Tazio Nuvolari

Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari, Italian racing car driver, born in Castel d'Ario[?], Mantua, on November 16, 1892. He was the fourth son of Arturo Nuvolari (a well off farmer and a known cyclist) and his wife Elisa Zorzi.

Nuvolari has been (and still is) admired for his many special qualities and his human characteristics.

He obtained the motorcycle race licence in 1915, when he was 23, but was soon recalled in the Army as a driver, when Italy entered WWI. In 1917, He married Carolina Perina, by a civil ceremony (quite a scandal for those times).

His carrer started with motorbikes. He had his first official race on June 20 1920 in Cremona at the Circuito Internazionale Motoristico. He won his first race on March 20, 1921 in Verona.

He became a professional driver, and soon met Enzo Ferrari (still a driver and not yet the founder of Ferrari). Nuvolari quickly became very popular in Italy, where he was called the "two wheeler Campionissimo" (the same title will be later given only to Fausto Coppi[?], bycicle champion).

He begun testing himself on car races, and he won the prestigious Targa Florio[?], in Sicily. Then he finally decided to dedicate himself only to cars. His fame grew rapidly and famous poet Gabriele D'Annunzio gave him a little golden turtle with dedication: "To the fastest man in the world, the slowest animal". He obtained victories on most of the Italian circuits and in the Mille Miglia[?].

Personal misfortune (in a few years he lost both of his two sons) made people even more passionate about him. His determination led him, proverbially, to insist on racing even when the car was losing components, or burning, causing several accidents.

He died on August 11th, 1953, in his bed.

"The greatest driver of the past, the present and the future" Ferdinand Porsche.

Complete list of his races, with placements: http://www.tazionuvolari.it/