Fangio & Mercedes-Benz – Alliance of the best
By Hartmut Lehbrink
Although Juan Manuel Fangio won only one and two-thirds of his five Formula One World Championships and scored only eight of his 24 Grand Prix victories driving for Mercedes-Benz, the German marque remains the one most associated with his name. Perhaps this is because he spent the greater part of his post-racing life directing the importation of Mercedes-Benz cars to his native Argentina, as well as serving as a general ambassador for the company.
Whatever the case, this bilingual book, originally released in Germany to celebrate the centennial of Fangio’s birth in 2011, paints a multifaceted portrait of a multifaceted man. Its heart is a series of interviews with well-known racing folks who worked with or against Fangio, or simply observed his greatness from the periphery—including one of the Cuban revolutionaries who helped stage his benign kidnapping in Havana in 1958. All agree, however, that he truly deserved his recognition as “The Great One.”
Crisply illustrated with period and contemporary photography from both his racing career and its later life, this book captures well the spirit of the man and should make a welcome addition to any enthusiast’s library. Available for US$59.95 at enthusiast book stores or direct from publisher David Bull at www.bullpublishing.com
