Juan Manuel Fangio (June 24, 1911 - July 17, 1995) was a race car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five World Championship titles — a record which stood for 46 years — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a feat that has not been repeated since. For these achievements, and because of the time they were accomplished, he is considered by many as the "greatest driver of all time", And it is not surprising. He got 24 wins out of 51 starts- a record that stands to this day.Fangio was born in Balcarce, Argentina to Italian parents from the small central Italian village of Castiglione Messer Marino, near Chieti. He began his racing career in Argentina in 1934, driving a Ford Model T which he had rebuilt. During his time racing in Argentina, he drove Chevrolet cars and was Argentine National Champion in 1940 and 1941. He first came to Europe to race in 1949, funded by the Argentinian Automobile Club and the Argentinian government.
