10 replies to this topic

[rcjarrell]

I am searching the internet looking for any account of Nuvolari's life between 1939 and 1945. So far, I have found nothing.

Does anybody... ANYBODY... know what he did during the war years? Did he serve in the Italian military? Did he leave the country? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[paulhooft]

I am searching the internet looking for any account of Nuvolari's life between 1939 and 1945. So far, I have found nothing.

Does anybody... ANYBODY... know what he did during the war years? Did he serve in the Italian military? Did he leave the country? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Yes:
he did a lot of Fishing in a nearby lake!!
PcH

[Rosemayer]

I am searching the internet looking for any account of Nuvolari's life between 1939 and 1945. So far, I have found nothing.

Does anybody... ANYBODY... know what he did during the war years? Did he serve in the Italian military? Did he leave the country? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

All I could find on short notice.
http://www.grandprix...ft/ft00365.html

Cheers Rosey

[longhorn]

I am searching the internet looking for any account of Nuvolari's life between 1939 and 1945. So far, I have found nothing.

Does anybody... ANYBODY... know what he did during the war years? Did he serve in the Italian military? Did he leave the country? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I have a number of books about Nuvolari, some in Italian, but the only information I can find is that he decided to learn to fly and bought a 2 seater Alfa Romeo powered Saiman on which he painted his name and the tortoise emblem. He exercised it hard and gained his pilot's licence. I'm sure that this would have been in Italy but I don't know whether it was in the Mantua region where he had lived before. He stayed in touch with Auto Union and looked forward to the end of the war and the restarting of racing activities. His mother Emma Elisa Zorzi died 17 December 1943 aged 79. That's all I have

[RStock]

I have a number of books about Nuvolari, some in Italian, but the only information I can find is that he decided to learn to fly and bought a 2 seater Alfa Romeo powered Saiman on which he painted his name and the tortoise emblem.

From Museo Tazio Nuvolari

http://www.tazionuvo.../biografia.html


1948



Tazio was right at 50 years old when WWII started , had already fulfilled his military service in WWI , and was already having health problems . That would have excluded him from service , and leant to his leisurly life during the war . And from what I know , he was in Italy the whole duration .

Edited by REDARMYSOJA, 30 July 2009 - 20:51.

[Arjan de Roos]

Nuvolari was born in 1892, so not a young man anymore when the war started. This and his health situation would made him unfit to join any army service as mentioned. However he was considered as a mere god in Italy and was cherished by many italians as one of there many treassures. He could live a relative calm, secluded life.

In 1942 he received a birthday telegram from Auto Union with many compliments about his last win at Belgrade. This he promptly replied.

Right after the hostilities had ended in Italy, Nuvolari set up a small enterprise recovering stranded vehicles, which he repaired and sold on.

[Allan Lupton]

As has been said, he was 50 on 16/11/42.
Lurani tells us that he moved to Lanzo d'Intelvi (3000 ft. up, near the Swiss border overlooking Lake Lugano) to be away from the bombing, but he doesn't really say what TN did there.

[aldo]

My friend and biographer of TN, Cesare De Agostini, surely has something to tell about Tazio's life in the war years.
What I know is that, at least until 1942, he received his salary from Auto Union as a team driver.
He was a rich man, already from his family, therefore he probably was well off even during those years.
I do not have here the dates, yet it's impossible that he learned to fly and bought the Saiman plane in the war years: private flying was banned in every country at war.

[longhorn]

My friend and biographer of TN, Cesare De Agostini, surely has something to tell about Tazio's life in the war years.
What I know is that, at least until 1942, he received his salary from Auto Union as a team driver.
He was a rich man, already from his family, therefore he probably was well off even during those years.
I do not have here the dates, yet it's impossible that he learned to fly and bought the Saiman plane in the war years: private flying was banned in every country at war.

The information came from de Agostni's book Tazio Vivo and says that he learnt to fly in 1940. Italy, of course, didn't join the war until 10th June 1940 which just about gave him sufficient time. He received the telegram from Auto Union in 1942, which would indeed suggest that he was still in their employ - but he didn't respond until 8th September 1943. Again from the same book.

de Agostini's other book, L'antileggenda di Nuvolari doesn't mention the war activities at all. His last book, Nuvolari, The legend lives on, only refers to the retrieval and selling on of military 4wd vehicles AFTER the cessation of hostilities.

Hilton's book, Nuvolari, says that Auto Union owed him money at the end of the 1939 season, whilst they were in debt, but resolved the matter after Christmas 1939, although other complications still remained. It is hinted at by Moretti that he didn't race the Maserati at Tripoli in 1940 because he was still under contract to Auto Union. All matters between Nuvolari and Auto Union were eventually resolved with the caveat that he would drive for them if GP racing resumed. He sat out the war alternating between Mantua and his apartment in Rome, dealing in cars before evacuating to Val d'Intelvi. This is also mentioned in Lurani's book.

[bradbury west]

O/T but it gets Nuvolari to the top of the board for notice of this new exhibition of his work as a talented photographer
http://translate.goo...l...olari&hl=en

Roger Lund

[Arjan de Roos]

Thanks Roger! I suppose a show not to be missed by any Nuvolari fan. 315 of his 2500+ private photos on display, as well as many of his trophies and some of his cars.