A superb and rare photo of Alberto Ascari in his magnificent Ferrari
375 F1 Formula 1 race car, shortly after winning the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix, which was
ridden on the circuit of Bremgarten
on the 23TH of September 1953.
Alberto
Ascari
is seen receiving the winners trophy, definitely a very joyous occasion as he
also became World Champion F1 in 1953 with the photographed Ferrari! His victory in Bremgarten
secured him the title!
Ascari completed the 65 laps race in a time of 3 hours, 1
minute and 34.40 seconds. He won the race with a lead of 1 minute and 13
seconds for Nino Farina (Ferrari, 2ND) and Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari, 3RD).
It was his last win of the season and also the one that earned him enough
points to win the World Championship F1 in 1953!.
A year earlier, in 1952, Ascari gave Ferrari her first ever
F1 World Championship title. This was
the first ever World Championship title for Ferrari!
Alberto
Ascari
was an Italian racing driver and Formula One World Champion in 1952 and 1953. He is one of only two Italian Formula One World
Champions in the history of the sport. Born in Milan, Ascari was
the son of Antonio Ascari, a talented Grand Prix motor racing star in the
1920s, racing Alfa Romeos. Antonio was killed while leading the French Grand
Prix in 1925 but the younger Ascari had an interest in racing in spite of it.
He raced motorcycles in his earlier years; it was after he entered the
prestigious Mille Miglia in a Ferrari sports car that he eventually started
racing on four wheels regularly. Following the end of World War II Alberto
Ascari began racing in Grands Prix with Maserati. Formula One regulations were
introduced by the FIA in 1946, with the aim of eventually replacing the pre-war
Grand Prix structure. During the next four transitional years, Ascari was at
the top of his game, winning numerous events around Europe. He won his
first Grand Prix race in Sanremo, Italy in 1948 and
took second place in the British Grand Prix the same year. Ascari won another
race with the team the following year. His biggest success came after he joined
Villoresi on the Ferrari team; he won three more races that year with them. The
first Formula One World Championship season took place in 1950, and the Ferrari
team made its World Championship debut at Monte Carlo with Ascari,
Villoresi, and the popular French driver Raymond Sommer on the team. Ascari
finished 2nd in the race and later in the year shared a 2nd place at the first
World Championship race at Monza. He was only
5th in the championship standings however. He won his first World Championship
F1 race the following season on the Nürburgring circuit and added a win at
Monza, finishing runner up in the championship to Juan Manuel Fangio. With
success in Europe, Enzo Ferrari supplied
a car for Ascari in the Indianapolis 500, at the
time a World Championship event, in 1952. He was the only European driver to
race at Indy in its 11 years on the World Championship schedule, but his day
ended after 40 laps. That was the only World Championship event in which he
competed that season that he didn't win. Ascari's Ferrari dominated 1952,
winning all six races in Europe that season
and recording the fastest lap in each race. He nearly scored the maximum amount
of points a driver could earn, but drivers were given points for fastest laps
at the time, and he had to share a half point with another driver in one race.
He won three more consecutive races to start the 1953 season, giving him nine
straight wins (not counting Indy) before his streak ended when he finished 4th
in France, although it was a close 4th as the race was highly competitive. He
earned two more wins later in the year to give himself a second consecutive
World Championship. Ascari did not continue his dominance in 1954 as he failed
to finish a race in his four attempts at F1, although he made up for it by
winning the Mille Miglia. His 1955 season started similarly, retiring twice
more, the latter of which was a spectacular incident in Monaco where he
crashed into a harbour after missing a chicane. Four days later, on May 26, he
went to Monza to watch his friend Eugenio Castellotti test a Ferrari 750 Monza
sports car, which they were to co-race in the Supercortemaggiore 1000kms race
(having been given special dispensation by Lancia). Just before going home to
have lunch with his wife Mietta, he decided to try a few laps with the Ferrari.
In shirt sleeves, ordinary trousers and Castellotti’s helmet he set off. As he
emerged from a fast curve on the third lap the car unaccountably skidded,
turned on its nose and somersaulted twice. Thrown out on the track, Ascari
suffered multiple injuries and died a few minutes later.
Ascari is seen
riding the Ferrari 375 Formula 1
car. It was the magnificent successor of the famous 275 F1 and 340 F1 racing
cars. After finding only modest success with the supercharged 125 F1 car in
Formula 1, Ferrari decided to switch for 1950 to the naturally aspirated
4.5 L formula for the series. Calling in Aurelio Lampredi to replace
Gioacchino Colombo as technical director, Enzo Ferrari directed that the company
work in stages to grow and develop an entirely new large-displacement V12
engine for racing. The first outcome of Lampredi's work was the experimental
275 S. Just two of these racing barchettas were built, based on the 166
MM but using the experimental 3.3 L V12.
These were raced at the Mille Miglia of 1950 on April
23, 1950. Although one car held the overall lead for a time, both
were forced to retire with mechanical failure before the end. The 275 F1 bowed
at the Grand Prix of Belgium on June 18, sporting the same 3.3 L
(3322 cc/202 in³) version of Lampredi's new engine. With three Weber
42DCF carburettors, a single overhead camshaft for each bank of cylinders, and
two valves per cylinder, the engine produced a capable 300 hp (224 kW)
at 7200 rpm. Alberto Ascari drove the car to fifth place, marking the end of
the 3.3 L engine. The 275 was replaced at the Grand Prix of Nations at Geneva on July 30, 1950, by the 340
F1. As the name suggests, the car sported a larger 4.1 L
(4101.66 cc/250 in³) version of Lampredi's V12. Other changes
included a new de Dion tube rear suspension based on that in the 166 F2 car and
four-speed gearbox. It had a longer 2420 mm (95 in) wheelbase,
but other dimensions remained the same. With 335 hp (250 kW), Ascari
was able to keep up with the Alfa Romeo 158 of Juan Manuel Fangio but retired
with engine trouble. Although the 340 proved itself capable, it was only the
middle step in Ferrari's 1950 car development.
Ferrari achieved the 4.5 L goal of the formula with the 375 F1 (SEE PHOTO!), two of which
debuted at Monza on September 3, 1950. This 4.5 L
(4493.73 cc/274 in³) engine produced roughly the same power as its
4.1 L predecessor, but its tractability earned Ascari second place in that
debut race. A series of modifications through the 1951 season allowed Ferrari
to finally put Alfa Romeo behind it in a Formula 1 race, with Jose Froilan
Gonzalez' victory at Silverstone on July 14 becoming the constructor's first
World Championship win. Ascari's wins at Nürburgring and Monza and strong
finishes throughout the season cemented the company's position as a Formula 1
contender.
Changes in the Formula 1 regulations led the company to shift the big
engine to an Indy car, the 1952 375 Indy. Three new Weber 40IF4C carburettors
brought power output to 400 hp (298 kW), the wheelbase was
lengthened, and the chassis and suspension were strengthened. Although the car
performed well in European testing, it was not able to meet the American
challenge, with just one of four 375s even qualifying for the 1952 race.
The big V12 was scrapped for 1954 as Formula 1 required a 2.5 L
engine. The new 553 F1 adopted Lampredi's four cylinder engine, leaving the V12
for sports car use.
Ferrari initially
was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia
Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars
before moving into production of street legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A.. Ferrari's cars
are among the most desirable of vehicles to drive. Throughout its history, the
company has been noted for its continued participation and incredibly passion in
racing, especially in Formula One, where it has largely enjoyed great success,
especially during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, late 1990s, and 2000s. Finally,
after years of financial struggles, Enzo Ferrari sold the company's sports car
division to the Fiat group in 1969 in order to
help ensure continued financial backing for the foreseeable future. Enzo
Ferrari himself retained control of the racing division until his death in 1988
at the age of 90.
This is a very nice and very rare non period photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Ferrari ‘s automotive history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this
photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 12” (ca. 20 cm x 30 cm). It
makes it perfectly suitable for framing.
Shipping costs will only be $ 10.00 regardless of how many photos you buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.
They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
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