Piero Taruffi
Vanwall | |
Entries | 18 |
---|---|
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 1 |
Podiums | 5 |
Career points | 41 |
Pole positions | 0 |
Fastest laps | 1 |
First entry | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
First win | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
Last win | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1956 Italian Grand Prix |
Piero Taruffi (12 October 1906 – 12 January 1988) was an Italian
Beginnings
Taruffi began his motorsport career racing motorcycles. He won the 1932
Sports cars
Taruffi drove a newly introduced 2-litre, 4-cylinder
Taruffi set a world record for 50 miles (80 km) in an auto of 22[citation needed] cubic centimetre (1.3 in3) displacement in January 1952. He attempted a 100-mile (160 km) record but his motor failed after 98 miles (158 km).[4] Taruffi was in a two-litre Ferrari for the running of the third Grand Prix de France, in Paris in May 1952. He captured first place with a time of three hours over a distance of 285 miles (459 km). His average speed was 95 mph (153 km/h).[5] Taruffi placed second to Fangio in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, with a time of 18:18:51 in a Lancia D24. His time was better than the previous year when he was victorious.[6] In March 1954, Taruffi lost the 12 hours of Sebring with an hour to go, after having led the first three hours, when his Lancia stopped. He pushed it to the pits and team mechanics began working on it with diligence. Taruffi was still out of the car when the O.S.C.A. shared by Stirling Moss and Bill Lloyd crossed the finish line. Taruffi had averaged 81.1 miles per hour (130.5 km/h) before he retired.[7] Taruffi won the 1,080-kilometre (670 mi) Giro di Sicilia in April 1954. His time of 10 hours 24 minutes 37 seconds established a record for an event which opened Italy's sports car racing season. It was 14 years old at the time. He averaged 64.4 miles per hour (103.6 km/h) in a Lancia D24.[8]
Taruffi and
Taruffi's last victory was at the 1957 Mille Miglia, the last competitive edition of the Italian race, where he won in a Ferrari 315 S.[17] At the race, Alfonso de Portago suffered a tire failure and crashed his car into the crowd, killing himself, his co-driver Edmund Nelson, and nine spectators. Following this, Taruffi officially retired from competitive racing. He was 50 years of age.[18]
Formula One
Taruffi participated in 18 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 3 September 1950. Taruffi drove a Ferrari to victory in the May 1952 Swiss Grand Prix. He led from the start, with the Ferrari of Rudolf Fischer coming in second.[19] Over the course of six seasons he scored a total of 41 championship points. He also participated in numerous non-championship Formula One races. His best season was 1952 where he finished third behind Giuseppe Farina and World Champion Alberto Ascari.
Stock cars
Taruffi drove a Ford stock car owned by Floyd Clymer of Los Angeles in the 2,000-mile (3,200 km) Pan-American race held in November 1954.[20]
Other Ventures
In 1959 Taruffi authored the book The Technique of Motor Racing. In November 1957 the
In August 1952 Taruffi designed and patented a racing car with the entry 2,608, 264. The car featured three torpedo-shaped parallel bodies joined together. Independent twin motors and wheels were in the two larger bodies, at left and right. The driver and the passengers sit in the car's central part. The central portion is both higher and smaller than the others. Taruffi commented on the low wind resistance and low centre of gravity of his design.[22] Taruffi died in Rome in 1988, age 81.
Legacy
The Piero Taruffi Museum is located in Bagnoregio, a small town between Viterbo and Orvieto in Central Italy. The museum collection includes a selection of vintage cars and motorbikes from Taruffi's racing career.
In the 2023 biographical sports drama film Ferrari, Taruffi is portrayed by American actor Patrick Dempsey.
Complete World Championship Grand Prix results
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | SA Alfa Romeo
|
Alfa Romeo 158
|
Straight-8
|
GBR | MON | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA Ret * |
NC | 0 | ||
1951 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 375 F1 | Ferrari V12 | SUI 2 |
500 | BEL Ret |
FRA | GBR | GER 5 |
ITA 5 |
ESP Ret |
6th | 10 | |
1952 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | Straight-4
|
SUI 1 |
500 | BEL Ret |
FRA 3 |
GBR 2 |
GER 4 |
NED | ITA 7 |
3rd | 22 | |
1954 | Scuderia Ferrari | 625
|
Straight-4
|
ARG | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER 6 |
SUI | ITA DNA |
ESP | NC | 0 |
1955 | Scuderia Ferrari | 555
|
Straight-4
|
ARG | MON 8 † |
500 | BEL DNA |
NED | 6th | 9 | ||||
Daimler Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz W196 | Straight-8
|
GBR 4 |
ITA 2 |
||||||||||
1956 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | Straight-6
|
ARG | MON | 500 | BEL | FRA Ret |
GBR | GER | NC | 0 | ||
Vandervell Products Ltd.
|
Vanwall
|
Straight-4
|
ITA Ret |
- * Indicates shared drive with Juan Manuel Fangio
- † Indicates shared drive with Paul Frère
Non-Championship Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | Alfa Romeo SpA
|
158
|
L8s
|
PAU | RIC | SRM | PAR | EMP | BAR | JER | ALB | NED | NAT 3 |
NOT | ULS | PES | STT | INT | GOO | PEN 3 |
||||||||||||||||||
1951 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | L4
|
SYR | PAU | RIC | SRM | BOR | INT | PAR | ULS | SCO | NED | ALB | PES | BAR 3 |
GOO | |||||||||||||||||||||
1952 | Scuderia Ferrari | 500
|
L4
|
RIO | SYR 2 |
VAL 2 |
RIC | LAV | PAU | IBS | MAR | AST
|
INT | ELÄ | NAP 2 |
EIF | PAR 1 |
ALB | FRO | |||||||||||||||||||
375
|
Ferrari 375 4.5 V12 | ULS 1 |
MNZ | LAC | ESS | MAR | SAB | CAE | DMT | COM | NAT | BAU | MOD | CAD | SKA | MAD | AVU | JOE | NEW | RIO |
References
- New York Times, September 3, 1951, Page 17.
- ^ "Taruffi Takes Lead From Ruttman After 1,266 Miles Of Auto Grind", New York Times, November 23, 1951, Page 37.
- ^ "Italian Autoists First and Second In 1,933-Mile Pan-American Race", New York Times, November 26, 1951, Page 40.
- ^ "Italian Driver Claims Mark", New York Times, January 16, 1952, Page 29.
- ^ Taruffi Wins Auto Race, New York Times, May 26, 1952, Page 27.
- ^ "Fangio and Stevenson Set Marks As 1,912-Mile Auto Contest Ends", New York Times, November 24, 1953, Page 37.
- ^ "Osca First In 12-Hour Contest; Rubirosa's Lancia Home Second", New York Times, March 8, 1954, Page 33.
- ^ "Taruffi Wins in Record Time With Lancia As Serious Accidents Mar Race In Sicily", New York Times, April 5, 1954, Page 28.
- ^ Jaguar Triumphs In 12-Hour Event, New York Times, March 14, 1955, Page 30.
- ^ "Taruffi's Auto First", New York Times, April 4, 1955, Page 36.
- ^ "Moss In Mercedes Sets Auto Record", New York Times, May 2, 1955, Page 25.
- ^ "Perdisa Defeats Maglioli", New York Times, June 20, 1955, Page 26.
- ^ "Fangio's Ferrari Victor At Sebring", New York Times, March 25, 1956, Page S1.
- ^ "Taruffi Claims Auto Mark", New York Times, June 22, 1956, Page 26.
- ^ "Taruffi Sets 3 Records", New York Times, June 22, 1956, Page 49.
- ^ "Belgian Driver Wins Sicily Race Driving Ferrari", Los Angeles Times, April 15, 1957, Page C3.
- ^ "Ferrari 315S". Ferrari Classiche.
- ^ Taruffi Not to Race Again, New York Times, May 18, 1957, Page 13.
- ^ Swiss Auto Race To Taruffi, New York Times, May 19, 1952, Page 24.
- ^ Italian Auto Driver Arrives, New York Times, November 11, 1954, Page 48.
- ^ In This Week's Post, Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1957, Page A12.
- ^ 2 New Inventions Make It Tough For Rogues With Nefarious Intent, New York Times, August 30, 1952, Page 17.