Igor Troubetzkoy facts for kids

Igor Troubetzkoy and Clemente Biondetti winning Targa Florio on Sicily (April 3, 1948) in a Ferrari 166 S (#001S).

Prince Igor Nikolayevich Troubetzkoy (born August 23, 1912 – died December 20, 2008) was a French aristocrat with Russian roots. He was a talented athlete who enjoyed skiing, cycling, and especially car racing.

Growing Up in Paris

Igor Troubetzkoy was born in Paris, France, on August 23, 1912. He was part of the important Trubetskoy family, a princely family. His father was Prince Nikolai Nikolaievich Troubetzkoy. His mother was Countess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Musin-Pushkin. Igor also had a brother named Youcca Troubetzkoy. Youcca became an actor in French movies during the 1920s and 1930s.

A Life of Sports and Speed

Igor was a skilled athlete from a young age. He was very good at skiing and cycling. Later, he discovered a passion for automobile racing. In 1947, he started his car racing career. He drove a Simca-Gordini car. He quickly showed his talent, winning a bronze medal at the Coupe de l'Agaci race in October 1947.

Racing with Scuderia Inter

In 1947, Igor teamed up with Count Bruno Sterzi. Together, they created their own racing team called Scuderia Inter. They bought three of the very first cars made by the famous company Ferrari. These cars were special and helped Ferrari become known.

• One car was a Spider Corsa, an open two-seater. Famous drivers like Clemente Biondetti and Tazio Nuvolari raced it.
• Another was a Spider Corsa, a single-seater car made for the track. Igor himself raced this car in 1948.
• The third car was a Spider Sport, also an open two-seater. Igor won the famous Targa Florio race in Sicily with this car on April 3, 1948. He shared the win with Clemente Biondetti.

Igor's racing career ended after an accident in August 1948. After this, the Scuderia Inter team stopped racing. However, the name "Inter" was later used for the Ferrari 166 Inter. This was Ferrari's first Grand Touring car, designed for comfortable long-distance driving.

Life After Racing

In March 1947, Igor married Barbara Hutton. She was a very wealthy American heiress. Igor's love for racing even inspired Barbara's son, Lance Reventlow, to become a race car driver too. Igor and Barbara divorced in 1951. After his racing career and divorce, Igor found a new passion: painting. In 1953, he had a son named Arnaud Marie. Arnaud later started a business called Troubetzkoy Paintings. This company creates replica paintings.