of different origins and cultures: Europe, America, Middle East, Africa, Asia…

How do you envision the future of the Motor Valley?

A difficult question. Certainly, the main role in shaping the future of the Motor Valley is held by our car and motorcycle manufacturers. I am convinced that they will be able to interpret this era of great change without falling into the trap of homologation and trying to resist the excess of regulation. What we can do is to continue to talk about this one-of-a-kind region in the world, tell people about its excellence in all fields and make as many people as possible experience it.

What should be done, in your opinion, to improve the future of the tourism-related automotive industry, which you are particularly fond of?

There would be so many important things to do to support “powered tourism.” For example, remembering that automobiles are not just a means of getting between home and work, but one of humanity’s greatest achievements: the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Never forget that driving a car, a motorcycle or a bicycle on a beautiful road is an incredible source of pleasure! And then, as far as we are concerned, it is essential for us to go abroad to tell our story, to invite all the motors and food enthusiast to come and visit our land.