Tazio Nuvolari, the “Flying Mantuan”

Tazio Nuvolari (1,65 metres tall and 55 kg in weight) was born in Castel d’Ario (nearby Mantua) on 16 November 1892 and died in Mantua on 11 August 1953. He began to race in 1920, when was 28 years old, and went on until 1950, first on motorcycles and then in cars. He was 58 when he drove his last race, winning it. During his sporting career he competed in 353 races (124 bike and 229 car events), won 105 overall and scored 77 class wins, recording 100 fastest laps.

He won 7 Italian Championships (2 on bikes, 5 in cars) and even established 5 international speed records (3 on bikes, 2 in cars). He clocked a flying kilometre average speed of 330,275 km/h. Nuvolari was injured in several frightening accidents. He risked to die when his car burst into flames, or to be crushed by its weight when he got trapped into it. But nothing could ever stop him. His extraordinary performances made him into a legend. They coined many nicknames for him: “son of the devil”, “son of the wind”, “musketeer of the risk”, “Flying Mantuan”, “Nivola” (in the Mantuan dialect means “cloud”), “Campionissimo” “Ace”, “Master”. Enzo Ferrari called him “the greatest of all”. According to Ferdinand Porsche he was “the greatest racing driver of all time”. Streets, squares and even three monuments have been dedicated to his memory in Mantua, Castel d’Ario and Rome.

Fifty years after his passing, his name still evokes a strong and immutable emotion. We don’t know if a racing driver could ever aspire to immortality. Nuvolari can!