1949 Gran Premio d’Italia

Artist: Emilio Saluzzi

Coming of Age: No one has stamped his name more decisively on the sporting car scene than Enzo Ferrari, former Alfa Romeo racing manager who dared to dream of building competition cars in his own right. Since Il Commendatore founded his company in 1947, few have rivalled his time-honoured racing record. The incomparable Alberto Ascari, son of famous Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Ascari, reigned supreme among Italian drivers of the third generation and was standard bearer of the nation’s racing efforts. His 1949 victory took place at the Autodromo di Monza, where the Milanese ace was to crash fatally a few years later, at the wheel of his Ferrari 750S.