ELVIRA TELLS

Vittorio Jano, one of the Alfa Romeo design geniuses

 

18 January 2018

Who convinced Vittorio Jano to leave FIAT? We find out together with Elvira Ruocco. Happy reading“.

Vittorio Jano was born in Turin on 22 April 1891. Son of a chief technician of the Arsenale miliare, he attended the course of studies at the Professional Institute of Workers in Turin. On November 1, 1911 he was hired by Fiat as a draftsman in charge of the Technical Office.

Two years later he was promoted to the position of designer-builder and on 5 May 1920 he obtained the position of group leader in the automobile department headed by Carlo Cavalli.
After collaborating in the design of famous utility vehicles of the post-war recovery, Jano was transferred to the section that dealt with the design of racing cars, until following them, in the last period, also on the racing fields.
Reached the proposal to hire Alfa Romeo, he resigned from Fiat on 27 September 1923. In Alfa, reporting directly to the General Management, he was first placed at the head of a technical office set up specifically for the development of the P2 single-seater racing car and then, with the resignation of Giuseppe Merosi on 23 January 1926, he became responsible for the design of Alfa Romeo not only for racing but also for tourism.
In December 1937, Vittorio Jano left Alfa.

To interrupt a relationship that began in October 1923 was the failure of the single-seater G.P. 12C 1937, a car that was supposed to fight the cars of Mercedes and Auto Union. At its debut on the Pescara Circuit it was forced to retire as well as at the Italian Grand Prix in Livorno, due to the breaking of a axle shaft.
The press denounced "the inability of the great Italian industry to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of the sporting masses despite the bright traditions that distinguish it".
After this failure, Jano left the Portello and returned to Turin where, in 1938, he joined Lancia as responsible for the design of industrial vehicles and Ardea, Aurelia and derivative cars. He held the position of interim technical director until 1955 and then remained as a consultant until 1958. During that period he also undertook a consultancy contract with Ferrari and collaborated on the development of the Dino engines.
He committed suicide in Turin on 13 March 1965.

Elvira Ruocco, historical memory of Alfa Romeo, thanks to her more than twenty years of experience at the Alfa Romeo Centro di Documentazione Storica, has become part of the Museum team and in the column "Elvira Racconta" she will share curiosities and anecdotes that you may not know or remember. We will retrace the legendary history of Alfa Romeo with her.