Piero Dusio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Piero Dusio
Nationality Italian

Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1952
Teams	Cisitalia
Races	1 (0 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1952 Italian Grand Prix
Last race	1952 Italian Grand Prix

Piero Dusio (October 13, 1899 - November 7, 1975) was an Italian soccer player, businessman and racing driver.

Dusio was born at Scurzolengo, province of Asti. His active soccer career (three games for Juventus 1921-22)^[1] ended in a knee injury, after which he started a textile business (oil cloth), which evolved into sporting goods as well as becoming supplier of military uniforms. He raced in the Mille Miglia (1929-38), was sixth in 1936 Italian Grand Prix, winning Mille Miglia in a Siata 500cc (1937), and formed the Scuderia Torino (1939).^[2]^[3] He commissioned Dante Giacosa of Fiat to develop a racing car (1944), and formed the «Consorzio Industriale Sportiva Italia» (1944). The firm became Cisitalia and involved Carlo Abarth, Rudolf Hruska and Ferry Porsche. Dusio won in the Giovanni Savonuzzi-completed car's premiere race at Coppa Brezzi in Turin (1946).^[4]

Piero Dusio continued financing racing car projects, but the expenses in engineering the complex 202MM^[5] almost ruined Cisitalia (1947), as well as involved the Juventus corporation (where Dusio was president 1941-1947). Consequently, Dusio moved to Argentina and established Autoar (Automotores Argentinos) S.A.I.C. (March 22, 1949)^[6], financially supported by Juan Peron.^[7] His son, Carlo Dusio continued to run a refinanced Cisitalia company in Torino (1948-1964).^[8]

Dusio tried but failed to qualify for one Formula One World Championship grand prix (Italy 1952) with a Cisitalia D46, but he failed to set a time in practice due to engine problems. He raced in the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1954, and also started Cisitalia Argentina Industrial y Comercial SA, planning cars such as the Cisitalia 750 (1960).

He died at Buenos Aires in 1975.