Enrico Nardi

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Enrico Nardi


Enrico Nardi (Bologna, 1907 - August 23, 1966) was an Italian racing car driver, engineer and designer.

He worked at Lancia between 1929 and 1937 as a truck engineer, racing car driver, and later, advisor to Vincenzo Lancia. He was moderately successful as a driver by 1932, when, with Augusto Monaco, he created the Nardi-Monaco Chichibio.

Nardi himself also competed in Mille Miglia, sharing a Fiat 508 Balilla with J. McCain in 1935 and with M. Trivero in 1936, as well as a Lancia Augusta Berlina with Vittorio Mazzonis in 1937, and a Lancia Aprilia with P. U. Gobbato in 1938.

Working at Scuderia Ferrari from 1937 until 1946, Nardi became known for setting up the Fiat 508 (chassis for the 1940 Auto Avio Costruzioni 815), and doing the development work following Massimino's design; he also co-drove an 815 with owner Lotario Rangoni in the 1940 Mille Miglia.

Nardi-Danese

After World War II, he and Renato Danese established a workshop in Via Vincenzo Lancia, Torino, building racing cars, prototypes and small-series special designs.

Nardi himself raced the monoposto (one-seater, or GP type), in Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti hillclimb, winning in 1947 and 1948). It was also entered by three drivers in the 1952 Targa Florio, but failed to finish.


Nardi & C. S.a.S.

His own workshop was established in Via Lancia (1951), focusing on prototypes and tuning equipment. Amongst the prototypes were:

Ufficine Nardi ceased to work with car prototypes in the mid-50s and specialized in speed-enhancing parts such as manifolds, crankshafts, camshafts. It has become most known for the Nardi steering wheel, initially (in 1951) using walnut but mostly using African mahogany wood. The Nardi wheel was first fitted to a 1952 Pegaso.

Nardi died from blood poisoning from exhaust gas, after which his ufficine was run by Barbero (1966-69) and Iseglio.




Italian automobile designers

Carlo Abarth | Giulio Alfieri | Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni | Giovanni Bertone | Nuccio Bertone | Flaminio Bertoni | Giotto Bizzarrini | Mario Boano | Aldo Brovarone | Giuseppe Busso | Jason Castriota | Donato Coco | Sergio Coggiola | Gioacchino Colombo | Valerio Colotti | Aldo Costa | Walter de'Silva | Medardo Fantuzzi | Battista Farina | Alfredo Ferrari | Leonardo Fioravanti | Pietro Frua | Marcello Gandini | Giacinto Ghia | Dante Giacosa | Giorgetto Giugiaro | Vittorio Jano | Aurelio Lampredi | Paolo Martin | Alberto Massimino | Giuseppe Merosi | Giovanni Michelotti | Enrico Nardi | Emanuele Nicosia | Sergio Pininfarina | Orazio Satta Puliga | Nicola Romeo | Bruno Sacco | Franco Scaglione | Luigi Segre | Ercole Spada | Ugo Zagato