The Versatile Giorgio Pianta

Today the general perception that Formula One is the be-all and end-all of motorsport is more marked than ever, with recent other-category innovations having failed to really grab headlines.  Formula E does not command very much interest and Sportscars/Prototypes in the hybrid era have failed to impress, having none of the aesthetic/technical/competitive charisma that we saw in the eras of Jaguar and Aston Martin at Le Mans, Ford vs. Ferrari in the 60s, 917 vs.512, 956 vs. Lancia and Sauber in Group C.  At the same time, ‘junior’ formulae such as F3 now lack pizazz, being spec formulas, with little of interest in technical developments/differing car capabilities.  So, from a contemporary perspective, we would expect that a F1 seat would necessarily represent the pinnacle of any driver’s career.  On that basis, I’m showing below the Williams FW06 that Giorgio Pianta piloted in 1979:

And although Pianta scored an excellent 5^th place at Nogaro in that car, his career highlights can be chosen, mixed and matched, from this more than impressive list: 1965 Italian Rally Trophy; 1966/67 European Touring Car Championship campaigns with Squadra Corse Lancia and Porsche; team ETCC driver with Autodelta, 1968/69; class winner of the Italian Touring Car Championship, 1971/72 and developed the 1971 Targa Florio class winner for Conrero; 3^rd in an Osella in the Targa Florio in 1977; developed the Fiat Abarth 124 Rally and X1/9 competition models; 1986-96, manager of Alfa Romeo Corse, in which period the Marque achieved many wins in Touring Car racing, including a spell of domination in the DTM; subsequently returned to Fiat to take charge of Fiat Auto Corse.  During his main driving career, Pianta took part in around 700 race events, winning three Italian National Championships.  This article is focused on Pianta’s circuit racing activities/career – he also saw much achievement in the realms of rallying, not covered here, but well documented elsewhere. 

The earliest regulated motorsport participation recorded for Giorgio was a drive in the Mille Miglia in 1953.  Pianta was at that time 18 years old.  He shared the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 1900 Ti with Piero Palmieri, but they failed to finish. 

An outing at Monza five years later saw him competing in a GT Cup race organised by the renowned Sant Ambroeus scuderia.  Giorgio is seen below in his Fiat 500.

Nowadays, the importance of networking is emphasised to people beginning their commercial career, as if a recently invented ‘science.’  Yet, over sixty years ago, Giorgio was proving himself a natural, effective practitioner.  He managed to arrange for himself a co-drive with the son of Ferrari’s Eugenio Dragoni in an Abarth 1000 TC.  Exploits in this car attracted the attention of Sandro Fiorio, PRO for Lancia.  This turned out to be an especially rewarding contact, as Sando’s son, Cesare, was responsible for the Lancia HF Squadra Corse.  Thus, in 1963, Giorgio found himself with a ‘works’ Lancia drive.  As a result, he was soon at the wheel of such cars as the Flaminia Sport, as seen below at Monza:

Giorgio also remained associated with the Scuderia Sant Ambroeus for several years, driving various of its cars, for instance: Ferrari 250 GT SWB in 1962, Alfa Romeo TZ in 1964 and the arcane ASA RB 613 in 1965’s Targa Florio.  Partnering Giorgio Bassi, a 3^rd in class resulted.  The car is seen below:

Courtesy of Vittorio Giordano

1966 saw Pianta co-driving with Lancia rallying star, Sandro Munari, at the Nurburgring 500, where they took their Flavia Sport Zagato to 4^th in Division 3 of the Touring Car class:

Courtesy of H-J Roegler

The following season was a notably successful one for Pianta in touring cars, this time in a Division 3 Scuderia Sant Ambroeus 2.0 Porsche 911.  Best results of the year were the outright victory in Belgrade, and a class win in Budapest. 

By early 1968, his recent performances in touring cars had impressed Carlo Chiti enough for him to recruit Giorgio to the Autodelta driving contingent.  Pianta soon repaid Chiti’s confidence with a Division 2 class win at Monza in a Giulia Sprint GTA 1600, co-driven by Teodoro Zeccoli.  For Le Mans that year, Pianta was back with Scuderia Sant Ambroeous, entrusted in company with Enrico Pinto with the team’s Iso Rivolta.  But the car was accident damaged in practice and thus failed to make the start.

The Sant Ambroeus Iso Rivolta for Pianta/Pinto, Le Mans, 1968

Giorgio rounded off the Sixties with drives of increased diversity, both in terms of entrants and types of car – BMW 2002 Ti – Porsche 910 – Lancia Fulvia HF;  Escuderia Nacional CS – Ecurie Nat. Espagnole.  Another ‘new’ employer coming to note in 1970 was Monzeglio Corse, which entered an AMS-Alfa for the Targa Florio to be driven by Giorgio and Mario Zanetti.  And they made a good job of it: winners of the P 1.3 class.

Left: In the Targa Florio pits, (Schlegemilch). Right: Courtesy of John Phillips

Virgilio Conrero was a significant personality on the Turin automotive scene, especially so in the Fifties/Sixties when he was closely associated with Alfa Romeo.  For engine tuning and modifications requested by customers and motor sport Alfisti, Conrero fulfilled the role eventually performed by Autodelta when set-up as a factory ‘extension.’  In fact, the establishment of Autodelta and thus a loss of business volume, led Conrero to branch out into enhancement developments for other makes and to step up his focus on Renault engines, which had been a secondary interest during the period of concentration on Alfa Romeo.  But perhaps the most important new involvement was with the Opel brand.  A major strand of this was an agreement with General Motors to utilise his Conrero Squadra Corse to run Opel products on-track.  The project was facilitated by the efforts of Romano Artioli, leading dealer for Opel in Italy.  He maintained a steadfast optimism that the GT model could be made an effective Group 4 racer and persuaded Conrero to commit to its development, whilst he also managed to raise necessary funds from his fellow Opel dealers.  Eventually, this enabled chassis improvements to be made and an engine output of near 200 bhp achieved – impressive, considering that the standard production version boasted just 88 bhp.  Conrero took Pianta on to play a lead role in this work, drawing on Giorgio’s extensive experience in developing cars for competition.  It proved to be a very successful arrangement, with Pianta becoming the large engine class winner in a 3.0 Opel Commodore of the Italian Touring Car Championship in both 1971/72.  At the same time, he oversaw modifications to, and the preparation of, four Opel GT 1900s for the 1971 Targa Florio.  Against tough opposition – especially numerous Porsche 911s - the example driven by Paolo Monti and Salvatore Calascibetta achieved an excellent 9^th overall, first in class finish.  Pianta also co-drove, with Pino Pica, but his Opel was forced to retire on the fourth lap.  Also failing to finish was the similar car of Giuseppe Marotta and Gianpaolo Benedini.

1971 Targa Florio. Left: Marotta/Benedini, courtesy Sergio Tino; 

Centre: Pianta/Pica, courtesy Maurice Van Sevecotte; Right: Monti/Calascibetta, ©Schlegemilch

Conrero mounted a similar effort for the 1972 Targa.  Further development had resulted in a new cylinder head, enabling an increased power output of over 200 bhp.  Of the three GTs entered, two were carburettor-equipped, whilst that to be driven by Pianta and Giorgio Schön featured Kügelfischer mechanical fuel injection, and this enabled a further power increase, to 214 bhp.  This was enough for Pianta to be able to post a 2000 cc class fastest time in practice, significantly below what the Porsche competition was managing.  However after an enforced power unit change, the engine could not be fired-up for the start of the race.

1972 Targa Florio. Pianta/Schön in practice. Courtesy Revs Institute

Giorgio reverted to his 1971 partner, Pino Pica, for the 1973 event.  On this occasion they were flying the Conrero colours on a sports racing car which had been created in 1972 for Momo proprietor, Giampiero Moretti.  The car’s designer was Giorgio Valentini, (also known for designing the BWA single seaters, Bertone Panther, Mystère prototype and Osella FA1C).  Valenti began work on the design in September 1971.  Moretti had requested several innovations, in particular in the suspension and steering layout/operation and inboard brakes.  It was a super-light-weight chassis – the frame being just 55 kgs – with a quick-change, transverse fuel tank.  As initially raced by Moretti/Corrado Manfredini at the 500 kms of Interlagos in 1972, the car was powered by a 265 bhp Abarth-Osella 2.0, but, as taken over by Conrero, it was fitted with an Opel unit as was used in the racing GT 1900s.  But, once again, Pianta suffered the disappointment of a race non-finish, the car being retired after 4 laps.

Conrero-Opel on 1973 Targa Florio (Pica driving)

Also in 1973, Giorgio raced a Lola T280-Ford DFV for Jolly Club at three major events.  Again partnering Pino Pica, a 7^th place finish was achieved at the Dijon 1000 kms.  The pair were together once more for the Monza 1000 kms but were out before quarter distance due to a failed coolant hose.  Further disappointment followed at the Nurburgring 1000 kms for Giorgio and co-drivers, Mario Casoni and Manfred Mohr, when gear linkage problems caused an end to their race after just 6 laps.

1973 World Championship for Makes, Lola-Ford 280. Left: Nurburgring (Courtesy Girardo);

Centre: Monza (MotorsportImages); Right: Dijon (MotorsportImages)

Jolly Club replaced the car with a T282 model for the 1974 season, again enlisting Giorgio to drive it.  At the Monza 1000 kms, a race dominated by the Alfa 33s, Pianta/Pica finished 6^th after winning a close battle with the Porsche 908 of Joest/Casoni.  At Spa, the Lola was sidelined with ignition failure.  He used the same car for the Targa Florio, qualifying it fastest of the entire field.  This was the first year after the Targa’s de-rating as a championship event, so the competition was less intense than formerly, but Pianta’s achievement in taking pole is validated by the fact that he outpaced the two Stratos entered by Lancia Corse.  However, the car failed to finish the race, suffering a rear tyre failure after 4 laps.  In the photograph below, Pianta is seen in the centre, behind the rear wing.

Towards the end of the year, in October, Pianta shared the Abarth works’ Fiat Abarth SE030 with Christine Beckers on the Giro d’Italia.  This was a new product development car which was a forerunner of the Lancia Montecarlo.  In addition to looking good, it ran well too, and was bettered in the event only by the Group 5 Lancia HF Squadra Corse Stratos Turbo of Jean-Claude Andruet and Michèle Espinosi-Petit.  On this event the following year, Pianta went one better and took the overall first place in a Group 5 Fiat Abarth SE031, this time co-driving with Bruno Scabini.

Left: Partnering Christine Beckers on the Giro d’Italia, 1974, ©Pininfarina,

and, right, co-driving to victory on the same event, 1975, with Bruno Scabini

Otherwise in 1975, Giorgio was putting mileage on Jolly Club-liveried Lolas, partnering with Vittoria Brambilla, but it proved to be a run of races that was characterised by DNFs and accidents.  No doubt he was pleased to get his hands on a Scuderia Aneneo/Jolly Club Stratos for the Targa Florio, and, sharing the driving with Giorgio Schön, he made the most of the opportunity, finishing 7^th, 4^th in class.

1975 Targa Florio – Pianta/ Schön (Targapedia)

Giorgio’s best showing in 1976 was at Salzburg, where, in the 200 mile Salzburger Festspielpreis race, he came in 6^th, 3^rd in the 2.0 class.  This was in a Jolly Club Osella PA3.  Around this time, Giorgio was more often at the wheel of Osellas, where previously he had had a run of Lola drives.  In the Targa Florio of 1977 he was again paired with Giorgio Schön and they had an Osella PA5 BMW at their disposal.  In this, the last (though lesser status) Targa, and on his tenth entry for the event, Pianta achieved his best result - 3^rd overall and 2^nd in the 2.0 class.  The Jolly Club car, with Giorgio at the wheel, in the pits, is shown below:

Courtesy of Vittorio Giordano (Targapedia)

Pianta followed up the Targa success with an even better one 17 months later, sharing the Giro d’Italia-winning Group 5 Stratos HF with Markku Alén and Ilkka Kivimäki:

1979 was a season which reflected Pianta’s involvement at Corse Lancia where he was significantly instrumental in developing the Montecarlo model for the track, creating the turbocharged version which was highly successful in seasons, 1979-81 – see Any Tine, Any Place – Montecarlo for Instance.  In addition to much effort contributed in the workshop and on the test track, Giorgio drove early versions of the Montecarlo at the 1979 Six Hours races at Mugello, Silverstone and Vallelunga.  Whilst these outings resulted in non-finishes, the performances helped to establish the car’s competitiveness and support developments for improved reliability. 

The Seventies/early Eighties had seen Pianta with a roving brief, testament to his versatility: leading test driver at Corso Marche for Abarth;  influential ‘behind the scenes’ at Lancia with the development of the S4 Delta;  at Alfa Romeo he strove without success to help establish an Indycar campaign with a March CA90 chassis powered by a 2648 cc turbocharged V8 engine.

Alfa Indycar Turbo V8 engine, 1990.

Courtesy of Roberto Motta

After a long period of uncertainty and its inability to return to profitability, Alfa Romeo was absorbed into the Fiat Group in 1986.  Autodelta’s ‘abolition’ had been commenced in 1982 when responsibility for running the F1 cars was transferred to Giampaolo Pavanello’s Euroracing team.  The operating base of Autodelta was moved to Senago, and, not long after, the business effectively closed with the Fiat buy-out.  As a replacement function, Fiat revived the Alfa Corse name and appointed Giorgio to run it as a factory department.  Initially, Pianta sought to revitalise the perception of Alfa Romeo as a leading light in motorsport by developing the Alfa 164 V10 Procar.  Though this project stalled, the engine was utilised in the development of a proposed new Group C prototype for endurance racing.  The car emerged after collaboration with Abarth as the SE048SP, but with a change of power plant to the Ferrari 3.5 V12.  However, by autumn 1990 it was apparent that the revised Group 6 rules for which the car was designed would not be attracting substantial entries from other manufacturers, and this project too was cancelled.
 

Left: 164 Procar. Courtesy of Michael Ward     Right: SE048SP Group C. ©Kevin Van Campenhout

After the disappointments of the aborted Procar and Group C programmes, Alfa Corse turned its attention to the touring car category with the Alfa 75 model.  Whilst this was relatively low-key, it laid the foundation for a more concerted campaign beginning in 1992 with the new 155 GTA model.  Promising though this appeared to be, the Ti AWD model was preferred for an assault on the DTM the following season.  With leading drivers Nicola Larini and Alessandro Nannini, the car was very successful in 1993 and the following three seasons, racking up 38 victories and winning the DTM in 1993 and the BTCC in 1994.  It has been reported that Pianta took every opportunity while running the programme to test cars on-track and was well known for being able to set fully competitive times. Going a stage further, it is said that he clandestinely drove in some races - in his appreciation of Pianta Peter Collins writes: 

At one time he was itching to drive a GTA in a race, but Fiat shuddered at the implications. He still did it, under the pseudonym of ‘Sonnenkinde’ – child of the sun. 

Collins also recounts this anecdote, attesting to Pianta’s driving abilities and attitude: 

Sometimes testing did not always work to plan.  One day at La Mandria, testing a Delta S4 on a circuit, the technicians called him in and told him that their telemetry showed that he was not driving quickly enough through a particular corner.  “But I cannot drive any quicker through there or I will have a large accident,” said Giorgio.  “Nonsense, the figures show that you can. Go out and try harder,” said the engineers.  Off went Giorgio, trying harder than ever (at that moment making loud puffing and wheezing sounds as of an S4 flat out).  Suddenly, there was silence.  After a while, a visibly shocked Giorgio arrived back on foot carrying the mangled remains of the driver’s door – there was little else left of the car.  “Was that fast enough for your machines?” asked Giorgio. 

After the period of Alfa Romeo touring car successes, Pianta was put in overall charge of Fiat Auto Corse, thus affording him opportunities to direct the sporting enterprises of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Abarth.  In addition, he was president of the Associazione Nazionale Corridori Automobilisti Italiani, (similar to the BRDC) and contributed to the work of the Italian motorsport governing body. 

Giorgio died in 2014 at the age of 79.