Arturo Merzario signed and race used Alfa Romeo steering wheel.

Description

Arturo Merzario signed and race used Alfa Romeo steering wheel.

This ‘Jarama’ race steering wheel by Personal of Italy was race used in the late 1980s / early 1990s by Arturo ‘Art’ Merzario. The aluminium billet boss was hand signed above the Alfa Romeo badge by Art in black sharpie whilst at Goodwood in 2008 and this wheel has been in a private collection ever since. It has some minor tearing to the leather, consistent with race use.

The charismatic Italian driver ran his own F1, F2 and F3 teams,came 2nd at LeMans with Ferrari in 1973, Won the Spa 1000km race and the 1985 Italian prototype championship, but he is perhaps best known for helping Niki Lauda at the scene of his fiery accident at the Nurburgring in 1976 when Art himself was in F1 driving in his first race for Walter Wolf. Niki gave Art a gold Rolex watch as a ‘thank you’ after he survived the terrible ordeal.

In his formula 1 career, Art drove for Ferrari (he was the last driver to make his F1 debut for Ferrari until Ollie Bearman in 2024), Frank Williams, Copersucar Fittipaldi, Ovoro March, Walter Wolf and his own Merzario team.

A larger than life character who still races classic Alfa Romeo’s to this day, he is best known for his trademark ‘ten gallon hat’!