Gianni Agnelli

The long time boss of Fiat, and keen backer of Ferrari’s ongoing grand prix racing effort, died in January at the age of 81.

The grandson of the founder of the Fiat marque, Agnelli was a famous playboy in the early post-war period, but soon left his legal background to join the management team at Fiat. He then spent 30 years as chairman of the Italian giant, during which time his family bought into Ferrari.

His support for Ferrari’s racing programme never waned, and he is considered to have played a key role in the transformation of the team’s fortunes over the last decade. PL