Relics of a racing great: personal treasures of Alberto Ascari
A private collector has been avidly gathering treasures from Alberto Ascari's life; here we present just a few
Klemantaski Collection/Getty Images
There are motor racing museums all over the world focusing on everything from single manufacturers to individual racers. But sometimes the general public has never had the chance to see some of the most interesting and intimate motor sport memorabilia.
That’s the case with this amazing collection of Alberto Ascari historical artefacts, which rests in private hands. The owner is a long-time Ferrari and Ascari fan, and has been tracking down the most important pieces from the great Italian’s career. It is now thought to be one of the largest in the world.
Included in the collection are over 500 telegrams, 300 photos, 100 letters, four pairs of goggles and gloves, four racing licences and even the leather jacket he wore. The latest find has been Ascari’s first blue helmet, which he wore in 1951. The one he wore after that, which found its way into the harbour in 1955? That’s also there.
The most difficult part of assessing a collection like this is trying to work out what to include in these pages. We’ve made a selection of some of the most interesting pieces, but in reality we’ve only scratched the surface.
Helmet and goggles
Superstitious Ascari was famously particular about his blue helmet, but during the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix it didn’t provide much luck. After Stirling Moss retired on lap 80 with a blown engine in his Mercedes, Ascari inherited the lead in his Lancia. However, coming out of the tunnel Ascari slithered on oil from Moss’s car and lost control, ending up in the harbour. He managed to swim to safety – and on returning to Milan he was sent a life jacket for future races by the Italian Motor Nautical Federation – but his helmet and goggles were never to be the same again. Over the past 57 years the after-effects of the harbour water has rotted away part of the goggles and left the helmet with stains on the inside.
Trophies
Ascari was unbeaten for a whole calendar year through 1952-53. The trophy on the far left is for the 1952 Daily Express race when he finished a lap ahead of fellow Ferrari driver Piero Taruffi. The Mille Miglia trophy (centre), which was presented to Ascari after winning the 1954 event aboard his Lancia D24 Spider, is flanked by the Nuvolari Trophy. This was presented to him for posting the fastest time between Cremona to Brescia. Tazio had died the previous year and it was handed over by his wife Carolina.
Passports
If you look closely you’ll notice that on one of Ascari’s passports it carries the name ‘Arelli Arturo’. This was his fake passport, which he had made in 1943. Mussolini had surrendered and the Germans had by now occupied northern Italy. The rest of the country was on the brink of civil war and Ascari and his wife Mietta feared that he would be a potential kidnap or even assassination target. A fake passport was a useful piece of equipment to own. “Alberto Ascari? Oh, I get mistaken for that fellow all the time…”
Pace notes
These pace notes (above right) from the 1952 Carrera Panamericana, written on hotel notepaper, didn’t help Ascari too much; after 78 miles he took a left-hander too quickly in his Ferrari 340 Mexico coupé and rolled several times. Interestingly the hotel still exists. This is the official document (left) to say that Ascari had won the 1954 Mille Miglia, completing the 1597km course in 11 hours, 26 minutes and 10 seconds. The pace notes (above) clearly worked better than they did two years earlier in the Carrera Panamericana.
Ferrari contract
A grand prix contract that’s only a page long? They did exist and this one, between Ascari and Ferrari for the 1953 season, starts by saying “with reference to our verbal agreement…” How times have changed. The deal that Enzo offered back in ’53 would give Ascari 50 per cent of the start and prize money that he won, as well as 50 per cent of any money that sponsors Shell, Pirelli and Champion gave to the team when they posted those results. It also says that Ferrari would look after public liability and Ascari’s insurance.
Racing licence
In 1951 Ascari campaigned the Ferrari 375 throughout the Grand Prix season, picking up two wins (in Germany and Italy) and two second-place finishes (in Belgium and France). He finished second to Juan Manuel Fangio in the championship. This 1951 race licence, signed by Ascari, will have accompanied him throughout that year.
Condolence letters
As Nigel Roebuck relates on page 102, Ascari was tragically killed testing Eugenio Castellotti’s Ferrari 750 Monza. He wasn’t wearing his lucky blue helmet since not only was he not expecting to drive, but the helmet was away having its chin strap mended after the Monaco harbour incident. This letter from Stirling Moss and telegram from Enzo Ferrari offer their condolences to his wife Mietta. A modern, rough, translation of the latter reads: “At the moment, now that the dearest Alberto – who had a pure faith that would always push him to do better – has left us, I am obliged to stay away. But I am still very, very close to you. Yours, Enzo Ferrari”.