People

Piero Drogo

Founder of Carrozzeria Sports Cars; credited with refinements to the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa

Born
Vignale Monferrato, Italy, 1926
Died
near Bologna, Italy, 1973
Nationality
Italian

The record

Italian racing driver who, after South American sports-car years and a single World Championship Grand Prix, founded Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena. The workshop built the Kamm-tailed Ferrari 250 GT Breadvan for Scuderia Serenissima and is credited with refinements to the Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa.

Born in Vignale Monferrato on 8 August 1926, Drogo had family in Venezuela and raced there in the 1950s. He won at Maracay on 5 August 1956 in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. With Julio Pola, he was seventh overall and first in the two-litre class at the 1957 1000 km Buenos Aires in a Ferrari 500 TR, for Scuderia Madunina Venezuela. In 1958 he and Sergio González were fourth there in a Ferrari 250 TR.

At the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans he shared Fernand Tavano’s Ferrari 250 TR with Alfonso Gómez Mena; it retired after 45 laps with engine trouble. He returned to Italy and worked as a mechanic at Stanguellini. In 1959 he finished fifth at the Targa Florio with Mennato Boffa in a Maserati A6GCS, winning the two-litre class. His only World Championship Grand Prix was Monza on 4 September 1960, eighth for Scuderia Colonia in a Cooper T43-Climax.

In 1960 Drogo founded Carrozzeria Sports Cars in Modena with coachbuilders Lino Marchesini and Celso Cavalieri. He ran the business; they built the bodies. The workshop took small sports-car and racing-body orders for Scuderia Serenissima, Bizzarrini and, occasionally, Ferrari. In 1962 Bizzarrini specified a Kamm-tailed body for Count Volpi’s Ferrari 250 GT SWB 2819 GT; Drogo’s shop built it. English journalists called the car the Breadvan.

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada is listed with Sports Cars as coachbuilder and Giorgetto Giugiaro as designer. Bizzarrini credits Drogo with refinements to the related 5300 GT Corsa. The shop declared bankruptcy on 31 December 1971. In 1972 Drogo opened the dealership Sports Cars S.a.s. di Drogo & Vassallo on the old premises. He died near Bologna on 28 April 1973 after his Ferrari 250 GT California struck a truck in an A1 tunnel near Pian del Voglio.

Giugiaro design, Drogo refinements

Bizzarrini’s 2022 release records the 5300 GT Corsa as designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with refinements by Piero Drogo of Carrozzeria Sports Cars.

Riveted alloy bodywork

Sports Car Digest records that the A3/C’s light-alloy bodywork was fabricated at Piero Drogo’s Sports Cars in Modena and riveted onto the chassis.

Kamm tail, Breadvan

For Count Volpi’s Ferrari 250 GT SWB 2819 GT, Bizzarrini specified a roof that ran to a chopped Kamm tail. Drogo’s Modena shop built the alloy body. At Le Mans in 1962 the car ran ahead of the factory GTOs until a driveshaft failed.

Works bodies, factory design

In 1966–67 his craftsmen built 330 P3, 330 P4 and Dino 206 S bodies at Ferrari to Casoli and Caliri designs. Drogo sold the contract; he did not draw those cars.

The stations

  1. 1956–1958Scuderia Madunina VenezuelaRacing driver
  2. 1958–1960StanguelliniMechanic
  3. 1959Scuderia Centro SudRacing driver
  4. 1960Scuderia ColoniaRacing driver
  5. 1960–1971Carrozzeria Sports CarsFounder and manager
  6. 1972–1973Sports Cars S.a.s. di Drogo & VassalloDealer

The house

Bizzarrini

Credited through Carrozzeria Sports Cars.

In the register

One file carries this name

The files above are the register's own record of this name. The people index holds everyone the register credits.