1-193-471 - National Motor Museum/Heritage Images

Alberto Ascari at the wheel of the new Lancia Grand Prix car, 1955. Enzo Ferrari signed Ascari up in 1949, and he won many races for Ferrari between 1950 and 1952. He was World Champion in 1952 and 1953. In 1952 he won every Grand Prix, and didn't lose a race until the middle of 1953. He performed the unrepeated feat of winning nine straight Grands Prix. He left Ferrari at the end of 1953 and on 1st January 1954 had signed for Lancia, who had designed and built an innovative new Grand Prix car, the Lancia D50, the first in their history.