Achille Varzi: From Racer to Morphine User and Back Again

Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

Aug 06, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 15

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Episode description

Achille Varzi is one of the most iconic pre-war racing drivers of all time — but we know so little about him outside of his fierce rivalry with Tazio Nuvolari. Why? Perhaps because Varzi nearly lost his career to a morphine addiction that saw him disappear from the public eye and be shunned from polite society.

Varzi's story is as complex as his legacy, and today, we're delving in to learn more.

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Episode Bibliography:

Fangio: The Life Behind the Legend by Gerald Donaldson

Nuvolari by Count Giovanni Lurani

Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races by Brock Yates