Fangio and Andreina Berruet at a cafe near Monza in 1957. Photo courtesy of the Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Inc.
Juan Manuel Fangio accomplished a great many things in this life. Before his passing almost exactly 20 years ago (July 17, 1995), Fangio could lay claim to many Formula 1 records, including the most championships (five; a record broken in 2003 when Michael Schumacher claimed his sixth of seven titles), the highest winning percentage—a ludicrous 46.15-percent, titles with four different manufacturers and a post-race career as an ambassador for motorsports, and also as the boss for Mercedes-Benz of Argentina as well as his own dealership.
But one thing Fangio never did was marry, nor did he recognize any children. However, that childless legacy of Fangio may change in the coming weeks.
Berruet and Fangio sharing a smile after Fangio’s win at Rouen in 1957. Photo courtesy of the Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Inc.
After a man came forward claiming to be Fangio’s son, an Argentine judge has ordered that Fangio’s body be exhumed on August 7 in order to perform a DNA test to confirm or refute paternity. Oscar Cesar Espinoza, the son of Andreina “Beba” Berruet, with whom Fangio had a long relationship in the Fifties, filed a lawsuit in the court of Mar del Plata, Argentina, making the claim of being the rightful heir of Fangio.
Fangio and Berruet were so close that she was sometimes known on the F1 circuit as “Mrs. Fangio,” despite there never being a marriage. Fangio, who was very discreet about his personal life, also likely had other girlfriends at the time, a situation which was known to raise Berruet’s ire on occasion. Berruet was a regular at many events throughout the circuit, greeting Fangio often enough when he won—which was fairly often.
Berruet assisting with timing on the pit wall with the Maserati team at Monza in 1957. Photo courtesy of the Revs Institute for Automotive Research, Inc.
Espinoza first made his claim public in 2000 and, it seems, he is not the only one suggesting he is the child of Fangio, as another claimant came forward (link in Spanish) in 2009, though we were unable to find out how that situation turned out.
While it may seem strange for a descendent to come forward so many years later—Espinoza would have to be at least 55, in this modern world when Fred Astaire can appear in commercials selling vacuum cleaners, James Dean selling jeans or Albert Einstein selling just about everything else, then perhaps the licensing of Fangio’s image may be worth something, not to mention the assets he left when he passed away 20 years ago.
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