Motor racing was an extremely popular sport in
Italy and the colony was seeking methods to raise capital and promote tourism—tourists who, it was hoped, would then decide to settle in Tripolitania. But despite the support of the colony's extremely enthusiastic governor, General
Emilio de Bono, and some initial success, the events failed financially. Only personal intervention by General de Bono kept the 1929 event from being cancelled, and 1930 was marred by a spartan field, little public interest, and the death of
Gastone Brilli-Peri in an accident. Initial enthusiasm and sponsorship had retreated, the fallout from Brilli-Peri's accident meant a 1931 running was impossible, and the dream of a successful Tripoli Grand Prix might have ended there and then. But the president of Tripoli's auto club, Egidio Sforzini, was resilient. He decided to organize another Grand Prix, this time on a purpose built European style racing circuit. Sufficient capital was raised from the Italian government's funding of a fair promoting the colony so as to make the venture possible, and upon the circuit's completion the Grand Prix was scheduled for the spring of 1933. Mellaha Lake was equipped with starting lights, for a third straight time, in three different cars complying to different rules. On 12 May 1940, with the
Phoney War just having ended and the
Battle of France beginning, and Italy still neutral, only the factory Alfa Romeo 158 and Maserati 4CL teams plus some independent
Maserati 6CMs were in attendance, 23 in total. In the all-Italian race with some well-known names like Nuvolari and Ascari,
Giuseppe Farina was fastest in practice and took his only major pre-war victory. It was a last and pyrrhic result for the Italians, because the Tripoli Grand Prix was never held again with the onset of
World War II and fighting in the
Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II. ==Winners==