14 replies to this topic

[VDP]

I would like more informations about N Pagani, former Succesful Motorbiker and WC
2 times winner of GP 46/47 and last race at Pau with a Maserati A6 GCM
Why this driver never was incorpoated in a front team ? I think Scuderia Milan
is not.


Robert

[alessandro silva]

Pagani could not pursue his car racing career mainly because of his victory in the first motorcycle WC -1949- for the 125cc class. He became one of the busiest riders in the early motorcycle championship history, racing in each class. That did not give him enough time for a complete car racing season. He was an excellent driver though, but it was essentially his choice to stay with bikes.

[fines]

He was a world class biker, and must've been fairly old by the late fourties. I am just too lazy to check his age, but I believe he was born around 1910/11!?

[alessandro silva]

1911 in fact. I think he is still alive, but I am not sure, really.

[VDP]

Almost all the drivers from that era were old L Chiron by instance born 1899

Robert

[FEV]

The great Nello Pagani is indeed still alive but as been ill recently as Richie told us in his great "Where Are They Now" thread. Does anybody knowif he raced cars at all before WWII ?

[anjakub]

Nello Pagani was born 10 october 1911. He was famous motorcycle racer, winning the inaugural 125 cc World Championship in 1949 on a Mondial (won GP of Switzerland in Bern and GP of The Netherlands in Assen). In 1951 he was 10th in championship.
In 1950 he drove a Maserati entered by Scuderia Achile Varzi in his only Grand Prix (Swiss GP in Bremgarten - 7 place).
Later Pagani managing MV Agusta bike team.

[Richard Jenkins]

A few things to add - Pagani was an Italian aristocrat whose money allowed him to go both bike racing & car racing, Nello prefering the two wheels due to his higher success in them, being the first 125cc World Champion and all that. This is the reason he never raced in a big team - he didn't have the time!
He started motorcycling as far back as 1927.


If someone who knows Italian would be kind enough to translate this for us, we might know more!

http://www.lanotizia.it/Pagani.htm

But from what I can make out with my very basic Italian, like the recently deceased Dorino Serafini, he was exclusively a motorcyclist before World War Two. As I say, that's virtually all I can work out!

Nello continued to attend historic events until his late '80's, but bad health in the last few years has meant Nello, now 90, moving to an Italian nursing home.

Hope this helps!

[Marcor]

Nello'son Alberto Pagani also was a successfull motor rider. In 1972 he was the team-mate of Agostini in the MV Agusta team and finished second of the 500 cc World championship. In this class he won the 1969 Italian GP at Imola (moto: Linto), the 1971 Italian GP at Monza and the Yugoslavian GP at Opatija. It was the time when Ago won nearly all races...

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by anjakub

In 1950 he drove a Maserati entered by Scuderia Achile Varzi in his only Grand Prix (Swiss GP in Bremgarten - 7 place).

This was certainly not his only Grand Prix.
It was however his only world championship Formula 1 Grand Prix

[anjakub]

Of course, that's right.

Also the Pau GP in 1947 and 1948 (Maserati) - two time first, and the Modena GP (Simca Gordini) - fourth.

[Barry Lake]

Originally posted by anjakub
Nello Pagani was born 10 october 1911.

Can you confirm that date?

I have, from two different sources, that he was born 11 October 1911.

Thanks.

[anjakub]

I verify it.
In one old book about bike racing is 10 october, but in The Guiness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who is 11 october. So, three to one, Nello Pagani was born 11 october 1911.

[Chico Landi]

According to Pritchard's book about Maserati, Pagani was the first to drive the A6GCM. The book was not explicit about it, but it seems that he was representing the works team:

"The first car (A6GCM), far from fully developed, was driven by Nello Pagani in the South American races at the beggining of 1952. In the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix run on 20 January over 75 laps of the 2 (?? - I guess you're wrong, Pritchard, wouldnt it be ten? ) kilometre Circuito de Gavea, Pagani finished third behind the V-12 Ferraris of Fangio and Landi (wrong again, Pagani was 4th - and possibly drove an A6GCS, Gonzalez won, Fangio DNF. He was 3rd at the Quinta da Boa Vista, February 3rd, this time behind Fangio and Landi ). There followed two 30 laps races at the newly opened Buenos Aires Autodrome, but in both of these the new car retired. Pagani was not a driver of such calibre that substantial success in South America was expected, but Maserati was very disappointed with the performance of the A6GCM and a great deal of development work was carried out before it was again raced."

So, it seems that Pagani landed a drive for a good team, but not in a good situation (new car, unknown tracks, tough opposition). Can someone confirm if these entries were for the official Maserati team?

[David McKinney]

I believe the entries of both Bonetto and Pagani in these races were by the works. The factory's aces, Fangio and Gonzalez, preferred to race s/c 2-litre Ferraris and rightly so too - between them they won every race in the series.