One of the most legendary races of all time, the Carrera Panamericana was first run to mark the opening of the Panamerican Highway, and traversed the full length of Mexico from Tuxtla to Juárez. US car manufacturers quickly picked up on the race, with Oldsmobile and Cadillac dominating the inaugural event in 1950. It didn’t take long for European car-makers to get in on the act — the pairing of Taruffi/Chinetti winning the 1951 event in their Ferrari 212 Vignale. Famously, Mercedes-Benz dominated the 1952 race with the fabulous 300SL, while Fangio scored a major victory in 1953 in his Lancia.
Alas, the final race was run in 1954 (with Ferrari winning a second time). However, the event continued to make a place in motoring history — most notably when Porsche chose to use the Carrera name as a model designation following several notable class wins.
In 1988, the Carrera Panamericana returned as a major classic event, and it has continued to be successful since then — attracting a wonderful assortment of classic US and European sports cars and saloons. Tipler’s well illustrated book covers both eras of this famous race — the early days from 1950-’54 and the more modern revival. For those interested in the mighty, motoring epics of a past age, this will be essential reading.
La Carrera Panamericana: The World’s Greatest Road Race by Johnny Tipler
Review copy supplied by the publisher
Review by James Black
