ITALIAN RACING RED: Drivers, Cars and Triumphs of Italian Motor Racing (Racing Colours)

"The great cars, drivers and races from the top motor-sporting nations form the theme of this spectacular new series of magnificently illustrated volumes. Each country boasts its bloodlines, companies, engineers, executives and enthusiasts whose powerful competitive spirit and dauntless courage drives them to dominate in motor racing.

Continuing in this incredible new series, Italian motor racing experts reveal the dramatic stories behind their successes and failures, the great classic endurance races and Grand Prix contests in which they dominated - or faced disaster. Motor racing, which has no equal in the ecstasy of victory and agony of defeat, comes vividly to life in the colorful pages of these magnificent books.Ferrari is the quintessential bearer of Rosso Corsa, Italian Racing Red, in the 21st Century. Rightly so, because Ferrari Grand Prix cars have represented Italy in Formula 1 racing since the World Championship was established in 1950. Ferrari sports cars too have carried the flag with eight victories at Le Mans. But as Karl Ludvigsen explains in his authoritative text, there is much more to Rosso Corsa than Ferrari. In the sport's early years the power to reckon with was Fiat, who also set the pace after World War I. Then a feisty newcomer, Alfa Romeo, carried the Italian flag alongside, into the 1930s, the Maserati brothers. Two racing drivers, Felice Nazzaro and Vincenzo Lancia, created their own car marques, one of which stormed into prominence in the 1950s.Italian drivers were to the fore with Tazio Nuvolari, Achille Varzi, Nino Farina, Gigi Villoresi and father and son Antonio and Alberto Ascari. Great races such as the Targo Florio and Mille Miglia, and the iconic circuit Monza, hosted many titanic battles. Shoals of creative specialists competed in smaller classes including Abarth, OSCA, Cisitalia, Nardi, Siata, Stanguellini and Bandini, many of whom backed Gianni Lurani's popular Formula Junior. Maserati, which scored two Indianapolis wins at the end of the 1930s, held epic contests with Ferrari through the 1960s. m Ferrari to Maserati, the Italians have certainly held a prime position in world motor racing. These colorful contestants and many others come to life in the pages of this volume, with rare images from the world-famous Ludvigsen Library and specially commissioned portraits of key racers."