Umberto Maglioli

Umberto Maglioli (1928-1999) was an Italian racing driver who was active from the late 1940s to 1970, participating mostly in sports car races but also recording ten starts in the Formula 1 World Championship.

In Formula 1, Maglioli raced between 1953 and 1957 with three factory teams (Ferarri, Maserati, Porsche), scoring two third-place finishes as his best results.

In sports car races, he won three times at Targa Florio (1953, 1956, 1968), once at Sebring 12 Hours (in 1964) and in the last edition of the Carrera Panamericana in 1954. He took several class victories at Mille Miglia but never finished in the first place overall.  At Le Mans 24 Hours, Maglioli participated ten times, reaching the finish line just once, in 1963, and he finished third in that race.

Umberto Maglioli

Early years with Giovanni Bracco as a co-driver

Born in June 1928 in Bioglio in northern Italy, Umberto Maglioli started his racing career in the late 1940s driving a Lancia Aprilia in Italian road races – Targa Florio and Mille Miglia.

In 1948, he and Giovanni Bracco finished  8th overall at Targa Florio and scored T1.5 class victory. At 1948 Mille Miglia, they were 17th overall and second in T+1.1 class.

Three class wins in a row at Mille Miglia

In 1949, Maglioli and Bracco raced together again. This time, they were driving a Ferrari 166 SC, retiring both at Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. In 1950, they returned to both races in a Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Touring, taking fourth overall and S2.0 class victory at Mille Miglia.

One more class victory for Maglioli and Bracco followed at 1951 Mille Miglia. They were first in GT2.0 class and second overall in a Lancia Aurelia B20. In 1952, Maglioli was 19th overall and first in TN+1.5 class at Mille Miglia, sharing a Lancia Aurelia B21 with Luciano Monteferrario.

In November 1952, Maglio participated for the first time at Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, finishing in the fourth place in a Lancia Aurelia B20. His co-driver was Franco Bornigia.

Umberto Maglioli was a regular entrant at Targa Florio for entire career

1953 – victory at Targa Florio, debut at Le Mans 24h

In 1953, Maglioli finally scored an overall victory in one of two famous Italian road races. Driving a Lancia D20, he retired at Mille Miglia in April and then finished first at Targa Florio in May. In June, he made a debut at 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving the #30 Lancia D20 together with Piero Taruffi. They retired after 12 hours due to electric problems.

Later that year, Maglioli participated in some other great international races (Reims 12 Hours, Spa 24 Hours, Carrera Panamericana), recording DNFs, but also scored a victory at Pescara 12 Hours in a Ferrari 375 MM alongside Mike Hawthorn.

Formula 1 Championship debut at 1953 Italian Grand Prix

The season 1953 was also marked by Maglioli's debut in the Formula One World Championship with Scuderia Ferrari.

In that time, he was already Ferrari factory driver in sports car races and then, in September, he raced in the #10 Ferrari 553 at Monza's Italian Grand Prix. He was tenth, five laps behind race winner Juan Manuel Fangio.

Umberto Maglioli at 1954 Carrera Panamericana

Many sports car wins in 1954, including Carrera Panamericana

In 1954, Maglio started a year with a victory at 1000 km of Buenos Aires in a Ferrari 375 MM, together with Giuseppe Farina. In May, he had an accident at Mille Miglia in a Ferrari 375 Plus and then recorded one more DNF at Le Mans 24 Hours in the same car. His co-driver at Le Mans was Paolo Marzotto.

In June, Maglioli won two sports car races, first Imola Grand Prix in a Ferrari 500 Mondial and then Supercortemaggiore in a Ferrari 735 Monza. The next win was at Circuito de Senigallia and then, in November 1954, he triumphed in the last ever Carrera Panamericana. His victorious car in that race was the #19 Ferrari 375 Plus.

Three starts, one podium in the 1954 Formula One Championship

In 1954, parallel to his sports car racing commitments, Maglioli recorded three starts in the Formula One World Championship and a couple of starts in non-championship races. In January he raced in the Argentine Grand Prix, finishing in the ninth place in the #16 Ferrari 625.

In August, he was seventh in the Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten and then, in September, he reached his maiden F1 podium in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. In that race, he was sharing the #38 Ferrari 625 with Jose Froilan Gonzalez. Maglioli was driving for 30 laps and Gonzalez for 48 laps.

One more F1 podium at 1955 Argentine Grand Prix

In January 1955, Maglioli scored one more F1 podium with Scuderia Ferrari. In the Argentine Grand Prix, which took place at Buenos Aires under high summer temperatures, most teams were sharing cars between drivers.

Maglioli was sharing the #10 Ferrari 625 with Giuseppe Farina and Maurice Trintignant. Farina and Trintignant also raced in the #12 Ferrari which finished in the second place, behind Juan Manuel Fangio (Mercedes).

Later that year, Maglioli recorded one more F1 start, finishing sixth in the Italian Grand Prix.

Umberto Maglioli and Phil Hill raced together at Le Mans in 1955

Running third at 1955 Le Mans before retirement

As usual, he spent the most of the season in sports car races all over the world. He recorded DNF at Buenos Aires 1000 Km and Sebring 12 Hours, then scoring podiums at Giro di Sicilia (2nd), Mille Miglia (3rd) and Supercortemaggiore (2nd).

In June, he won Mugello Grand Prix in a Ferrari 750 Monza and then raced at unfortunate 1955 Le Mans race in a Ferrari 121 LM Scaglietti, sharing a car with Phil Hill. They were running third before stopping after seven hours with a broken car.

Umberto Maglioli at 1956 Targa Florio

Victory at 1956 Targa Florio in a Porsche 550 RS

In 1956, Maglioli left Ferrari and raced with different cars in sports car races. After recording DNF at Mille Miglia in an OSCA MT4 1500, he switched to Porsche 550 RS at Nurburgring 1000 Km, finishing fourth overall and first in S1.5 class together with Wolfgang von Trips. In June, Maglio won Targa Florio in the #84 Porsche 550 RS.

Maglioli was driving Porsche 550 RS also at Le Mans 24 Hours, sharing a car with Hans Herrmann. They didn't finish the race. Maglioli recorded few more starts with OSCA but also was driving Maseratis in a couple of races.

Three Formula 1 starts with Maserati in 1956

Maglioli raced with Maserati in the Formula One also, recording three starts in the 1956 F1 Championship season. In the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, he raced in the #12 Maserati 250F of Scuderia Guastalla, not finishing the race.

In the next race, the German Grand Prix, he was driving factory-entered #8 Maserati 250F, retiring after just three laps. In the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, he raced for 31 laps and then handed a car to Jean Behra, who retired 11 laps later.

Final Formula 1 start with Porsche in 1957

In 1957, Maglioli continued to race with Porsche 550 RS, scoring one of his many class victories at Mille Miglia but also at Nurburgring 1000 Km. In June, he and Edgar Barth were sharing the #32 Porsche 718 RSK at Le Mans, retiring from a race after Maglioli's accident during the night.

In August 1957, Maglioli made his final Formula 1 start. He was driving the #20 Porsche 550 RS F2 car at Nurburgring Nordschleife's German Grand Prix, stopping after 13 laps with a broken engine.

Regular entrant at Targa Florio

In 1958, at the age of 30, Maglioli slowed down his racing activities, spending a year out of racing. He returned to a cockpit of a race car in May 1959, sharing a Porsche 718 RSK with Hans Herrmann at Targa Florio. They didn't finish the race. Two weeks later, they took class victory at Nurburgring 1000 and then retired at Le Mans 24 Hours.

In 1960, Maglioli raced at Targa Florio in a Maserati Tipo 61, sharing a car with Nino Vaccarella. They didn't finish the race. Next year at Targ Florio, Maglioli and Giorgio Scarlatti finished fifth in a Maserati Tipo 63. In 1962, his car at Targa Florio was Porsche 718 RSK but he and Tommy Spychiger failed to finish the race. In 1963, Maglioli and Giancarlo Baghetti finished 7th at Targa Florio in a Porsche 718 WRS.

Umberto Maglioli and Mike Parkes reached a podium at 1963 Le Mans 24h in the #22 Ferrari 250 P

Finally a podium at Le Mans in 1963

In May 1963, Umberto Maglioli and Carlo Mario Abate finished third at Nurburgring 1000 in a Ferrari 250 TRI/61 of Scuderia Serenissima.

In June 1963, after five previous unsuccessful attempts at Le Mans, Maglioli finally recorded a good result at Circuit de la Sarthe. Sharing the #22 Ferrari 250P with Mike Parkes, he finished in the third place overall, behind teammates in the #21 Ferrari 250P and Equipe Nationale Belge's #24 Ferrari 250 GTO.

Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli after their victory at 1964 Sebring 12 Hours

Victory at 1964 Sebring 12 Hours

Maglioli scored another great result with Ferrari in March 1964, winning the Sebring 12 Hours in the #22 Ferrari 275 P which he was sharing with Mike Parkes. Later that year, Maglioli and Edgar Barth were sixth overall and first in P2.0 class at Targa Florio in a Porsche 904/8. At 1964 Le Mans race, Maglioli and Giancarlo Baghetti retired in a Ferrari 275 P.

Maglioli returned to Sebring in March 1965, sharing the #33 Ferrari 275 P with Giancarlo Baghetti and finishing 8th. That year, his best result was the third place overall at Targa Florio, together with Herbert Linge in a Porsche 904/6. At 1965 Le Mans 24h, Maglioli raced alongside Bob Bondurant in the #7 Ford GT40, not finishing the race.

Racing with Ford GT40 in 1967

Maglioli's regular appearances at Targa Florio continued in 1966. He was sharing the #150 Scuderia Filipinetti Porsche 906 with Claude Bourillot, finishing in the fifth place. In 1967, he was sharing the #184 Porsche 910 with Udo Schutz, not finishing the race.

In 1967, Maglioli participated in many other great races, mostly driving a Ford GT40 for Brescia Corse. The highlight of the season was the S5.0 class victory and fifth place overall at Sebring 12 Hours for him and Nino Vaccarella. At Le Mans 24h, Maglioli and Mario Casoni retired in Filipinetti's Ford GT40.

Umberto Maglioli and Vic Elford at 1968 Targa Florio

One more victory at Targa Florio

In May 1968, Umberto Maglioli celebrated his third overall victory at Targa Florio, together with Vic Elford in the #224 Porsche 907. In September 1968, Maglioli recorded his last Le Mans 24h attempt, not finishing the race in Scuderia Filipinetti's Chevrolet Corvette C3. His co-driver was Henri Greder.

In 1969, Maglioli participated at Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours, without notable results, and then reached one more podium at Targa Florio. He and Vic Elford finished second in a Porsche 908/2. A year later, in May 1970, Umberto Maglioli raced for the last time at Targa Florio, sharing an Alfa Romeo T33/3 with Nanni Galli.

Photos: Getty Images, Vic Elford,