Pygmy - Fire at the lake

The peaceful lakeside city of Annecy was the scene of an unusual adventure guided by the fire of passion. Or how an Italian emigrant tinkering with single-seaters for his children managed to build an F2 for the French number 1 at the time, Jean-Pierre Beltoise.

Published on 16/04/2022 à 17:00

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In 1970, Jean-Pierre Beltoise demonstrated the competitiveness of the Pygmy © DPPI

The story of Pygmée is intertwined with that of Marius Dal Bo. Of Italian origin, he was born in 1914 in the Venice region and emigrated to France at the age of fourteen. In 1936, this high-level cyclist set up a heating and sanitation company in Annecy (Haute-Savoie). This aviation enthusiast began building his first car with a 125 motorcycle engine. It is so small that he calls it Pygmy. Being of the astrological sign of Pisces, Marius chose the seahorse as his emblem. Several Pygmées will be built throughout the 50s, as well as Midgets and a Formula Junior in 1958. This will be destroyed by Patrick, Marius' young son: “ I drove all these cars on the road, the latter confided to us a few years ago. We weren't too bothered at the time. »