Enrico Nardi: The Man Behind The Engineer
Edited by Vita di Stile
Words by Alessandro Civardi
It can happen to hear that a great racing driver should be a true champion when dealing with the steering wheel. This definition is right and it sheds light on the importance of that device, which may be considered as the most important component of a car, since it shapes the style of driving which originates as an idea in the mind of the driver; in fact, for example Juan Manuel Fangio (5 times winner of the World Drivers’ Championship) described it as “a mental sublimation”. Indeed, the steering wheel is also the device which is able to connect the driver with the whole car.
When talking about cars and steering wheels it should be mentioned one of the main leading companies in the industry, the Nardi-Personal; however, the story of the company is linked to that of another man, Enrico Nardi, one of the main figure in the automotive world.
Enrico Nardi was born on 19thJanuary1907 in Bologna, an epoch in which the railways were nationalized and the stability of the currency of that time, the Lira, made the initiative of many Italian entrepreneurs easier. It was a period characterized above all by euphoria and interest in the automotive sector.
Emilia Romagna, a land of determined passions has always been important for Enrico as well as his love for cars and the automotive field in general. When he was 35 he became engineer, but he is known as Enrico Nardi and not as the Engineer.
He obtained his first job in Lancia, in Turin as truck engineer. His rise in the hierarchy of the company led him to become advisor to Vincenzo Lancia. In 1937 his career achieved top levels, but he chose for uncertainty: he went to Modena, after being married, and he worked as test driver in Ferrari.
The agreement with Ferrari was broken in 1946, thus, Enrico Nardi went back to first passion, that of building cars. He also drove cars and in 1947, with Renato Danese won the Coppa delle Dolomiti -.
Enrico Nardi died when he was 59 years old in August 23rd, 1966, and it can be considered as weird since he used to say:
“I don’t want to be 60, otherwise I would be old.”
Those who have known him defined Enrico as a quarrelsome and always direct and focused man, but he was also considered as adorable, sometimes against the tide, nonconformist but always respectful and deferential person. All those aspects are in line with his daughter, Roberta, memories:
“I remember when one day someone, unfairly reproached him, so he got close to the other guy to clarify the situation and I feared they would have strongly argued. However, it did not happen. Moreover, when the other guy went away he realised that he behave as a gentleman, but that he kept the handle of the car door.…”
This brief post is not sufficient to summarize the life and characteristics of Enrico Nardi, however, we hope that through this writing it was possible to better understand the man he was.