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Fangio's grandfather Giuseppe Fangio emigrated to Buenos Aires in 1887. Giuseppemanaged to buy his own farm near Balcarce within three years by cutting and burning tree branches to transform them into charcoal fuel. His father Loreto, emigrated to Argentina from the small, central Italian town of Castiglione Messer Marino. His mother Herminia Dramo was from Tornareccio. Both parents are from the Chieti province, of the Abruzzo region and married on 24 October 1903. They livedon farms where Herminia was a housekeeper and Loreto worked in the building trade becoming an apprentice stonemason.[4]

Fangio was born on San Juan's day 1911 at 12:10 a.m. in Balcarce, a small city in southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.[5] His birth certificate was mistakenly dated 23 June by the Register of Balcarce.[6] He was the fourth of six children.[7] In his childhood he became known as El Chueco, the bandy legged one, for his skill in bending his left leg around the ball to shoot on goal during football games.[7]

Fangio started his education at the School No. 4 of Balcarce, Calle 13 before transferring to School No. 1 and 18 Uriburu Av.[6] When Fangio was 13, he droppedout of school and worked as an assistant mechanic.[8] When he was 16, he startedout riding as a mechanic for his employer's customers. Fangio also developed pneumonia which almost proved fatal.[9] The symptoms manifested themselves after afootball game where Fangio had been hard at running and the effects caused a sharp pain in his chest. He was bed-ridden for two months and cared for by his mother.[10]

After recovering, Fangio served compulsory military service at the age of 21. In1932, he was enlisted at the Campo de Mayo cadet school near Buenos Aires. Hisdriving skills caught the attention of his commanding officer to appoint Fangioas his official driver. Fangio was discharged before his 22nd birthday after taking his final physical examination. He returned to Balcarce where he aimed to further his football career. Fangio along with his friend Jos Duffard received offers to play at a club based in Mar del Plata. Their team-mates at Balcarce suggested the two work on Fangio's hobby of building his own car and his parents donated a part of a small section of their home where a rudimentary shed was built.[10]

Early racing career[edit]

1950 Simca Gordini T15s, as raced, and retired, at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mansby Jos Froiln Gonzlez and Juan Manuel FangioAfter finishing his military service, Fangio opened his own garage and raced inlocal events. He began his racing career in Argentina in 1934, driving a 1929 Ford Model A, which he had rebuilt. These local events were unlike anything in Europe or North America, they were long-distance races held on mostly dirt roads upand down South America. During his time racing in Argentina, he drove Chevroletcars and was Argentine National Champion in 1940 and 1941. One particular race,which he won in 1940, the Gran Premio del Norte, was almost 10,000 km long. This race started in Buenos Aires and ran up through the Andes to Lima, Peru and back again, taking nearly two weeks with stages held each day. Following many successes driving mainly modified American stock cars; he was funded by the Argentin

e Automobile Club and the Argentine government and sent to Europe in 1948 to continue his career.[11][12]

In the Tourism Highway category, Fangio participated in his first race between 18 October to 30 October 1938 as the co-pilot of Luis Finocchietti. Despite not winning the Argentine Road Grand Prix, Fangio drove most of the way and qualifiedin seventh place. In November of that year, he entered the "400 km of Tres Arroyos ", but it was suspended due to a fatal accident.[13]

In 1939, the circuit was in Forest, which conformed well with his last involveme

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nt with a Ford V8. With Hector Tieri as his partner, they led Turismo Carreterathat year with a Chevrolet, competing for the Argentine Grand Prix. Suspended bya strong rain and resumed in Cordoba, he managed their first stage victory, winning the fourth stage from Catamarca to San Juan. In October, after 9500 km of competition in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, he won his first race in Turismo Carretera, the Grand Prix International North. He became the first TC Argentine Champion to have driven a Chevrolet.[14]

In 1941, he beat Oscar Glvez in the Grand Prix Getlio Vargas in Brazil. For the second time, Fangio was crowned champion of Argentine TC. In 1942, he ended SouthGrand Prix in tenth place in accordance with the general classification. In April he won the race "Mar y Sierras" and had to suspend the mechanical activity dueto the start of World War II.[13]

In 1946, after a brief period of inactivity, Fangio returned to racing with tworaces in Morn and Tandil driving a Ford T. In February 1947, Fangio competed at National Mechanics (MN) in the circuit Retirement, and on the 1st of March, he started the race for Rosario City Award. Subsequently, Fangio triumphed in the circuit 'Double Back Window' Race.[15]