Piero Dusio facts for kids
Piero Dusio in the middle, flanked by Piero Taruffi (left) and Giovanni Savonuzzi (right)
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| Born | 13 October 1899 Scurzolengo d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy |
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| Died | 7 November 1975 (aged 76) Victoria, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Italian |
| Active years | 1952 |
| Teams | Cisitalia |
| Entries | 1 (0 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1952 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1952 Italian Grand Prix |
Piero Dusio (born October 13, 1899 – died November 7, 1975) was a very busy Italian man! He was a talented footballer, a smart businessman, a fast racing driver, and even built his own racing cars.
Contents
Piero Dusio's Amazing Life
From Football to Business
Piero Dusio was born in a place called Scurzolengo in Italy. When he was young, he was a promising footballer. He played as a midfielder for the famous team Juventus in 1921–22.
Sadly, a knee injury ended his football playing career early. But Piero didn't give up! He started a business that made textiles. This business grew to include sports equipment and even military uniforms.
He still loved football, so he stayed involved as a manager. In 1941, he started an organization called Juventus Organizzazione Sportiva Anonima (O.S.A.). He led this group until 1943. In 1942, he became the president of Juventus, a very important role! He left this job in 1948 when he moved to Argentina.
Racing Adventures
Piero Dusio loved speed! In 1929, he started his racing career at the Mille Miglia race. He raced until 1938. His best result was winning a class race in 1937 with a Siata 500cc car.
In 1936, he created his own racing team called Scuderia Torino. He even raced in the 1936 Italian Grand Prix. He finished sixth, which was a great achievement against some of the best drivers of that time.
Building His Own Race Cars
After World War II ended in 1944, Piero focused on his racing team. He asked Dante Giacosa, a brilliant engineer from Fiat, to help him design a new racing car. This led to him starting a company called "Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia," which became known as Cisitalia.
Many talented people worked with him at Cisitalia. These included Carlo Abarth, Rudolf Hruska, and Ferry Porsche. His team's cars, especially the D46, were very successful. Piero himself finished first in the Coppa Brezzi race in 1946, driving a D46!
Piero kept investing in his racing car projects. However, building a very complex car called the 202MM cost a lot of money. This almost caused Cisitalia to go bankrupt in 1947.
Because of these financial challenges, Piero moved to Argentina. There, he started a new company called Autoar (Automotores Argentinos) in 1949. This new business received financial help from Juan Peron, who was the president of Argentina.
Piero's son, Carlo, stayed in Italy to help fix Cisitalia. They worked together, with Piero in Argentina and Carlo in Italy, until 1964. In 1960, Piero even started Cisitalia Argentina in Buenos Aires, where he built cars like the Cisitalia 750.
Piero Dusio even tried to race in a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix in 1952. It was the 1952 Italian Grand Prix. He used a Cisitalia D46 car, but he had engine problems and couldn't set a time during practice.
Piero Dusio passed away in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1975. He left behind a legacy as a man who loved sports, business, and cars.
Images for kids
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Piero Dusio in the middle, flanked by Piero Taruffi (left) and Giovanni Savonuzzi (right)
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The Cisitalia D46 was named after Piero Dusio (the Dusio 46). The racecar driver is Ilario Bandini.
