Manuel de Teffé

30/3/1905 - 1/1/1967

Record updated 30-Mar-08

Manuel de Teffé
Baron Manuel de Teffé von Hoonholtz was one of the first Brazilians to race in Europe. And along with Nascimento jr., was the prominent Brazilian driver before "Chico" Landi. He was very tall and wore galsses. De Teffé was the son of the Brazilian ambassador in Rome in the 1920s and early 30s and later a diplomat himself as well.

He was part of the Italian racing milieu and competed in several Mille Miglia and other Italian races, driving various Alfa Romeos. He bought a 1500 cc Maserati 6CM in 1938 (#1558?), racing a full voiturette season in Europe that year under the Scuderia Ambrosiana banner. British expatriate to Argentina Eric Forrest-Green purchased that car in 1941 and used it in Argentinian races during 1941/42.

De Teffé had been instrumental in bringing the European drivers to race in Brazil during the late 30s and was the main person behind the Gávea circuit and its races. In 1937 he won an Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 (3.2) after a competition organized by the Brazilian Automobile Club asked the public to vote for the best Brazilian driver. The prize was supposed to be a modern European Grand Prix car. However, when it arrived it was old and very tired. Plus it had arrived from Italy without a rebuild and with no spares. Teffé complained and was subsequently punished by the Club, banning him from competing in the 1937 Gavea race. The car however went on to have a long racing career in Brazil and Argentina. In 1941, Brazilian ace "Chico" Landi would won the Gavea race with it, the first of his three consecutive wins.

1936: 3 Rio de Janeiro GP / 3 São Paulo GP / 4 Buenos Aires GP

1938: 4 Tripoli / DNF Targa Florio (Voiturette) / 5 Swiss GP (Voiturette)

1939: 1 Circuito de Gávea 1941: 3 Rio de Janeiro GP

 



Alessandro Silva

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