The Flying Engineer

Piero Taruffi was far more than a great racing driver: an engineer, experimenter and innovator, he brought speed, design and research together in a truly unique figure.

Born in Albano Laziale in 1906, Taruffi lived through more than thirty years of motor racing and motorcycle history, competing at the highest level alongside some of the greatest figures of his time. What set him apart was a different mindset, focused on studying every detail in search of the best possible solution.

A graduate in Mechanical Engineering, he devoted a fundamental part of his work to aerodynamics, convinced of its importance in racing cars even before outright engine performance.

That research produced innovative motorcycles and cars, numerous speed records and above all the celebrated Bisiluro, the Tarf II: a mobile laboratory designed to minimise air resistance.

At the same time, Taruffi raced and tested for Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia and Cisitalia. His greatest achievements included overall victories in the Carrera Panamericana, the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia.

“Study, design, driving and experimentation: four dimensions of a single pursuit.”

The Flying Engineer brings Taruffi back to the Appian Way through his private archive. The exhibition runs from 8 October to 8 November 2026 at Casale di Santa Maria Nova, Via Appia Antica 251, Rome.

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The beginnings

Speed entered Piero Taruffi’s life early. In 1923, aged just seventeen, he entered his first motor race, the Rome–Viterbo, driving his father’s Fiat 501. Soon afterwards, he discovered motorcycling as the ideal field in which to combine driving skill with a deep understanding of the machine.

He enrolled in engineering in 1925 and made calculation, mechanics and design integral to his sporting career. In 1931, riding a Norton 500, he set the fastest lap at the Monza Motorcycle Grand Prix at around 170 km/h. His experiments continued with the CNA Rondine and its aerodynamic fairings.

The races

For Taruffi, racing meant facing roads, circuits and conditions that were completely different from one another. As a driver, test driver and technical consultant, he worked with Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia and Cisitalia.

He won the 1951 Carrera Panamericana for Ferrari, earning the nickname “Zorro Plateado”. In 1954 he won both the Giro di Sicilia and the Targa Florio in a Lancia D24. His record includes 44 wins in cars, 30 of them overall, and 22 on motorcycles.

The Mille Miglia

Fourteen appearances between 1930 and 1957 culminated in victory in the final edition. Driving a Ferrari 315 S at the age of fifty, he studied every detail of the route and fought a long duel with Wolfgang von Trips.

On 12 May 1957 he claimed the most coveted victory of his career and kept the promise he had made to his wife Isabella to retire. That edition, marked by Alfonso de Portago’s tragic accident, was also the final Mille Miglia.