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Thread: Arturo Merzario and Niki Lauda's (unworn) Rolex

  1. #1
    Grand Master SimonK's Avatar
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    Arturo Merzario and Niki Lauda's (unworn) Rolex

    Just been reading an article in a French car mag' (the always excellent Auto Heroes) about Arturo Merzario - the driver who pulled Niki Lauda from the burning wreckage of his Ferrari at the Nürburgring crash in August 1976.

    Apparently he went into the flames three times, each time driven back by the heat, on the third try he was able to free Lauda who was now unconscious and badly burned as his helmet had come off. Merzario saw that Lauda had swallowed his tongue, but knew what to do from his army training (national service, I suppose) and gave heart massage and mouth-to-mouth until the medics arrived.

    Lauda and Merzario were never on good terms - the latter was a typical 70s playboy racer, à la Hunt, and Lauda had no time for these types.

    When Lauda came back to racing, at Monza 41 days later, apparently he walked past Merzario without even acknowledging him. One week later, at the Salzburgring, Lauda tried to make good and gave Merzario the Rolex from his wrist. Merzario says he hadn't even bought it, it was a gift from one of Lauda's ex-girlfriends and almost certainly had no value to him. Merzario goes on to say he was so offended by Lauda's attitude (and apparently still bears a grudge) he never, ever wore the watch.

    He is wearing the watch for the photo spread, he is now 76 years old but still looking like a cool dude; the model is not mentioned in the article but looks like a gold Datejust with a black dial on a gold jubilee bracelet.

  2. #2
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
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    Nice story

    Lauda's certainly an acquired taste, funnily enough I find his directness and honesty appealing. Really good series of interviews with him on YouTube, the first I saw was this one "I have no friends" -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_H05gpykGQ

    One of the other drivers that helped pull him out from the flames was Guy Edwards, he got a QGM for trying. Random TZ-UK connection being I nearly bought a car from him a few years ago (Lotus Carlton).

  3. #3
    Cool story.

  4. #4
    Craftsman
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    Rush Is a terrific film based on the Hunt - Lauda rivalry , fast and loose with the truth though ...


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  5. #5
    I like his style. Any pics from the article?

  6. #6
    Grand Master SimonK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JGJG View Post
    I like his style. Any pics from the article?
    In the article he looks the same as in the photo you posted, wearing a racing suit and sporting a stetson as always. There was also this photo of him receiving the Rolex.


  7. #7
    Very interesting, thanks!

  8. #8
    After risking his own life saving Lauda you can understand him being offended!!

  9. #9
    Craftsman
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    Seemed to wear sports caps constantly before everyone else did :-)

    Sent from my SM-J500FN using TZ-UK mobile app

  10. #10
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mhurley View Post
    Seemed to wear sports caps constantly before everyone else did :-)
    He rocked the Parmalat Italian dairy sponsorship for a couple decades from the mid-1970s; in 2009 the annual cost of the patch was reportedly EUR€1.2m

  11. #11
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Great story - thanks for posting.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


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