Robert Manzon in Rosier’s Ferrari 625 Grand Prix car in the 1954 British Grand Prix running ahead of Horace Gould’s Maserati 250F. Manzon retired with a cracked cylinder block.
By Graham Gauld
He was the last living driver to compete in the first World Championship Grand Prix for Formula 1 cars back in 1950 but now he is gone. Robert Manzon was perhaps not the best known Grand Prix driver but he was a much greater racing talent than his results would suggest.
Robert Manzon aged 95 up in the hills behind Cuneo smiling as usual.
Robert was French and born into a family that could trace their origins to Italy. Small, compact, tough and yet highly amusing Manzo was quite a character.
As Pete has mentioned elsewhere he started out racing with one of those wonderful little Cisitalia D46s that created quite a stir when they were produced. However, the Cisi did not turn out to be as successful as they might have been, at a time when there was a dearth of new racing cars coming along, particularly ones ideal for drivers coming into racing.
One of Robert Manzon’s great friends was Amédée Gordini, another French/Italian, and Robert was a stalwart of Gordini’s racing from the 1940s onwards. Indeed, I have often felt that if he had not been so loyal to Gordini racing underpowered and unreliable cars in Formula 1 he might have done better with other bigger teams, as was to be proved on the few occasions he drove other cars.
I remember seeing him race alongside Eugenio Castellotti in one of the factory Lancia D24’s in the Tourist Trophy race on the tough Dundrod circuit where they finished 6th overall. What made his drive even more impressive was that Castellotti was much taller than he was (and therefore able to see clear of the fenders) and yet he was able to match the Italians times.
In the Grand Prix of Bordeaux in 1954 Manzon had been invited to drive one of Louis Rosier’s Ferrari 625 Grand Prix cars. Despite the fact it was a private entry, Manzon finished second to Froilan Gonzalez’ factory Ferrari and ahead of his friend Maurice Trintignant. This helped catch Enzo Ferrari’s eye. Manzon was invited to share a Ferrari 860 Monza, which was a bit of an animal of a car, again with Eugenio Castellotti in the Targa Florio in 1955. Remember Mercedes-Benz were sweeping the field that year with their 300SLRs. They ended up in third place behind the Mercedes of Moss and Fangio and ahead of the Fitch/Titterington Mercedes.
Manzon in the 3 liter Gordini Sports car leading Carini’s 340 America and Pierre Levegh’s Talbot Lago at Monaco in 1952. In 2012, sixty years after that event a the Monaco Historics, I had lunch with him on the Friday, but he was not able to get to race day. That was unfortunate as in 1952, driving a 1500cc Gordini, Manzon won the Monaco Cup on Sunday June 1st, defeating Stirling Moss in a Frazer-Nash in the process. The next day, driving 2.3 liter six cylinder Gordini, Manzon was leading when he spun in the oil from the Reg Parnell Aston Martin. Four cars including Moss were involved. So it was really Manzon’s day and it would have been nice to see him trackside.
One might have thought that these performances would have opened doors for Manzon with the major teams, but no. He was to return to his friend Gordini for his last two seasons in Grand Prix racing, 1955/56. In the latter season he struggled with the pretty and streamlined Type 32 Gordini but it was not competitive.
Away from the circuits Robert Manzon was full of fun right to the end. He was the last founder member of the Grand Prix Drivers Club and towards the end of 2012, when he was 95 years of age, French author Maurice Louche brought him from his home in Cassis on the South of France to Cuneo in Piedmont in Italy for a Grand Prix Drivers Club function. He was full of fun and even arrived at 8.30 in the morning when the club members were planning to go up in hot air balloons. Sadly he was not able to get into the basket but that evening he stepped out on to the dance floor with Maria-Teresa di Filippis (86 at the time) and they danced to everyone’s applause.
Yes, motor racing lost one of its great characters with the passing of Robert Manzon. He had no regrets on how his racing career had fluctuated and admitted that he enjoyed every minute of it. He passed away last week at the age of 97.
A fine driver, rather under rated by many. He had some fine victories and like Jean Behra did wonders for Gordini. In later years he used to joke about the races that he had ‘Gifted’ to Stirling Moss, such as Monaco and Rheims in 1952.
In the picture from Silverstone 1954 Robert is leading Reg Parnell’s Ferrari not Horace Gould’s Maserati.
Eric
Egg on face moment. It is of course Reg with the Ferrari. When checking I confused the car numbers. Sorry. Graham
Graham
Manzon was some driver,
regarding driving Cisitalia on the highway, he repeated this at 1955 British Grand Prix in the Gordini for Silverstone.
1956, I believe his final race might have been in Sweden, in the 6 hour endurance
event, August 12th. My notes indicate he took over the Peter Collins works Ferrari.
His retirement announced in AUTOSPORT for Feb 15th, 1957. with the additional
comment his son Jean Pierre might want to compete now(he did so in 1963 Le Mans)
This makes me think now the only GP drivers of 1950s would be Moss
Brooks and Dan Gurney,
Jim Sitz
Oregon USA
carini? carini!! any relation to the ‘wayne?’
I raced with Robert Manzon in 1954, 55 and 56 with the Gordini team.
I on ly have good mémories of Robert; he was both a very good driver and a charming friend.
When I started with Gordini in 1954 I had little experience in racing and Robert was always helpful and fair.
We drove together in Gordini’s F1 team in 1956 and were cordrivers in Monza’s sport car race the same year.
After retiring we remained good friends and spoke on the phone every month.
When his wife died and he became almost blind he had no more interest in life; he told me that when he felt 30 years younger when he could still drive his car.
Adieu Robert.
Nano da Silva Ramos.