Juan Manuel Fangio

Juan Manuel Fangio was considered one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, thanks in part to his five World Championships that he won during the 1950s. He was son of an Italian immigrant, who moved to Argentina at the turn of the century. Fangio worked in a garage at an early age and was always fascinated by automobiles. Fangio started racing in the 30s and won frequently. After World War II, Fangio moved to Europe and began competing in several events and then moved on to the newly constructed Formula 1 World Championship, where his legend grew. He raced for four of the most famous European manufacturers in racing--Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Mercedes-Benz. Fangio retired abruptly after only two races in 1958, and moved back to his beloved Argentina. He frequently attended Formula 1 races and was a popular spokesman for Formula 1 for many years and was regarded as an all-round champion because of the way he conducted himself outside of racing. His death was mourned throughout the racing world.