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The obscure fate of Gino Spaggiari


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#1 Nanni Dietrich

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Posted 13 April 2010 - 12:39

The fate of Gino Spaggiari, a well known Italian rider in the 1930s (don't know if relative to Bruno Spaggiari who raced in the World Motorcycle Championship in late 1950s) is still unknown.

According to a number of American newspaper's issues published in June of 1934, including "The Edwardsville Intelligencer" and
http://news.google.c...A...giari&hl=en
"The Evening Independent", issue of 08 June 1934 (with horrific picture), Gino Spaggiari was killed in an accident which happened during the Rome's International Motorcycle Contest (Trofeo Internazionale della Velocità) held at the Autodromo del Littorio on Sunday, 20 May 1934.

Possibly it was a fake.
I believe the rider survived.

The Italian newspaper "Il Littoriale" issue of Monday, 21 May 1934, has the report of that race (Trofeo Internazionale della Velocità). Spaggiari joined a line-up that included Otto Ley and Bernd Rosemeyer on DKW machines, Stanley Woods, Terzo Bandini, Amilcare Moretti and Omobono Tenni on Moto Guzzis, Giordano Aldrighetti on Scuderia Ferrari's Rudge, Aristide Boccolini on Norton and many others. While battling for the leading positions of the 500cc class race, Gino Spaggiari lost control of his motorcycle, was shot from the saddle and landed head-first on the ground.

In the article Spaggiari's accident is indicated as "prestigioso capitombolo senza conseguenze" (prestigious tumble without consequences).

According to the issue of 15 October 1934 (five months later) of the Italian newspaper "Il Littoriale", Gino Spaggiari finished 3rd in
the Gran Premio delle Colonie held at the Circuito di via Caracciolo, Naples, Italy.

In 1934 Gino Spaggiari finished 3rd in the Italian Motorcycle Championship, 500cc class.

No results are found for Gino Spaggiari in the following years. Nothing is available in the internet.

What did really happen?
Did Gino Spaggiari die that year or simply he quit racing?

What was the fate of this rider?


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#2 Nanni Dietrich

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Posted 20 April 2010 - 07:14

Another Italian mystery.

In a huge crash during the sidecar race of the Circuit of Luino, held on 14 August 1955, Dino Magri lost his life. He was the passenger of Ernesto Merlo, former Italian Sidecar Champion in 1952 and 1954. The machine went off the road and hit a tree.
The fate of Ernesto Merlo is still unknown. According to newspaper Journal de Genève, issue of 17 August 1955, both sidecar pilot and passenger died in the accident. Other sources are not available.
Possibly he succumbed in the following days, but this has not yet been confirmed.


#3 LucaP

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Posted 15 June 2010 - 10:47

I see Motosprint doesn't help ;)

#4 graham houlihan

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Posted 15 June 2010 - 11:15

Another Italian mystery.

In a huge crash during the sidecar race of the Circuit of Luino, held on 14 August 1955, Dino Magri lost his life. He was the passenger of Ernesto Merlo, former Italian Sidecar Champion in 1952 and 1954. The machine went off the road and hit a tree.
The fate of Ernesto Merlo is still unknown. According to newspaper Journal de Genève, issue of 17 August 1955, both sidecar pilot and passenger died in the accident. Other sources are not available.
Possibly he succumbed in the following days, but this has not yet been confirmed.


Hi,

Ernesto Merlo recovered from the accident and lived until 8/4/2003 (He was 83 years old when he died). He regularly paraded his old sidecar during the 80s and 90s, usually with his son as passenger.



#5 Nanni Dietrich

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Posted 05 November 2013 - 15:09

The fate of Gino Spaggiari, a well known Italian rider in the 1930s (don't know if relative to Bruno Spaggiari who raced in the World Motorcycle Championship in late 1950s) is still unknown.

According to a number of American newspaper's issues published in June of 1934, including "The Edwardsville Intelligencer" and
http://news.google.c...A...giari&hl=en
"The Evening Independent", issue of 08 June 1934 (with horrific picture), Gino Spaggiari was killed in an accident which happened during the Rome's International Motorcycle Contest (Trofeo Internazionale della Velocità) held at the Autodromo del Littorio on Sunday, 20 May 1934.

Possibly it was a fake.
I believe the rider survived.

The Italian newspaper "Il Littoriale" issue of Monday, 21 May 1934, has the report of that race (Trofeo Internazionale della Velocità). Spaggiari joined a line-up that included Otto Ley and Bernd Rosemeyer on DKW machines, Stanley Woods, Terzo Bandini, Amilcare Moretti and Omobono Tenni on Moto Guzzis, Giordano Aldrighetti on Scuderia Ferrari's Rudge, Aristide Boccolini on Norton and many others. While battling for the leading positions of the 500cc class race, Gino Spaggiari lost control of his motorcycle, was shot from the saddle and landed head-first on the ground.

In the article Spaggiari's accident is indicated as "prestigioso capitombolo senza conseguenze" (prestigious tumble without consequences).

According to the issue of 15 October 1934 (five months later) of the Italian newspaper "Il Littoriale", Gino Spaggiari finished 3rd in
the Gran Premio delle Colonie held at the Circuito di via Caracciolo, Naples, Italy.

In 1934 Gino Spaggiari finished 3rd in the Italian Motorcycle Championship, 500cc class.

No results are found for Gino Spaggiari in the following years. Nothing is available in the internet.

What did really happen?
Did Gino Spaggiari die that year or simply he quit racing?

What was the fate of this rider?

 

Three and a half years later: any news about Gino Spaggiari?