Obituary: Piero Taruffi
Another of the great racing drivers, Piero Taruffi, has died at the age of 82.
Like Nuvolari, the handsome Italian initially became well-known as a successful racing motorcyclist. His first car race, following trials in the family Fiat 501S, was the 1930 Mille Miglia, co-driving a 2.3 Bugatti. Good showings in 1750 Alfa Romeo and Tipo 65 Itala cars led to outings for Scuderia Ambrosiana and Scuderia Torino, and he also drove for Ferrari before buying his own 8C Maserati.
In 1936 Taruffi came to England, driving Earl Howe’s Type 51 Bugatti into second place in the Brooklands Mountain Championship race. He continued to race motorcycles up to 1937 and in 1939 won at Cape Town in Howe’s ERA.
After the war this great all-rounder became 11/2-litre and Formula Two Italian Champion driving Cisitalias, and from 1951 he was employed as a Ferrari and Lancia works driver, winning the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten for Ferrari. He also drove Vandervell’s Thinwall Special and a Cooper-Norton at Brands Hatch, and finished second for Mercedes-Benz in the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, before returning to Maserati.
Taruffi’s racing culminated in victory in a Ferrari in the last Mille Miglia in 1957, after which he concentrated on record breaking in his astounding twin-boom Tarf, using Guzzi, Gilera and Maserati engines in different classes.
,strong>Obituary: Donald Healey
The seemingly indestructible Cornishman, Donald Healey , has died at 89 years of age.
After starting his competition career in 1923 with an ABC car, Healey became world famous first as a rally driver and later as a sportscar designer and manufacturer. He was the first British driver to win the Monte Carlo Rally, in 1931, driving the Invicta from Stavangar, and it was with these cars that he pioneered the use of enormous tyres to increase ground clearance and grip. Healey also competed in various Triumphs and created the controversial Alfa Romeo-like straight eight supercharged Triumph Dolomite — in one of which he survived a write-off crash into a train at a level crossing on the Monte Carlo Rally.
The run of distinguished post-war sportscars which bore his name included the Nash-Healeys, the four and six-cylinder Austin Healey, the Healey Silverstone, the Austin Healey Sprite and the Jensen Healey. All of these cars will forever be fondly remembered and commended wherever enthusiasts gather.
Donald Healey CBE was not only unique in the context of car manufacturing, he was also no mean rally driver! To his sons and family Motor Sport offers its heart felt condolences.