Carrera Panamericana .The 20th of November 1951.
Carlos Panini was a wealthy Mexican businessman of Italian
origin, from Mosio di Acquanegra sul Chiese in the province of Mantova
in Lombardia region. He is credited with being the first pilot to fly a
light plane around the world. In 1927 he had established Mexico's first
scheduled airline, which he had sold shortly prior to the race as he was
planning to retire.
He was a motorsport enthusiast and participated in numerous competitions.
Panini died when his car crashed during the 1951 Carrera Panamericana on the second stage from Oaxaca to Puebla.
Although the registered driver for the race was Carlos' daughter Teresa
(Teresita), he was at the wheel of car, despite the fact that he did
not have a valid license and was in ill health. The accident happened
when 15 year old Bobby Unser
was trying to overtake Panini who was travelling at a lower speed and
blocked the American for a long stretch. After several attempts, Unser
made his move but Panini tried too late to block him, resulting in the
two cars bumping one another. Unser nearly went off a sheer cliff but
was skilled enough to control his Jaguar, while Panini's Alfa Romeo went
straight into a wall, killing the driver instantly. Unser did not stop
for fear of being disqualified from the race as the rules explicitly
forbade it. Later, Ricardo Ramirez of Mexico City abandoned the race to
rush the Paninis to a hospital in Puebla. Teresa Panini survived the
accident with minor injuries.
Press reaction to his death was strong in condemning the race as his
was a part of a series of prominent deaths that year. At the time of his
death newspapers gave his age as 54, but one states his age as 48.
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