Giuseppe Campari discovered 17-year-old Giulio Ramponi in 1919, when the youngster was working as a trainee for a Milan fuel pump manufacturer. The great driver was looking for a keen young man who he could mould into an effective riding mechanic. And that was the start of Giulio’s brilliant career as a “rider,” racing car technician and, eventually, a car designer. Campari got Ramponi a job as an apprentice at Alfa Romeo’s Portello factory on the outskirts of Milan. The…

Alfa Romeo’s driver/co-driver teams for the 1920 Targa Florio were (left to right) Campari and Ramponi, Ferrari and Conti, and Baldoni and Porri. Ferrari and Conti finished 2nd.
Photo: Alfa Romeo