Born 30 October 1906, Turin, Italy
Died 30 June 1966, Chambéry, France
Grands prix contested: 35 from (1950 till 1955)
Pole positions: 6
Fastest lap: 6
Victories: 5
World Champion: 1
1932 |
competition debut in Aosta-St Bernard hill climb. Crashed. |
1937 |
1st Naples GP (Maserati). Italian champion |
1938 |
Italian champion |
1939 |
Italian champion |
1946 |
1st GP des Nations at Geneva |
1948 |
1st at Monaco, Geneva, Mar del Plata (Maserati) |
1949 |
1st Lausanne GP, Rosario GP, 2nd International Trophy |
1950 |
1st UK, Switzerland, Italy (Alfa), 30 points |
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World Champion. |
1951 |
1st Belgium (Alfa), 19 points, 4th WDC. |
1952 |
2nd Belgium, France, Germany, Holland (Ferrari), 2nd WDC. |
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1st non-championship Naples, Monza GP |
1953 |
1st Germany (Ferrari), 3rd WDC |
1954 |
2nd Argentina (Ferrari). Won non-championship Syracuse GP. |
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Crashed in Mille Miglia & at Monza, suffered severe burns |
1955 |
4 GP (Ferrari), 9 points. |
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Attempted to qualify for Indy 500, crash in practice for Monza |
1956 |
Severe crash in Indy. Retired from racing. |
1966 |
Killed in road accident |
With a grandfather Giovanni who created a body shop, Stabilimente Farina, and an uncle Gian Battista or Pininfarina, who made the shop world famous, automatically involves Nino in cars. First he goes to university and obtains a doctorate in law.
During the years of 34 to 37 he participated in a number of races in Italy with minor results. Then he did a spin of army duty as a lieutenant in the cavalry.
Nino besides being a perfect sosie of Prince Umberto the King of Italy had a very determined personality with a unique style of driving developed under the tutorship of the great Tazio Nuvolari.
Nino was a driver who loved the extremes, it is then that he sang with his booming Italian voice. Feared and loved at the same time by his fellow drivers he was taking risks no one would dare to undertake and as a result landed in hospital numerous times during his career.
Just before WWII, the Alfetta gives him the opportunity to show his abilities, winning consecutively three Italian races and besides having numerous accidents, he wins the GP of Tripoli.
After the war in ‘46 Farina wins the GP des Nations in Geneva and from then on attacks any race in either a Ferrari or a Maserati.
Winning the GP of Monza in 1950, his 6th victory, Farina at 44 years is crowned as the first World Champion.
Farina was one of the three famous FA’s (Fangio, Farina, Fagioli) the pillars of the Alfa Romeo Team.
Nino moves on to join Villoresi, Taruffi and Simon in the Ferrari Team taking on the competition in the 4cyl 2 litre Ferraris.
A terrible accident in the GP of Argentina in ‘53 marks Farina for life. Driving between a living hedge of people pushing closer and closer to the track, he desperately tries to evade a spectator crossing the track, loses control of his Ferrari and skids straight into the mass of people. Twelve people died on the spot and many were severely wounded. An ambulance coming to the rescue adds another multitude of victims by driving into the unhurt public. The race continues with the remaining drivers carefully evading spectators.
Winning the German GP, Nino is presented with an enormous crown from the crown prince of Japan, with his big sentimental heart Farina dedicates his 5th and last victory to his master Tazio Nuvolari, who is on his deathbed attacked by a virus.
A determined Nino appeared in the GP of Belgium in ‘54 with his right arm in an orthopaedic device, accepting to drive the Ferrari 625, the Squalo, and leads the race until electrical problems force him to stop.
Then in Monza Farina has a major accident and is sent again to hospital.
In 1955, his last GP, Farina is leading in the GP of Belgium.
Farina was killed in a stupid road accident on his way to Reims to see the GP of France.
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Farina and his mentor Tazio Nuvolari

1948 in Maserati

1948 Moanco GP win

1950 with Alfa Romeo 158

In Alfa Romeo 158 |