Videos

VIDEO: Fangio Driving Lancia-Ferrari D50 at Monaco

Avatar photoSports Car Digest

Juan Manuel Fangio (1911 – 1995) was a race car driver from Argentina who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five Formula One World Driver’s Championships — a record which stood for 46 years eventually beaten by Michael Schumacher — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a feat that has not been repeated since. Many consider Fangio to be the greatest driver of all time.

Unlike today’s Formula One drivers, Fangio raced in a period without television coverage of his achievements.

Fortunately for racing fans, video of Fangio does exist on YouTube and other online sources, including the following video of Fangio driving a “Ferrari 2500” in Monte Carlo.

The 3:17 film, shot on the racing circuit within the empty streets of Monaco, is extremely well done, with excellent sound and multiple camera angles befitting a more modern video. The “Ferrari 2500” is clearly the Lancia-Ferrari D50 that Fangio drove to the Formula One World Championship in 1956 or one of its brothers of course.

Judging by the cars parked on the street, we estimate that the video was done in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s, making Fangio approximately 60 years old during filming. That doesn’t stop the “Old Man” from giving the D50 quite a workout, complete with power oversteer out of the Grand Hotel hairpin.

The video changes pace at the 1:17 minute mark, although the footage is still tremendous as are the shots of Fangio using his hands to express his driving style.

Video of Juan Manuel Fangio driving a Lancia-Ferrari D50 at Monaco

 

[Source: Wikipedia]

Tags
Avatar photo
Sports Car Digest
We profile the world’s finest sports cars, past and present automotive personalities, larger-than-life races and garages or museums. Profiles may include first-hand driving impressions, in-depth interviews and period racing stories and photographs. Profiles range from the Mario Righini Collection in Italy to the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring to a Shelby 427 Competition Cobra and everything in between.
Related
Show Comments (14)

14 Comments

  2. Talk about the REAL running of the Bulls… ! Here is a video of it for everyone to see. The Greatest Bull of them all ! GOD BLESS …….. FANGIO !

  3. Forget Button, Alonso and Weber. This was the real master.
    I saw a replica of this car at Goodwood driven by Jochen Mass. Fabulous!!

  5. A wonderful video…the best part is watching Fangio’s hands as he describes driving the course, exactly like a fighter pilot explaining his maneuvers to another pilot after a dogfight. As to who was best, it would have been interesting to see Fangio, Nuvolari, Carraciola, Moss, and Schumacher – all in their prime – run against one another. I don’t know who I’d favor.

  6. I think this video is from 1971, when Fangio toured all european races .

    I saw him and got an autograph at Albi GP F2, the same year.

  8. This footage is taken from the film ‘Fangio-A Life at 300km Per Hour.’

    The film, running to about 90 minutes was shot during the summer of 1971 on location at Monaco, Monza, Reims, Silverstone and The Nurburgring.
    Produced by Gianni Volpi and directed by High Hudson of ‘Chariots of Fire’ fame, it re-creates episodes from The Maestro’s earlier life and career. There’s also an accompanying book with text by ‘Jenks’ of ‘Motor Sport’ magazine which contains many stills from the film.

    As far as I know, the director is unwilling to see the film appear on the video market. We enthusiasts must content ourselves with stray clips, such as this, until there is a change of heart.

  9. Insightful selection of comments on a wonderful video! Regarding Peter Linsky’s comment, I would add Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna to the grid – but, as Peter says, I don’t know whom I would favour, either.

    The Fangio film has rarely been shown. One occasion was at the Beaulieu Motor Museum in 1993. The first half of the film is indeed about Fangio at Monaco. The second half of the film is full of clips of racing driver funerals. I reviewed the film for a GP fan club when I described it as a sickening exploitation of driver fatalities and wrote that it should remain locked away. I stand by that view – the producer Volpi was known for the violent content of his films. Here was a cheap opportunity for exploitation and perhaps a chance to express his bitterness as he was involved with the failed ATS car project of 1963.

  10. I’ve seen that movie, and it’s only about Fangio’s life. Maybe the “Beaulieu version” was a different cut. BTW, I have it on DVD.
    And folks, it’s not italian, is spanish! Here is Fangio himself speaking on the video (sorry for the poor translation):
    “Ferrari 2500, engine derived from the Lancia, 8 cylinder, 8000 rpm, same car I raced to 1956 World Championship. On those days, there were many technical improvements: engine part of the chassis, lateral fuel tanks, gearshift very close to the steering wheel, perfect driving position. But this car had a story also: with a car like this, Alberto Ascari ended his race in the sea in 1955.
    …
    When a car runs ok and the engine sounds harmoniously, noise turns into music and driver into orchestra conductor”

    1. Digging this up from a few years back but if you still have a copy of the DVD or know where I could find one I would be absolutely thrilled!!

  11. TRANSLATIONS (from the complete clip, available elsewhere, which starts w/ Fangio in the bar):

    “We had everything here, everything here inside.
    All of our [racing] kit was here [opening zipper].
    Look – inside this women’s hat box was everything:
    Goggles, leather gloves, remera [which is an undershirt specifically for sports use, like for a driver or cyclist], and helmet – all here. [then he puts goggle up to his face and says…] vieron [which could be like, ‘they saw [me like this’ – since the film cuts to him driving] or ‘you see?’]”

    [cuts to driving…]

    “Ferrari ‘2500’ – powered by a motor from rival Lancia: eight cylinders, 8000rpm…it’s the same as the one with which I won the 1956 World Championship.

    In that time, already there were many new technical developments: motor mounts inside the chassis, lateral tanks, shift lever very close to the steering wheel, optimized driving position…but this car had another important history: it was the same type of car that, in 1955, here in Monte Carlo, Ascari finished with in the sea!”

    [lots of driving…]

    “When a car goes well, and the engine note is harmonious, the noise makes a form of music; the pilot [driver] is like a [musical] conductor [director de orquesta]…”

    [music…and slow-mo cuts interspersed w/ Fangio hand movements at table…]

    As noted above, apparently it’s extracted from a pseudo-documentary film: ‘Fangio – A Life at 300km Per Hour’ (IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1052346/ billed as “A documentary of Fangio’s life with his own testimony.”)
    The executive producer and director was Hugh Hudson of ‘Chariots of Fire’ fame, and, according to Sports Car Digest, this scene and others were shot “in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s, making Fangio approximately 60 years old during filming”.

    Above, the reader offers that filming specifically took place during the summer of 1971 on location in Monaco, Monza, Reims, Silverstone and at the Nurburgring, but I’m not sure what accounts for the 10 year difference b/w shooting scenes like this Monte Carlo one we’re presently discussing, and the IMDb release date of 1981.

  12. Fabulous video that i haven’t the time to finish at the moment. Of course the car he is driving at the start is not the Lancia D50 but the Alfa Romeo 158 G.P. car in which he won his first wold championship.

  13. The video was filmed during the 1971 Monaco G.P. weekend (May 21-23 ), taking advantege of the streets clossure, The racing monoposto car is a Lancia tipo D50 of 1955, i.e. not her Lancia-Ferrari sucessor of the 1956 season.

Comments are closed.

Main Topic Hubs

Join The Community

Become A Member