Alberto Ascari
By Karl Ludvigsen
This book is yet another in the critically acclaimed series of books from Karl Ludvigsen covering some of the great drivers from racing’s past. Names like Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Dan Gurney and now, Alberto Ascari.
Alberto Ascari was the son of the great Antonio Ascari, a very accomplished racer who died at the age of 37, when Alberto was only 7 years old. Antonio surely instilled in his son at an early age the “need for speed,” which drove Alberto to be a two-time World Champion in 1952 and 1953.
Like many young Italian would-be racers, motorcycles were his first taste of racing. With the help of the Bianchi factory, Ascari enjoyed much success on two wheels, but by 1940 his attention had turned to racing on four wheels. Starting with sports cars, his skill and desire to win was soon recognized; In 1947, he competed in his first Grand Prix with Maserati, and by 1949, he was driving for a rival company named Ferrari.
Perhaps best known for his success with Ferrari, Ascari virtually dominated Formula 1 in the early ’50s. In 1953, he won nine Grand Prixs in a row and reset the lap record at seven consecutive races. However, this truly historic relationship with Ferrari would not last. In 1955, Acari was killed in a mysterious accident (which never could be adequately explained) while driving a Ferrari Monza sports car. Ironically, he lived 13,466 days, only 3 days longer than his father, and only 7 weeks from his 37th birthday.
One of the great strengths of this book (in fact, the whole series) is the large, diverse selection of photographs chosen by Ludvigsen to chronicle Ascari’s life story. The hundreds of black-and-white and high quality, early color photos, in conjunction with Ludvigsen’s insightful captions and narrative, paint a vivid picture of this postwar legend.