#sandro munari

[frenchcurious]

Arturo Merzario (Ferrari SEFAC - Ferrari 312 PB #0884) vainqueur avec Sandro Munari de la Targa Florio 1972. - source Carros e Pilotos.

[a110crazy13]

Monza

[hellojeanclaudequaghebeur]

Sandro Munari 🇮🇹Mario Mannucci 🇮🇹#2.Lancia Stratos HF.Lancia Malboro.Assistance.Vainqueurs 🏆🏆.Rallye de Sanremo 🇮🇹1974

[justforbooks]

Marcello Gandini’s cars were made to stop the traffic. The Italian designer, who has died aged 85, created supercars for the super-rich, and such exotic machines as Lamborghini’s Miura and Countach, Alfa Romeo’s Montreal and Maserati’s Khamsin were guaranteed to draw crowds of admirers when parked outside the grand hotels of Monaco, Rome or London.

As the chief designer of the Bertone company, he also worked at the more modest end of the market, creating the little Autobianchi A112 and the original version of the Volkswagen Polo, and restyling the British Mini for the Italian Innocenti firm. For those wanting a miniature supercar, there was Fiat’s two-seater X1/9, a striking little wedge with its four-cylinder engine mounted transversely behind the cockpit, mimicking the location of the Miura’s mighty V12.

Gandini designed for the space age, renouncing the smooth curves that defined the aesthetic principles of his predecessors. To him the Miura, which first appeared in 1966 and which many consider the most breathtakingly beautiful car ever made, was a flawed compromise. “The audacity was made acceptable by the sweetness, by the flow of the design,” he said. “Nobody rejected the Miura. There was immediate consensus. Even more than it deserved. I was at the beginning of my career and I didn’t have enough autonomy to be able to do exactly what I wanted.”

The Countach, altogether more extreme, even outlandish, was closer to his ideal on its unveiling in 1974. Sightings on the streets of London gave rise to the rumour that the width of its huge tyres made it the only car in the world that could not be wheel-clamped by parking wardens.

“For me,” Gandini said, “it represented the dream. It took years before it was totally accepted. Some people liked it straight away, but most, including journalists, took a long time. So much so that it remained in production for 17 years.”

Born in Turin, Gandini was the son of a pharmacist who, after the arrival of five children, had abandoned his first career as a classical composer and conductor. It was hoped that Marcello would become a concert pianist. There were piano lessons from the age of four, continued when he went to a Salesian boarding school at eight. But as a child he dreamed of cars and when, during his days as a student, his parents gave him the money to buy a Latin textbook, instead he spent it on a book called Motori Endotermici (Endothermic Engines) by Dante Giacosa, the great designer of the highly successful prewar Fiat 500 “Topolino”and its 1950s successor, the ubiquitous Nuova 500. His course was set.

At the age of 25, Gandini approached the celebrated Turin coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone, who gave him a job in the design studio. Soon he would take over as the firm’s chief designer from the prolific Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had drawn up the Maserati Ghibli and various handsome Alfa Romeos before leaving to start his own business.

Sometimes Gandini seemed to exist in the realm of the “concept car”, prototypes that explored new ideas without restraint, displayed at motor shows in much the way that Parisian couturiers produce extreme designs for the catwalk. The four seats of the unique Lamborghini Marzal, for instance, were upholstered in silver leather, while its bodywork and fittings made use of a hexagonal motif. The famous vertically opening “scissor doors” of the Countach were first seen at the 1968 Paris Motor Show on Alfa Romeo’s one-off Carabo.

Gandini was said to be responsible for around 200 designs. Among them were two mid-engined classics of the 1970s, Ferrari’s Dino 308 GT4 and the Lancia Stratos. The dramatically wedge-shaped Lancia won the world rally championship three years in a row between 1974-76 in the hands of Sandro Munari and Bjorn Waldegaard, while Munari also won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in a Stratos.

A car, Gandini believed, was not a work of art – “but it has in common with art the ability to generate emotions”. He played down the significance of his innovations. “I didn’t invent penicillin,” he said. “These are just ideas that came to me.” After leaving Bertone in 1980 to set up his own studio, he worked on many projects, including industrial and interior design.

The father who had wanted him to become a classical pianist finally overcame his disappointment at Marcello’s choice of profession when he was taken for his first ride in a Miura. “Only then,” his son said, “did he understand that I knew how to make other notes sound – those of engines.”

Gandini is survived by his wife, Claudia, with whom he lived in a restored abbey at the foot of Monte Musinè, outside Turin, their son and daughter, Marco and Marzia, and three grandchildren, Lucrezia, Costanza and Pietro.

🔔 Marcello Gandini, car designer, born 26 August 1938; died 13 March 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[graceandfamily]

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace congratulate the winning Italian crew of the rally, Sandro Munari and Marco Mannucci, in Monaco, January 30, 1972.

[personal-reporter]

Gli altri sport: Arturo Merzario

Il pilota che salvò la vita a Niki Lauda… Arturo Merzario nacque l’11 marzo 1943 a Civenna, in provincia di Como, a 19 anni guidò a Monza una Giulietta Spider,  ebbe la sua prima vittoria nel Rally di Sardegna. Nel 1964 si fece notare alla guida di una Fiat-Abarth 1000, e partecipò alla 500 Km del Nürburgring. Dopo varie vittorie e diversi piazzamenti interessanti nella classe Turismo Europeo, il  comasco divenne  pilota ufficiale della scuderia dello Scorpione, dove impressionò Enzo Ferrari, grazie alle vittorie al Mugello nella classe Sport Prototipi e a Imola nel’Europeo della Montagna. Poco tempo dopo Merzario fu  ingaggiato per correre il Mondiale Marche 1970,  dove partecipò con la Ferrari 512 a Daytona, Sebring, Brands Hatch e Monza. Nel 1971, con l’Abarth vinse a Vallelunga la Coppa in memoria dello scomparso Ignazio Giunti e un anno dopo ci fu la prima importante vittoria con la 312P alla 1000 Km di Spa con il pilota inglese Brian Redman e, con Sandro Munari, arrivò il trionfo alla Targa Florio. Grazie a queste vittorie Arturo fece il suo ingresso in Formula 1, sostituendo di Clay Regazzoni, fermo per un incidente capitato mentre giocava a calcio. Al debutto in Inghilterra Merzario partì nono ed arrivò sesto guadagnando il suo primo punto iridato. Nel 1973  divenne pilota titolare Ferrari in coppia di Jacky Ickx, ma per lui ci furono solo nove gare su 15 mondiali di cui due piazzamenti al quarto posto in Brasile e Sud Africa e, due ritiri a Monaco e Monza. Al contrario nel Mondiale Sport Merzario fu  secondo alla 24 Ore di Le Mans e alla 1000 km Nürburgring in coppia con Carlos Pace alla guida di una Ferrari 312 PB. Purtroppo nel 1974 il rapporto con Enzo Ferrari si deteriorò e il pilota abbandonò la scuderia passando su una Iso-Ford della scuderia di Frank Williams. L’anno seguente la Iso diventa Williams, Arturo disputò 5 gare con altrettanti ritiri, ma nel mondiale Marche Sport aiutò l’Alfa Romeo a vincere il campionato. Sempre con la scuderia del Biscione vinse la 800 km di Digione la 1000 km di Monza, la 1000 km di Pergusa, la 1000 km del Nürburgring e la Targa Florio in coppia con Nino Vaccarella, oltre ai secondi posti ottenuti al Mugello in coppia con Ickx, in Austria con Vittorio Brambilla e al Glen americano con Mario Andretti. Nel 1976 ci fu l’evento che fece entrare Arturo Merzario nei cuori dei tifosi con il salvataggio eroico del Nürburgring di Niki Lauda, quando il pilota comasco  fermò la sua auto rischiando la vita per soccorrere il collega intrappolato, come raccontò anni dopo  “Ero appena uscito dai box e vedevo in lontananza, due o tre curve avanti, una rossa Ferrari. Ad un tratto la vettura volò in aria, trasformata in una palla di fuoco. Ai quei tempi c’era molto  magnesio nella costruzione di una monoposto, materiale molto infiammabile. Figuriamoci cosa successe con la benzina nel serbatoio. Mi fermai. C’era gente impietrita. Corsi verso un albero dove era appoggiato un estintore. Lo presi e raggiunsi la zona dell’incendio. Cercai di spegnerlo, c’era anche molto fumo. Vicino a me si trovavano altri due piloti, Harald Ertl e Brett Langer, però non osavano avvicinarsi. Io mi curvai sull’abitacolo e cercai di aprire le cinture di sicurezza. Niki si agitava. Ma così facendo le tendeva e io non riuscivo manovrare la levetta per sganciarle. Poi Lauda svenne, il corpo divenne inerte e finalmente fui in grado di estrarlo. Sembrava un bambino. Lo sollevai come se fosse pesato dieci chili appena. Quindi arrivarono i soccorsi” Merzario nel 1977, con Vittorio Brambilla, portò l’Alfa Romeo nuovamente al primo posto nel Campionato Mondiale Marche, poi negli anni successivi continuò a gareggiare nel Campionato Italiano Prototipi. Nel 2010 Arturo è stato eletto Presidente onorario della Scuderia del Portello, che si dedica alla conservazione e preparazione dei modelli sportivi e storici dell’Alfa Romeo da presentare per la strade del mondo. Read the full article

[timosalonen]

okay while we're at it heres my list of favourite silly facts about the group b era (and some extended universe)

- Henri and Juha knew each other as kids because their fathers were both rally drivers and friends with each other

- Christian was a banker before he got into motorsport and he was like prodigal talent and worked in the olympics cash office while he was still only in his training.

- Daniele Audetto and Luca Montezemolo used to be a codriver/driver pairing. Daniele also codrove with Sandro Munari for a while

- Datsun once forgot that Timo and Seppo were stranded on a rural stage in Argentina and they had to burn their car tyres then hitchhike a ride to the nearest town to find a taxi and get back to the hotel. Datsun didnt realise they were gone until they walked into the Hangover Breakfast like "guys what the fuck"

- Henri used to smoke occasionally. that ones just important to me personally

- During Nicky Grist's first world championship event with Juha, Juha essentially told him "we don't need to do any work, and you are going to go and play golf with Seppo." like he was a mother setting up two kids on a play date. Nicky was understandably baffled by this.

- Walter has a photographic memory. thats it i just think this is really in character and annoying.

- Walter and Monika were dating for 10 whole years before they got married, and before Monika, Walter had never had another girlfriend before.

- Ari had his wife Rita as a codriver on multiple occasions which i think is simply adorable. he also drove with his kids a few times.

- markku was not as much of a drinker as the other finns and was perhaps incidentally one of the first drivers to have a curated heath/fitness plan

~ will add as i find them ~

ewrc results dot com is my favourite website because where else was i going to find out that ilkka met markku in the 70's and then never so much as glanced at another driver again for the rest of his life?? those two have been together longer than walter and christian do you understand how insane that is

[cazzyf1]

Speed Fever - 1978 F1 Documentary

Documentary about the world's most important car racing, shot on worldwide slopes, interspersed with interviews with famous riders, like Lauda, Reuteman, Andretti, Fittipaldi, Hunt, Patrese and many others. - Review from IMDB

English Version:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Notice: Part 2 goes to a black screen for half the length of the video, you'll need to switch to part 3.

TW: In the parts above they show video footage of fatal accidents in F1 and they show dead bodies etc.

This is a link to another upload by the same person but without the fatal accident footage. I haven't had time to check to make sure myself but it should be okay.

Originally Niki Lauda was supposed to have a few more scenes but ended up not having the time. In the English versions above they cut out one scene of Niki flying his plane, talking and greeting Sidney Rome. I haven't checked if there are other scenes potentially cut out yet.

Link to the Italian dubbed documentary. - If you want to see the Niki scene they cut, you can here, but it is dubbed over in Italian and the auto-translate by YouTube isn't great.

Another upload of the first part of the documentary where you can hear Niki and Sidney talking in English is here. However, a German man is talking over them explaining what part Niki was supposed to have in this documentary, so it is a strain to hear what Niki and Sidney are saying underneath.

This documentary includes interviews with:

Niki Lauda, Bernie Ecclestone, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Stirling Moss, Sandro Munari, Ronnie Peterson, Clay Regazzoni, Carol Reutemann, Jody Scheckter, Hans Stuck and more.

[rennsportwagen]

Today for our (almost) daily quarantine/lockdown motorsport entertainment, a look at the career of Sandro Munari.

Whether on the wheel of the Lancia Fulvia or the Stratos, the italian legend helped these cars to become legends as well, setting up a new driving style in the 70′s into the early years of the WRC championship.

Sandro Munari at the 1972 Rallye Monte-Carlo : https://youtu.be/9D6BL9cD3uY

1975 Rallye Monte-Carlo, first win of the Stratos : https://youtu.be/eYf_Av0tZ-s https://youtu.be/vaSqPOZrfZA https://youtu.be/Ud_G1TktJRQ

Sandro Munari and the famous italian drivers : https://youtu.be/5eqje7tPFWA

For your eyes (and ears) only, 6 minutes of the pure engine sound of the Stratos’ V6 : https://youtu.be/vcdHoyzzNRU

As always feel free to share and reblog, and remember to stay home and to be safe and careful these days!

[frenchcurious]

Sandro Munari & Mario Mannucci - Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF Lancia Marlboro Team - Rallye de Monte-Carlo 1973. - source Moto Vitelloni - Wheels n' wings.

[lurally]

La storia di Mario Mannucci, il maestro delle note

La storia di Mario Mannucci, il maestro delle note

Non c’è una ricorrenza precisa per cui ti racconto la storia di Mario Mannucci e, in realtà, non ce n’è bisogno. Mario, che è andato via il 17 dicembre 2011, ha costruito la ‘Leggenda Lancia’. A tutti gli effetti è un UomoLancia. Era navigatore del Drago, Sandro Munari, con il quale ha dominato le competizioni con la Lancia. Aveva 79 anni e, come lo ricorda il suo amico Carlo Cavicchi, ex…

[hellojeanclaudequaghebeur]

Sandro Munari 🇮🇹Lofty Drews 🇰🇪#10.Lancia Fluvia 1.6 coupé HF.Lancia Malboro.3ème classement final.East African Safari Rally 🇰🇪1974

[topvehicles]

Lancia Stratos and Sandro Munari "Il Drago"

via reddit

[graceandfamily]

Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco presenting the Rallye Monte-Carlo trophy to Sandro Munari and Mario Mannucci, January 27, 1975, Monaco.

[escmk2]

Lancia stratos ⚠️🏁 ⚠️🏁 ⚠️🏁 ⚠️