Tazio Nuvolari.....can someone fill me in on this guy?

[timbo2001]

I have heard a number of you talk of a gentleman called Tazio Nuvolari (hope thats how its spelled) and how you think he is one of the best of all time. Could a few of you please fill me in on this bloke, and also maybe some books or websites which i can access that may be of help? Cause i am only a young fella, and have only been watching F1 for about 4 yrs now, i don't know much about the historics of the sport. most of the stuff i do actually know about the history i got from that fab movie "Grand Prix". So yeah, anything would help.

[KC]

There is an excellent bio on Nuvolari at http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/nuvo_bio.htm

The bios of all the F1 drivers are excellent there as well.

[TimD]

Timbo, I can't really add to what that website KC has linked to says. It's an excellent summary of what Tazio achieved.

Most of what's been written, frustratingly, has only been published in Italian. I've not yet found a Nuvolari biography that I've really been satisfied with that I can actually understand!

For me, half the joy of this sport is being able to look back and see who has gone before. And trust me, there's no way I'm old enough to have seen Nuvolari for myself. I've just hunted down the grainy b/w news footage, and listened to people who were around at the time.

While you're reading up on Nuvolari, check out his rivals Bernd Rosemeyer and Rudolf Caracciola too. These guys were the fellows that my grandfather told stories of in just the same way that people talk in hushed tones about Senna and Prost now.

[Bononi]

Yes TimD ! I second your words. And thanks for the tips !

[Valve Bounce]

Nuvolari was, if you like, one of the fairest of competitors. When he realised the other driver was quicker, he signalled to let him pass

This is a quote from Bernd's wife and the occasion was the German GP when Tazio, in the Alpha was leading for about 5 laps before the faster Bernd Rosemeyer came up from behind.
You will find excellent footage of this in THE AUTO UNION YEARS, a tape which was attached to the April edition of MotorSport. I have given more details of this tape in the Historic forum in the thread about the Auto Union cars.
This attitude might come as a shock to most of our present day GP drivers.

[TimD]

This is not to say he was a push-over, of course. But you're quite right. In this day and age, the only hand signals you see are remonstration. To Tazio Nuvolari, they were acknowledgements.

[Bononi]

So, something has been lost in the way.

Where ?

[f1manoz]

28th July 1935

German GP

Arguably the greatest race ever

In a vastly outdated Alfa Romeo, Nuvolari beat the might of the German Mercedes and Auto Unions to capture a stunning victory.

[Glen]

Nuvolari was, if you like, one of the fairest of competitors. When he realised the other driver was quicker, he signalled to let him pass

Ah - the Ron Dennis school of racing! Strangely the same rules seem not to apply when a faster Williams or Ferrari wants to get by one of his bothersome Mclarens...

[timbo2001]

Thanks for the help guys! its very informative and interesting stuff!

[Roy2]

TimD,

Have you seen the Nuvolari biography by Johnny Lurani? I read it when I was about 19. I thought it was wonderful but at that age I might not have known any better.

It's probably long out of print, the English version anyway.

[Vitesse]

I've posted this address before, but check out:

www.tazionuvolari.it

This is the official Nuvolari website, run by the Nuvolari Museum. Don't be put off by the Italian address, the site is dual-language - just click on the Union flag. Quite simply the best racing driver website anywhere!! Biography, stats, trivia, pictures - it's all there! Read it all and marvel at the career of "the little man from Mantua"

Also worth reading is the article "The Farmer's Son" by Cyril Posthumus, recently reprinted in Anthony Pritchard's "Century of Grand Prix Motor Racing" (MRP 1998). IMHO the book is worth buying just for this article!

[Dino IV]

Indeed the best site, Vitesse, I was about to post the same.

Some other links:
For the best overview of his race results on the web check Leif Snellman's overview, as well as his whole site for the thirties era in all its details.
For some more info and particularly pictures on the racing in that era, the Coppa Acerbo site of the Pescara track of Federico Valeriani is also really worth a visit. This picture below is for instance from there, showing Helle Nice on the left talking with Tazio on the right and note the golden turtle hanging on his chest. The fastest man honoured with the slowest animal, but you'll read all about that at the link Vitesse mentioned.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by TimD
This is not to say he was a push-over, of course. But you're quite right. In this day and age, the only hand signals you see are remonstration. To Tazio Nuvolari, they were acknowledgements.

No pushover indeed... someone should mention that Mille Miglia dice with Varzi! Black of night, headlights off... competitive to the core!

For the benefit of the younger readers, the Mille Miglia was a thousand miles of open Italian roads, the crowd parting as you drove on through... ran right up to 1957 in that form, and while the best ever report on it was Jenkinson's 'from the passenger's seat' record of Moss' 1955 win, the Motor Racing story of the last one is a joy...

A week before the Mille Miglia, sporting cars of all sizes and makes were parked along the front of the Albergo Reale in Modena. The dining room resounded to shouting voices in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish, as drivers, co-drivers, journalists and mechanics indulged in pre-race prognostications.

Down Viale Ciro Menotti and in the Via Emilia lights were still burning at three in the morning as Maserati and Ferrari worked at high pressure to get both team and customers' cars ready in time. Further away near the station the clanging of hammers disturbed the night as Scaglietti worked ceaselessly to finish three Gran Turismo, and two Testa Rossa Ferraris in time for the race.

Gendebien was the first to start practice with his Mercedes 300SL, followed by Behra with a 2-litre Zagato Maserati. Von Tripps arrived with a special Porsche drophead with wire wheels and set off early, in the rain, with a 3.5-litre single cam Ferrari. Jenkinson was waiting for Moss who finally arrivein in a 190SL Mercedes and prepared to leave in a 2-litre GT Maserati just to see if everything was still there. The Gran Turismo leaked so much in the perpetual rain, however, that he decided to use the 190SL instead.

Portago and Nelson practised tyre changing on their Gran Turismo and then set off for a quick lap. Collins was kicking his heels at Maranello building model boats whilst impatiently waiting for "co-driver" Louis Klemantaski to arrive. On the Maranello-Formigine road the haycarts and bicycles took greater care than usual as Ferrari's testing increased in intensity. martino Severi, Ferrari's chief tester, was screaming up and down the narrow road trying all shapes and sizes of Ferraris.

From the Maserati factory the 3.5-litre 12 cylinder went to the Autodrome for its preliminary testing, still unpainted and emitting a shattering roar as Guerrino Bertocchi kept up the revs in traffic.

Gendebien returned but went off again for another lap, so did Behra. Bordoni acquired the new 4-cylinder 2-litre Maserati and asked to race it at Florence as a tyrout before the Mille Miglia. The Swede Nottrop anxiously waited as his 4.9-litre twin ignition Ferrari was modified by Scagliatti to conform with Appendix C. Ron Flockhart stopped at the Albergo Reale with the Ecurie Ecosse D-type Jaguar with sported a miniature fin on the headrest, Ecurie Ecosse had made their headquarters at Count Maggi's country home near Brescia, Gendebien was back, and off for a third.

Then news came through that Taruffi would drive for Ferrari for the first time since their disagreement in the Targa Florio. News came also that Musso was very ill again and would not be able to take part in the Mille Miglia. Von Tripps returned with his front dented by a motorcycle, and Portago's Gran Turismo was considerably more battered than when it left. There was a rumour that Maserati would carry advertisements for spaghetti.

Moss was back and Jenkinson complained of having been violently car sick. The 4.5-litre was wheeled out and the pair took off for a ride across the Futa. Within half an hour they were back, soaked to the skin and the car half full of hailstones. Fron then on the 4.5 was in and out of the factory testing air ducts, servo brakes, overdrive gearbox, and Moss was contenting himself with going up and down the road.

Behra took off for Brescia with Scarlatti at 12pm and returned ten minutes later with a frightened Scarlatti who had already had enough. Everyone was waiting for Ak Miller to pass with the Chrysler Kurtis "Caballo de Hierro II" but he appeared to be busy staking out the sites for his cine camera teams. Moss left for two days' rest and Portago took in one more lap when he found that he would be driving a sports instead of a Gran Turismo car. The afternoon before the race a big depression descended upon Maserati - Jean Behra has crashed with the 4.5 and was in hospital, the Maserati had been destroyed and Jean had stayed with the car only long enough to collect his money, cigarette lighter and plastic ear before thumbing a lift from a shaken Fiat Topolino driver to the hospital at Modena.

Maseratis hopes then depended on Moss, since the reliability of the new 3.5-litre to be driven by Hermann was still uncertain, and the team was made up with Scarlatti on a 3-litre.

Ferraris left early Saturday morning for scrutineering driven by their respective drivers, Portago with a 4.1-litre twin ohc engined car.

Nottrop decided against taking part with his 4.9-litre and Masten Gregory and Temple Buell called from Rome to announce the same decision. There were five Ferraris and three Maseratis in the big sports car class, whilst 14 Maseratis faced seven Ferraris in the two litre class. Eleven Mercedes 300SLs were ranged against ten Gran Turismo Ferraris. Osca announced their withdrawal in the 1500cc class as the new engine had blown up in final trials the morning before the race. Cabianca was given the new 950cc to run in the 1100cc class. The only Italian 1500cc to face the Porsches was Berger's 1500cc Maserati, 11 Oscas faced two Erminis, two Lotus a Moretti and a Stanguellini in the 1100cc class, whilst four Stanguellinis, four Oscas, three DBs and two Bandinis prepared to do battle in the 750 class.

In the hubbub of the packed crowdes Renzo Castagnetto dropped the flag to send the first of the cars on its way to Verona and from then on car after car streaked off into the night until finally at 5:37 am the last car, the Stirling Moss maserati, was under way but his drive was to be short lived. After about six miles he had a lucky escape when the brake pedal broke as he slowed for a corner from about 180mph, and repair was pointless because the crowd waited only one minute for him to come through before swarming across the road to make their way back to Brescia. Moss had no choice but to join them in a trudge back to Brescia.

The Ferraris, having been relieved of their most dangerous rival sailed on their way to Pescara with the race already in the bag, but despite that both Collins and Von Tripps had narrow escapes. Von Tripps on the way to Pescara hit a large hump on a fast straight and his car took off, the front end lifted to obstruct completely his view of the road, and he was flung so far out of the car than only by holding on grimly to the steering wheel was he able to save himself from being thrown out. Fortunately the car landed perfectly and the shaken German continued - not quite so quickly. Collins had trouble with bumps as well and on two occasions a quick grab by Collins dragged Klemantaski back.

The other Maserati hope was Hermann with the 3.5-litre who fell out at Ravenna, leaving the Testa Rossa Ferraris in command of the class. in the 750-cc class a tremendous battle was going on between the OSCAs and the DBs, the French cars having dominated the class for several year. Rigamonti, Laroche and Laureati on OSCAs were continually changing places with Laureau and Armagnac on the DBs. The OSCAs won the day and fully deserved their 1, 2, 3 victory in the class. In the meantime Maglioli was putting up a fantastic performance with the 1500-cc Porsche, equalled only by Gendebien in the Gran Turismo Ferrari, whilst Cabianca with the little 950-cc OSCA was completely outclassing everything else in the 1100-cc class.

As reports came in from check points en route, it became obvious that Peter Collins was going all out, not only for victory, but to beat the course record, set by Stirling Moss on a Mercedes-Benz in 1955 and in so doing become the first man to complete the near 1000 miles long course at an average of over 100 mph. All went well, and at Florence he was several minutes up on Moss' time, but from then on rain slowed him, while ominous grinding noises announced the impending break-up of the differential, and at Parma, when victory had seemed certain, the English driver had to retire.

Taruffi, starting a minute behind Collins, had glimpsed him on the route, but trying to conserve his engine had been content with about 160 mph on the open stretches against the sprints of 180 mph which Collins was making, but he had to stop briefly with shock absorber trouble, and later he, too, began to hear the ominous noise from the rear axle. He dropped to about nine minutes behind Collins. At Bologna he wanted to retire, but encouraged by Enzo Ferrari, he kept going and from there on never dared to change gear. Using top only on the four-speed gearbox, he flashed along at 150 mph on the straight, praying the axle would not fail. He did not see Collins' car at the roadside and did not know he won the race until he stopped.

And there we have to take a break because of the limit on posts sizes... follow on in the next post!

[Ray Bell]

So, at the thirteenth attempt, 52-year-old Piero Taruffi scored a great victory in this the 24th Mille Miglia, bringing his 4.1-litre Ferrari over the finishing line at Brescia alongside that of Von Tripps, who had started three minutes ahead of him, to secure first and second places for Ferrari. Third place was taken by Gendebien in a 3-litre Gran Turismo Ferarri coupe. it was a well-earned victory for skill, endurance, courage and persistence after years of disappointments during which he has repeatedly led as far as Rome and established records for long sections of the course, only to be cheated by mechanical failure. He has now won the four most difficult road events, the Targa Florio, Tour of Sicily, the Panamericana and the Mille Miglia, and after 33 years of racing has promised his wife he will do no more, but he does not rule out some more attempts on speed records in the cars he designs himself.

Victory celebrations were quickly muted when word came in from Giudizzolo, about 18 miles from the finish, that Portago had crashed when in fourth place.

On the straight, at about 180mph, a tyre burst for reasons which are still not clear. The car veered off the road, uprooted a massive granite marker stone, then flew through the air, snapping off a telegraph pole, and cutting to pieces spectators at the roadside who were pressing forward, regardless of danger, to see the cars pass. Annihilating its crew as it went, it bounced into one ditch, then hurtled across the road into the ditch on the opposite side. The Marquis de portago, his passenger, Eddie nelson, and nine spectators, of whom five were children, died, and several injured.

The incident unleashed a new storm of criticism against Italy's greatest long distance road race. Criticism was directed mainly against the organisers, regardless of the fact that the spectators thrust themselves into danger with a complete disregard for their own safety all along the course. There is enormous nation-wide enthusiasm for the race, but it is now generally agreed that the public must be protected against their own folly and if it is held again at all, the Mille Miglia can only survive in modified form.

Just under 300 cars started the race and only 172 finished. Among the many brilliant achievements in this fast, furious, dangerous and exhausting race, for both men and machines, here are a few that merit special mention. Maglioli's fifth place in the porsche Spyder winning the 1500cc class with a lead of 30 mins over the next car, also a Porsche, Thiele's win at 73.27 mph with the tiny Abarth Zagato coupe in the 750-cc Gran Turismo class beat Vidilles winning time in the DB in the 850-cc class by 15 minutes. Only three seconds behind Vidilles came Paul Frere in a Renault Dauphine saloon to win the 1000-cc special touring car category at the astounding average of 71.9 mph for nearly 1000 miles. In fact, Frere's Dauphine was the second fastest saloon car in the race, beating Mercedes, 1900 Alfas, DS 19 Citroens and Sunbeams. only faster saloon car was another French car, De Langenester's amazing Peugeot 203, which averaged 73.11 mph to win the 1300cc special touring class.

In a crash at Florence, the Dutch driver Gottingens was killed when his Triumph hit a tree. Two British women drivers, Sheila Van Damm (Sunbeam) and Nancy Mitchell (Triumph TRS) crashed without injury.

Punctuation in this article has been left as published, some spelling errors also. But the colour of the story is left to shine on through....

Timbo, you just entered into a different world!

Sadly, it no longer exists.

[timbo2001]

amazing stuff, as you say, it really was another world. if only motorsports was that exciting today...well it is still exciting, but not to that extent!