Giovanni Lurani

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Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi (December 19, 1905 – January 1995) was an Italian automobile engineer, racing car driver and journalist. Also, he was Conte di Calvenzano.

He studied engineering at the Politecnico di Milano and raced cars such as Salmson, Derby, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, participating eleven times in the Mille Miglia. Lurani took class wins in the event three times: 1933 in an MG K3, 1948 in a Healey and 1952 in a Porsche.[1]

After partaking in the second Italo-Abyssinian War from 1935 to 1936,[2] Lurani founded the racing team Scuderia Ambrosiana in 1937[3] along with Luigi Villoresi and Franco Cortese (1937). Sustaining a bad hip injury in Maserati 4CM at Crystal Palace, Lurani ended his single-seater career in 1938.

After World War II Lurani became more involved in administration and politics, working with the FIA, where he initiated GT in 1949 and Formula Junior in 1959.[4][5]

He also designed record breaking motorcycles based on Moto Guzzi [6][7] and was president of the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) Sporting Commission for several years.[8]

Publications

  • Auto Italiana, which he founded and edited
  • Nuvolari (Cassell & Company Ltd., 1959). With Luigi Marinatto.
  • La storia delle macchine da corsa (1970). Translation History of the racing car: Man and machine (1972)
  • La storia della Mille Miglia 1927-57 (1979).
  • Alfa Romeo: Catalogo ragionato (1982). With Paolo Altieri.
  • Racing around the world 1920-35.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/archive/Giovanni-Lurani-I.html.
  2. ↑ http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/dl.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp371.htm
  4. ↑ entry at historicracing.com
  5. ↑ Motor Sport June 1977. Denis Jenkinson
  6. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Motor Sport. G.N. Georgano. 1971 ISBN 0-670-29405-5
  7. ↑ Moto Guzzi. Styles. 2001 ISBN 0-7603-1004-1
  8. ↑ http://www.fim-live.com/en/fim/honorary-members/honorary-presidents-of-commissions-and-panels/
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