Count Carlo Felice Trossi

27/4/1908 - 9/5/1949

Record updated 29-Nov-23

Count Carlo Felice Trossi was an Italian aristocrat and a great sportsman who loved speed whether in boats, airplanes or racing cars. He was an early financial supporter of the Scuderia Ferrari and in 1932 became its President.

Count Carlo Felice Trossi
Count Carlo Felice Trossi was born in Biella, Italy. He was an Anglophile Italian aristocrat and a great sportsman who loved speed whether in boats, airplanes or racing cars. He was an early financial supporter of the Scuderia Ferrari and would later become its President in 1932.

What is sometimes overlooked is that he was actually a very quick. In his very first race, the Mille Miglia, he finished second in the 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo that he shared with his friend the Marquis "Tonino" Brivio. He also once passed Nuvolari in an identical car in a street race in Biella.

He competed at Gaisberg, Alessandria, where he finished second to Nuvolari and set a new lap record at Monaco in 1934 in his P3 Alfa Romeo monoposto racer.

In 1938 he caused a sensation driving a 8CTF Maserati in which he set fastest lap during the Grand Prix at Tripoli. He even challenged for the lead against the might of the German teams before mechanical problems ended his race.

He raced for just two teams, Mercedes and Alfa Romeo. He won the 1947 Italian Grand Prix and the 1948 Swiss Grand Prix.

He also owned a Hispano-Suiza J-12. The discriminating group of owners also included apéritif producer Emile Dubonnet, textile magnate Marcel Boussac, Anthony G. Rothschild of the banking family, King Carol of Romania, racing driver and businessman Whitney Straight, the Shah of Persia, General Franco of Spain and artist Pablo Picasso.

He enjoyed many other successes. He died of cancer at just 41 in Milan in 1949 a year after coming second to Wimille in the Monza GP. 

  • 1934: DNF Monaco GP, DNF Bordino GP, DNF Tripoli GP, 1 Montreux GP, 3 French GP, 1 Vichy GP, 4 Coppa Ciano, 3 Nice GP, 1 Biella GP, 3 Italian GP
  • 1935: DNF Monaco GP, DNF Biella GP, DNF Turin GP, 3 Coppa Ciano, DNS Italian GP
  • 1936: DNF Monaco GP, 1 Eifel (Voiturette), 1 Milan (Voiturette), 8 German GP, 1 Coppa Ciano (Voiturette), 2 Coppa Acerbo (Voiturette), DNF Lucca GP, 1 Lucca (Voiturette), 7 Italian GP, 1 Modena (Voiturette), 6th Vanderbilt Cup
  • 1937: 3 Turin GP, 1 Napels (Voiturette), 15 Tripoli GP, 1 Genua GP, 2 Florence GP (Voiturette), 5 Milan GP, DNF Belgian GP, 8 Italian GP, 1 Lucca (Voiturette)
  • 1938: DNF Tripoli, DNF Coppa Ciano, DNF Coppa Acerbo, 5 Italian GP
  • 1939: DNF Tripoli (Voiturette)
  • 1940: 3 Tripoli (Voiturette)

 



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