{"id":7894,"date":"2026-09-23T11:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T11:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/?page_id=7894"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T11:45:12","slug":"the-flying-engineer-piero-taruffi","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/the-flying-engineer-piero-taruffi\/","title":{"rendered":"The Flying Engineer \u2014 Piero Taruffi"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gm-block-shell gm-bg-default gm-text-default gm-intro-default gm-cardtext-default gm-space-standard gm-image-center\"><section class=\"gm-story-hero\" style=\"background-image:linear-gradient(90deg,#000000d9,#00000055),url(https:\/\/granmotori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/piero-taruffi-bisiluro-scaled.jpg)\"><nav><a href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/main-home\/\">\u2190 BACK TO HOME<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/tickets\/\">TICKETS \u2197<\/a><\/nav><div><p class=\"gm-eyebrow light\">EXHIBITION \u00b7 GRANMOTORI 2026<\/p><h1>THE FLYING\nENGINEER<\/h1><p class=\"gm-story-subtitle\">Taruffi returns to the Appian Way. The private archive of Piero Taruffi.<\/p><\/div><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Piero Taruffi with the Tarf II Bisiluro<\/span><\/section><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"gm-block-shell gm-bg-default gm-text-default gm-intro-default gm-cardtext-default gm-space-standard gm-image-center\"><article class=\"gm-story-article gm-section\"><aside><strong>8 OCT\u20148 NOV<\/strong><span>2026<br \/>\nROME<\/span><\/aside><div class=\"gm-story-copy\"><h2>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.<\/h2><p>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.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><blockquote>\u201cStudy, design, driving and experimentation: four dimensions of a single pursuit.\u201d<\/blockquote><p class=\"gm-story-closing\">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.<\/p><div class=\"gm-actions\"><a class=\"gm-button dark\" href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/tickets\/\">CHOOSE YOUR TICKET \u2197<\/a><a class=\"gm-text-link dark\" href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/esperienze\/\">DISCOVER THE EXPERIENCES \u2197<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.gm-taruffi-sections{background:#151515;color:#fff;padding:28px 24px 110px}.gm-taruffi-row{max-width:1480px;margin:0 auto 28px;display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1.35fr) minmax(320px,.65fr);border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.22);min-height:560px}.gm-taruffi-row.is-reverse{grid-template-columns:minmax(320px,.65fr) minmax(0,1.35fr)}.gm-taruffi-row.is-reverse .gm-taruffi-media{order:2}.gm-taruffi-media{margin:0;position:relative;min-height:520px;overflow:hidden}.gm-taruffi-media img{width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;inset:0;object-fit:cover;filter:grayscale(1)}.gm-taruffi-media figcaption{position:absolute;left:20px;bottom:16px;background:#151515;padding:7px 10px;font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.08em;text-transform:uppercase}.gm-taruffi-copy{padding:64px 50px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;justify-content:center}.gm-taruffi-copy .gm-kicker{color:#f2c52e;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.16em;font-size:12px;margin:0 0 18px}.gm-taruffi-copy h2{color:#fff;font-size:clamp(40px,4vw,72px);line-height:.9;margin:0 0 28px;text-transform:uppercase}.gm-taruffi-copy p{color:#f2f2f2;font-size:17px;line-height:1.55;margin:0 0 18px}.gm-taruffi-visit{max-width:1480px;margin:44px auto 0;padding:46px 50px;border-left:5px solid #f2c52e;background:#202020;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr auto;gap:36px;align-items:center}.gm-taruffi-visit h2{color:#fff;font-size:clamp(34px,4vw,62px);line-height:.95;margin:0 0 14px;text-transform:uppercase}.gm-taruffi-visit p{margin:0;color:#eee;font-size:17px;line-height:1.55}.gm-taruffi-visit strong{color:#f2c52e}.gm-taruffi-visit a{display:inline-block;background:#f2c52e;color:#111!important;padding:18px 24px;font-weight:800;text-decoration:none;white-space:nowrap}@media(max-width:900px){.gm-taruffi-row,.gm-taruffi-row.is-reverse{grid-template-columns:1fr;min-height:0}.gm-taruffi-row.is-reverse .gm-taruffi-media{order:0}.gm-taruffi-media{min-height:58vw}.gm-taruffi-copy{padding:38px 26px}.gm-taruffi-visit{grid-template-columns:1fr;padding:34px 26px}}\r\n<\/style><section class=\"gm-taruffi-sections\" aria-label=\"The story of Piero Taruffi\">\r\n<article class=\"gm-taruffi-row\"><figure class=\"gm-taruffi-media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/piero-taruffi-pescara-1935.jpg\" alt=\"Piero Taruffi racing in Pescara in 1935\"><figcaption>Piero Taruffi racing in Pescara in 1935<\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"gm-taruffi-copy\"><p class=\"gm-kicker\">01 \u00b7 THE DRIVER-ENGINEER<\/p><h2>The beginnings<\/h2><p>Speed entered Piero Taruffi\u2019s life early. In 1923, aged just seventeen, he entered his first motor race, the Rome\u2013Viterbo, driving his father\u2019s Fiat 501. Soon afterwards, he discovered motorcycling as the ideal field in which to combine driving skill with a deep understanding of the machine.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\r\n<article class=\"gm-taruffi-row is-reverse\"><figure class=\"gm-taruffi-media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/piero-taruffi-ferrari-500-germania-1952.jpg\" alt=\"Piero Taruffi in a Ferrari 500 at the 1952 German Grand Prix\"><figcaption>Piero Taruffi in a Ferrari 500 at the 1952 German GP<\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"gm-taruffi-copy\"><p class=\"gm-kicker\">02 \u00b7 DRIVER AND TEST DRIVER<\/p><h2>The races<\/h2><p>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.<\/p><p>He won the 1951 Carrera Panamericana for Ferrari, earning the nickname \u201cZorro Plateado\u201d. 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.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\r\n<article class=\"gm-taruffi-row\"><figure class=\"gm-taruffi-media\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/piero-taruffi-mille-miglia-1957.jpg\" alt=\"Piero Taruffi arriving to win the 1957 Mille Miglia\"><figcaption>Piero Taruffi arriving to win the 1957 Mille Miglia<\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"gm-taruffi-copy\"><p class=\"gm-kicker\">03 \u00b7 THE LONG-AWAITED VICTORY<\/p><h2>The Mille Miglia<\/h2><p>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.<\/p><p>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\u2019s tragic accident, was also the final Mille Miglia.<\/p><\/div><\/article>\r\n<div class=\"gm-taruffi-visit\"><div><h2>The Flying Engineer<\/h2><p><strong>8 October \u2014 8 November 2026<\/strong><br>Casale di Santa Maria Nova \u00b7 Via Appia Antica 251, Rome<\/p><\/div><a href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/tickets\/\">DISCOVER GRANMOTORI \u2197<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Piero Taruffi racing in Pescara in 1935 01 \u00b7 THE DRIVER-ENGINEER The beginnings Speed entered Piero Taruffi\u2019s life early. In 1923, aged just seventeen, he entered his first motor race, the Rome\u2013Viterbo, driving his father\u2019s Fiat 501. Soon afterwards, he discovered motorcycling as the ideal&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full_width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7894","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Flying Engineer \u2014 Piero Taruffi - GRANMOTORI International Motoring Festival for Drivers and Dreamers Roma<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/granmotori.com\/en\/the-flying-engineer-piero-taruffi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Flying Engineer \u2014 Piero Taruffi - GRANMOTORI International Motoring Festival for Drivers and Dreamers Roma\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Piero Taruffi racing in Pescara in 1935 01 \u00b7 THE DRIVER-ENGINEER The beginnings Speed entered Piero Taruffi\u2019s life early. 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