Last Lap Showdown: Chinetti and Nuvolari's Epic Encounter at Le Mans

Nuvolari and Sommer’s mighty Le Mans winner. ‘The flying Mantuan’ won the 1933 Le Mans 24-hours race in this car. Jonathan Stein describes that victory, the machine’s history and how it feels to drive Tazio’s mount

Nuvolari and Sommer’s

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Taken from Motor sport June 2001

Entering the final half-hour, Chinetti held a 21-second lead with Nuvolari, the ‘Flying Mantuan’, gaining. Chinetti stopped for fuel and the lead changed — again.

WF Bradley of The Motor reported that, “the brakes on Nuvolari’s car were at the last extremity, and although he had a faster car, and doubtless more skill as a driver, he could only show his superiority on the straights.”