Piero Taruffi
 |
|
| Born | 12 October 1906 |
|---|---|
| Died | 12 January 1988 (aged 81) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 Italian |
| Active years | 1950 – 1956 |
| Teams | Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Vanwall |
| Entries | 19 (18 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Career points | 41 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1956 Italian Grand Prix |
Piero Taruffi (12 October 1906, Albano Laziale – 12 January 1988), was a racing driver from Italy, and also the father of lady racer Prisca Taruffi.
Taruffi began his motorsport career racing motorcycles. He won the 1932 500cc European Championship on a Norton and in 1937 set the motorcycle land speed record at 279.503 km/h (173.68 mph).
Taruffi drove a newly introduced 2-litre, 4-cylinder Ferrari, which placed third in the 360 kilometre race Grand Prix de Bari at Bari, Italy, in September 1951. He finished behind Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilán González with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 40 3/5 seconds. Taruffi and Alberto Ascari participated in the Carrera Panamericana in the mountains of Mexico in November 1951. They placed first and third respectively over the course from Mexico City to León, Guanajuato, a 267-mile (430 km) leg. Taruffi led second-placed Troy Ruttman by more than four minutes. Taruffi trimmed 15 minutes on the Mexico City-Leon leg and another 21 minutes between Leon and Durango. In the process he climbed from 12th to third overall. Taruffi won the race on 25 November, with a time of 21:57:52, over mountains and plains of the southeastern tip of Mexico. He had an average speed of 87.6 mph (140.97 km/h).
Taruffi set a world record for 50 miles (80 km) in an auto of 22 cubic centimetre (1.3 in3) displacement in January 1952. He attempted a 100-mile (160 km) record but his motor burned out after 98 miles (158 km). 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). Taruffi placed second to Fangio in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, with a time of 18:18:51 in a Lancia. His time was better than the previous year when he was victorious. In March 1954, Taruffi lost the Florida International Grand Prix 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. Taruffi won the 1,080-kilometre (670 mi) Tour of Sicily 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 3300.
...
Wikipedia