In the aftermath of the Second World War, dynamic Italian entrepreneur Gaetano Marzotto set about rebuilding his hugely successful business empire, a task in which he would be helped by the next generation of this influential family. Four of his sons, however, would also make a name for themselves in the world of motor racing – and, in the process, become important early customers of Enzo Ferrari.
Vittorio, Umberto, Giannino and Paolo Marzotto were young, stylish and well connected, and enjoyed a huge amount of success during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Giannino twice won the legendary Mille Miglia road race and was a great admirer of Ferrari’s V12 engines, but he was sure that the cars’ aerodynamics could be improved – and that led him to create the unique Ferrari Uovo.
Working with Carrozzeria Fontana and young designer Franco Reggiani, he came up with a car that combined the chassis from a Ferrari 166 MM, the more powerful engine from a 212 Export, and a striking new lightweight body. Initially referred to as the Jet Coupé, it became better known as the Uovo – and it quickly made its mark. After making its race debut at the 1951 Giro di Sicilia, the Uovo led that year’s Mille Miglia in the hands of Giannino Marzotto, and then won the challenging Coppa della Toscana. It continued to race through 1952, before being sold into American ownership the following year.
This new book from Porter Press International tells the full story of a remarkable car, from its creation and its time with Giannino Marzotto, to its American competition career, its restoration during the 1980s – and even how it came to be photographed with movie icon James Dean. Along the way, author James Page – working with renowned Ferrari expert Keith Bluemel – presents new research that gives a clear insight into the Uovo’s early life. The book also goes into detail about the amazing Marzotto family and the effect they had not only on the town of Valdagno, but on Italian life in general – complete with rarely seen images and a revealing interview with Giannino’s nephew, Matteo Marzotto.
Packed with superb photography, Uovo is the story of a unique, charismatic car that evokes an important period in Ferrari history and a long-lost era of road-racing in which talented privateers could take on – and beat – the established aces.
About The Author
James Page grew up around motorsport and studied Journalism at Falmouth College of Arts, at the same time contributing race reports to Autosport and Motoring News. He joined Future Publishing in 2005, working on a range of different titles before going on to become deputy editor of Classics Monthly. In 2011, he joined Classic & Sports Car in the same role, and then became editor in 2014. Two years later, he left to go freelance, but still contributes to C&SC as well as Octane and ASTON, and he also edits the monthly magazine of The International XK Club. This is the fifth book that he has written for Porter Press, with his previous titles including Ultimate Ferrari 250 GTO and Superbears – The Story Of Hesketh Racing.
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more information: porterpress.co.uk
