Giulio Masetti

Born in Vinci near Florence, this nobleman was a well-known and very successful Italian privateer driver who excelled particularly at the Targa Florio in Sicily. In his first start in 1919, he finished fourth in a FIAT. Two years later, in the same make, he took his first victory in the round through the Madonie. In this and the following year, he also drove a Mercedes in other races and, for example, took first place in the amateur classification of the Italian Grand Prix, which also earned him the national amateur title.

in 1922, the greatest triumph of his career followed when he won the Targa Florio in a Mercedes with an average of 63.1 km/h in a new record time, leaving the assembled DMG works team behind on this occasion. His 4.5-litre Grand Prix racing car from 1914 had retrofitted front-wheel brakes like the two factory cars, but was painted in the Italian racing colour of red. In 1926, the site of his most significant victory became his undoing. Conte Masetti had a fatal accident in a Delage at the Targa Florio.