Piero Taruffi

Lore & Background

Born and raised in Rome, Taruffi started his career in motorcycle racing, winning the 500cc European Championship in 1932 with Norton. He also held the motorcycle land-speed record for 38 days in 1937, reaching a speed of 274.18 km/h on the Autostrada Serenissima whilst riding a 492cc Gilera. Taruffi competed in Formula One for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati and Vanwall, winning the Swiss Grand Prix in 1952 with Ferrari and finishing third in the World Drivers' Championship that season. Outside of Formula One, Taruffi competed extensively in sportscar racing, winning the final edition of the Mille Miglia with Ferrari, driving the 315 S and retiring upon his victory. He also managed the Gilera motorcycle team throughout his career, designing the record-breaking Cisitalia Tarf and Gilera Rondine.

In Their Own Story

Rain hammered the Nürburgring, turning the track into a slick, grey mirror that swallowed headlights and tested nerves. Inside the cockpit of the silver W25, Piero Taruffi felt the supercharged engine's violent hum vibrate through his spine, a mechanical heartbeat syncing with his own. The air was thick with the sharp scent of high-octane fuel and rain-soaked leather. He downshifted; the gearbox clacked like a gunshot as he threw the car into a sweeping curve. The rear end slid, a dangerous dance on the edge of adhesion, yet Taruffi remained perfectly composed, his hands steady on the wheel, eyes locked on the horizon where the Silver Arrows were destined to conquer. In an era where a single slip meant fire or death, he drove with a surgeon's precision, extracting every ounce of speed from the machine while the mechanics in the pits held their breath.

Reader's Guide

Taruffi's motorsport career began with motorcycles. He won the 1932 500cc European Championship on a Norton and set the motorcycle land speed record at 279.503 km/h in 1937. In sportscar racing, he drove a Ferrari in the 1951 Bari Grand Prix, finishing third. He won the Carrera Panamericana in 1951 with Luigi Chinetti. He set a world record for 50 miles in an auto of 22 cc displacement in January 1952. He won the third Grand Prix de France in May 1952. He placed second in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana in a Lancia D24. He led the 12 hours of Sebring in March 1954 but retired. He won the Giro di Sicilia in April 1954. He and Harry Schell placed fifth at Sebring in 1955. He won the 1955 Tour of Sicily. He dropped out of the 1955 Mille Miglia. He spun out in the 1955 Grand Prix of Imola. He and Jean Behra placed fifth at the 1956 Sebring 12 hours. He set world records for Class E cars in June 1956. He had a small crash in the 1957 Tour of Sicily. His last victory was the 1957 Mille Miglia in a Ferrari 315 S, after which he retired. In Formula One, he participated in 18 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 3 September 1950. He drove a Ferrari to victory in the May 1952 Swiss Grand Prix. He scored 41 championship points. His best season was 1952, finishing third. He also drove a Ford stock car in the 1954 Pan-American race. He authored the book The Technique of Motor Racing in 1959. In November 1957 the Saturday Evening Post published his article 'Stop us before we kill again'. In August 1952 he designed and patented a racing car with three torpedo-shaped bodies. He died in Rome in 1988, age 81.

Did You Know?

• Taruffi won the 1932 500cc European Championship on a Norton.
• He set a motorcycle land-speed record of 274.18 km/h in 1937 on a Gilera.
• He won the final edition of the Mille Miglia in 1957 with Ferrari.
• Taruffi authored the book 'The Technique of Motor Racing' in 1959.
• He is portrayed by Patrick Dempsey in the 2023 film Ferrari.