Luigi Villoresi began his racing career in 1935 and went on to become one of the star drivers of the post-war era. Born in 1909 to a wealthy Italian family he had access to automobiles from an early age and competed in local rallies in his early twenties. He entered the Mille Miglia in partnership with his brother and in 1937 he signed to drive Alfa Romeos for the Scuderia Ferrari team.
Villoresi
Destined to race only Italian machinery, the following year he moved to Maserati where he competed against the dominant Mercedes ‘Silver Arrows’. In 1939 Maserati unveiled its new 4CL which Villoresi drove to victory in the South African grand prix, repeating the feat at the Adriatic grand prix just two weeks after his brother lost his life testing an Alfa Romeo at Monza. Following the cessation of motorsport, he returned to racing at the 1946 Indianapolis 500 where he came home in seventh place. In 1948, he had the honour of winning the first grand prix to be held at the newly opened Silverstone circuit but such was the overwhelming popularity of the new track that the huge crowd ignored the potential danger and swarmed onto the circuit as soon as Villoresi took the flag; any official celebration proved impossible and both Villoresi and his team-mate Alberto Ascari had to drive across a potato field to escape the crush. He went on to win five grand prix races during 1949 prior to the FIA announcing a new Formula One World Drivers Championship in 1950. Villoresi competed at the wheel of a Ferrari having signed for the team but despite taking part in a total of 31 races he failed to win any. In 1954 he was testing a Lancia Aurelia prior to entering a rally but suffered serious injuries when he swerved to avoid an on-coming car and he and his mechanic were pinned beneath the Lancia for some time before being rescued. During this era, there were numerous non-championship grand prix events and between 1950 and 1957 he won six races before retiring at the age of 48. He briefly took part in rallies, winning the Acropolis Rally in 1958 before finally leaving the sport. The photograph shows him driving his Maserati 4CLT to victory in the 1948 Albi grand prix. Villoresi passed away at his home in Modena in 1997.
