Today marks thirty years since the passing of Fangio, the Argentine maestro, at the age of 84. He is still regarded as one of the greatest of all time. However, Fangio himself remained the epitome of modesty. But how did his motor racing career begin?
Fangio always remembered his roots. He hailed from Balcarce, a provincial town in Argentina. As a child, he was content just driving the garbage cart to the dump.
In his parents’ garden, he tinkered with cars. He started a garage there. Occasionally, he participated in races with a self-assembled clunker. Then he took a gamble: he entered a mega rally with a Chevrolet he financed through a lottery: the grand prize was the Chevrolet. Ten thousand kilometers from Buenos Aires to Peru and back, across the Andes Mountains. He won the race and became a hero in Argentina.
World War II
After World War II, Argentine President Perón brought Formula 1 to his country as a publicity stunt. Fangio participated and the European champions were impressed. In 1949, Fangio raced in Europe, funded by the Argentine state. And he won. Time and time again. When the Formula 1 World Championship kicked off in 1950, Alfa Romeo was eager to have him on the team. How much did he want to earn? Fangio – now 38 years old – replied: ‘Oh… just fill in something.’
Alfa dominated. Fangio won three of the six European races. Nino Farina also won three. But the Italian scored a fourth place at Spa and thus became the first Formula 1 World Champion. The following year, Fangio won three of the seven European races. In the final, decisive Grand Prix in Barcelona, he defeated Alberto Ascari and became World Champion. Argentina rejoiced.
