Giannino Marzotto
| Giannino Marzotto | |||||||||
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Marzotto in 2010
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| Nationality |
 Italian
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| Born |
13 April 1928 Valdagno, Italy |
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| Died | 14 July 2012 Padua, Italy |
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| Related to | Count Gaetano Marzotto | ||||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||||
| 1950 Mille Miglia 1953 Mille Miglia |
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| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
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| Years | 1953 |
| Teams | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Best finish | 5th (1953) |
Count Giannino Marzotto (13 April 1928 in Valdagno, Italy – 14 July 2012) was an Italian racing driver and entrepreneur. Marzotto served as President of the Mille Miglia Club, and twice winner of race in 1950 and 1953.
He was one of four sons of Count Gaetano Marzotto. Soon after his 20th birthday, he entered his father’s Lancia Aprilia in the Giro di Sicilia and finished second in class (16th overall). Marzotto met Enzo Ferrari in 1948 with the task to build a 2L Grand Touring Coupe which is believed to be the fourth customer car even built by Ferrari, a Ferrari 166 Inter. He started racing with an Aprilia for an Italian National Championship Event in 1948. Marzotto drove the Aprilia for ten races over a period of three years.
In 1950, he and his three brothers, Vittorio, Umberto and Paolo all entered the 1950 Mille Miglia, driving Ferraris. Gianni started last, would score his first major success, when he piloted a Ferrari 195 S to victory. He was accompanied by Marco Crosara. This was the famous double-breasted victory, that Marzotto achieved wearing a double-breasted brown suit. He won fame not just for winning, but for his attire which seemed to catch the spirit of the Italian fans. But this might not have happened at all. Upon testing his recently purchased Ferrari prior to the race, Gianni found it nothing compared to the previous car he drove. Suspecting some type of deviousness on the part of Scuderia Ferrari, he returned to the Maranello to confront Enzo Ferrari. It was explained that Luigi Bazzi, Ferrari’s technician had purposely strangled the engine in order protect the young driver. Somewhat embrassed by this, Enzo promised to personally see that car would be prepared for the race. Marzotto decided for the following season he would improve on the 195 S, with an all-new design of his own based on Ferrari 166 with an engine from a Ferrari 212. Featuring a low slung body and rounded shape, the car went well in the 1951 Mille Miglia, but retired due to problems with the rear axle.
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