In 1929 the Italian amateur racing driver Enzo Ferrari, along with some trusted business partners, decided to create a race team for the benefit of other gentleman drivers. Scuderia Ferrari, using Alfa Romeo cars, soon established itself as one of the leading entrants and when Alfa Romeo suffered financial difficulties in 1933 Ferrari was asked to take responsibility for preparing and entering the factory Monoposto Tipo B cars.
By 1935 Ferrari was responsible for handling numerous established drivers as well as many talented amateurs and later that year the now world-famous ‘Prancing Horse’ badge appeared on the bonnet of the Scuderia’s team cars. The photograph above shows three Scuderia Ferrari team Alfa Romeo grand prix cars at the 1936 French Grand Prix held in at Montlhery. Nearest the camera is the Alfa of Achille Varzi alongside that of Louis Chiron while on the right is Count Carlo Felice Trossi. It was Varzi who started from pole position due in part to rain and strong winds making the earlier practice days difficult. The Mercedes and Audi teams were not concerned having arrived with a formidably strong driver line-up plus their new and formidably quick ‘Silver Arrows’ cars, the first time they had been seen outside Germany and the reason why a large crowd arrived at the circuit, estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators. The race began in searing heat and the new German cars eventually retired leaving the Alfa Romeos to complete the 500 kilometres to finish in the first three places with Louis Chiron taking the chequered flag ahead of Varzi and the Scuderia taking home 170,000 francs in prize money. A lone Bugatti was fourth while the remaining nine cars failed to finish.
