Cars

FIA FORMULA 1

Five times world champion

Regional, National and South American

Ford "A" 1929 - Bianculli

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Ford A 1929
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

Engine: Ford - Standard

Displacement: 3200 cc

Power: 48 HP at 2400 rpm

Maximum speed: 118 Km / h

 

10-25-36 | Unofficial career at Benito Juarez | Abandonment

Juan Manuel Fangio and his friends work intensively in the new workshop of Avda. del Valle esq.14. It was a hard and difficult time, a great recession. The works are done with care, trying to add prestige.

At that time some unofficial competitions were held in the area surrounding Balcarce. And in one of those conversations between mate and mate, the idea of ​​participating in the Benito Juárez race reserved for standard cars until the 1930 models, with 1000 pesos in prizes, that would help them pay some debts arises.

They speak with Bianculli, owner of a Ford "A" 1929 used as a taxi and he decides to lend it, as long as the day after the competition is delivered "in perfect condition". Between all agree that his son Gilberto was the companion in that race.

Fangio, with his 25 years is excited, but the problem was the opinion of his parents and chose not to talk about the race with them.

With all dedication, he and his friends prepare the Ford "A" at night. They try it on dirt roads, reaching Vela, where José Fangio, Juan Manuel's older brother, has a mechanical workshop. There they make adjustments and change the clutch of the engine -which was lightened- by ​​another original standard. They do not want to risk being disqualified. Then they return to Balcarce, complete the preparation of the blue color two-seat converted into a race car.

Don Loreto Fangio, had already noticed something strange, so on the sidewalk of the workshop, he asked one of his son's friends "... and ... what do you think? They're going to be good in the race ..." the answer did not wait and enthusiastically replied that he has a good chance of winning Benito Juarez.

Fangio always remembered this anecdote and the challenge of his father, not because he ran a race, but because he had not said anything to him.

In any case, Fangio had decided to participate under the pseudonym of "Rivadavia" and thus the debut as the pilot of the most successful flyer of all time. The football club takes him from the Club Atlético Rivadavia to the pseudonym.

On Saturday during the Classification Tests, Fangio and Bianculli with No. 19 performed their best lap in 5 '05 "at an average of 99,737 km / h, with seventh place among 18 participants, in front of them they would start, the Marquis of the Maire, Umbro Grimozzi, "El Gordo y el Flaco", Vicente Pifano, Pedro Locatti and Raúl Berini.

On October 25 everything is prepared in Benito Juarez. The circuit has an extension of 8450 meters and must turn twenty-five times. Fangio is located in the second row since they start from 4 competitors all very close together in the middle of the dust. Being in the Indian line and without walking thoroughly, the initial position was based. I practically saw nothing because of the raised earth. Going in a careful Indian line, before the first circuit Armando Tessone passes it and overturns the car spectacularly beating his companion Juan Estayno, who dies. The tragedy was present.

Fangio overcomes some cars, is placed third behind Umbro Grimozzi and the Marquis de la Maire. They came to him disputing the placement Berini and Faré.

He manages to maintain his position, but when he turns 23 the Ford "A" runs out of oil and a connecting rod blows.

There is frustration in Fangio and the group of friends who had prepared the car so enthusiastically. They saw now how the checkered flag signals the victory of the Marquis de la Maire, followed by Umbro Grimozzi, Juan Faré, and Raúl Berini. For regulatory reasons - special arrangements in the engines - the organizers declare the prizes deserted. There was a long controversy and Juan Fare was declared winner long afterward.

"... I suspected that those two cars were" touched ", that is, out of regulation, because on Saturday while we rehearsed, a Ford passed me very easily and that our car had a lightened body that we had specially made.
In the race, I went fast, but carefully because there was a lot of dust until I fused a connecting rod bearing when I ran out of oil. A pity, because the 1000 pesos of the prize would have come to us to pay some debts of the workshop ... "
The problem was the next day when we told what happened to Mr. Bianculli. He wanted to kill us ... But finally, he returned it repaired...

museum schedules

  • 10 A 17 HS

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  • 10 A 18 HS

    January and February

museo juan manuel fangio

Dardo Rocha (18) esq. Mitre (17)
Tel/fax +54-2266-425540 - CP 7620
Balcarce - Buenos Aires - Argentina

archivo@museofangio.com

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