Carlo Maria Abate (10 July 1932 – 29 April 2019) was an Italian auto racing driver. He was one of the best Ferrari 250 GTO specialists. Abate preferred to be addressed as “Carlo Mario Abate” instead of his christened name. Info from Wiki
Between the end of the fifties until 1964 Carlo Maria Abate was among the most prominent Italian (sportscar) drivers.
The picture shows him the Porsche 718 on his way to winning the Targa Florio of 1963 with Jo Bonnier.
He was born in Turin on 10 July 1932 and always lived there. He began racing cars in 1955 and in 1957 he became Italian Champion in the GT category up to 1300 cc, at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato. With this car he also won the Trofeo della Montagna in 1957 and 1958. In 1959 he bought a Ferrari 250 GT “Tour de France” and finished 1st in the Coppa S. Ambroeus, at Trento-Bondone, at the Corsa dei Colli Torinesi and was 1st overall at the Mille Miglia (paired with Gianni Balzarini).
In 1960 he was 1st in the Class 3000 GT at the 12 Hours of Sebring, together with Giorgio Scarlatti and Fabrizio Serena, driving a Ferrari 250 GT California entered by the Scuderia Serenissima Republic of Venice (SSR) of Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata. He was also 1st in the class at the 1000 km of the Nürburgring on a Ferrari 250 GT “Tour de France” of the SSR Team, paired with Colin Davis and 1st overall in the Intereuropa Cup, held at Monza on 4 September 1960, this time at wheel of a Ferrari 250 GT Scaglietti Berlinetta.
In 1961 he won again the Class 3000 GT at the 1000 km of the Nürburgring, on a Ferrari 250 GT Scaglietti Berlinetta of the SSR Team, again paired with Colin Davis. At the 500 KM of the Nürburgring he was 1st overall, behind the wheel of a Fiat Abarth 1000 Bialbero.
In 1962 he won the Auvergne Trophy, at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO of the SSR Team and debuted in Formula 1 at the Naples Grand Prix on an SSR Porsche 718 F1, reaching 4th overall. With a Lotus 18/21 Climax of the SSR he was entered for the French GP, but did not start due to an accident in practice. With an SSR Porsche 718 F1 he drove at the Mediterranean GP , in Pergusa, where he finished in 3rd place.
In 1963 he was 1st overall in the Targa Florio, paired with Jo Bonnier, at the wheel of a Porsche 718 and 1st in Class at the Trophy of the Auvergne, at Freiburg-Schauinsland and at Ollon-Villars on a Ferrari 250 GTO. In F1 he competed in two races at the wheel of the Maserati Cooper T51 of the Scuderia Centro-Sud: The GP of Imola, finishing 5th, and the GP of Syracuse, where he was 3rd. Finally, on a SSR Porsche 718 F1 he was 8th in the Mediterranean GP, in Pergusa.
He ended his racing career after the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964 at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GTO.
Carlo Maria Abate was a leading exponent of the group of “gentleman drivers” typical of the Fifties and Sixties, who began to racing taking advantage of excellent family financial resources and had enough skill to win prestigious races as official pilots.
Note: In several sources his name, instead of the original Carlo Maria, is found indicated as Carlo Mario, his personal favourite version.
Translated from Italian and slightly changed biography written originally by Lorenzo Boscarelli on the AISA website
