Mario Andretti is an Italian-American former racing driver who is one of the most successful Americans in the sport’s history. He has won Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR. He was named United States Driver of the Year in three different decades, and was one of three drivers to have won major races on road, ovals, and dirt tracks within one season. There are also lesser-known facts that have made Mario Andretti who he is today.
After a successful and highly-decorated career, he has amassed fame and fortune due to his winnings and popularity within the racing world. His extreme success has gained him a high net worth during his retirement, leading to his ability to collect numerous sports cars and luxury vehicles for his own personal troupe. Not only was Mario extremely notable in racing, but his son, Michael, is talented and owns a respectable car collection as well.
Let’s see Mario Andretti’s real net worth and the vehicles he chooses to drive.
Mario Andretti's Net Worth
Mario Andretti’s reported net worth in 2020 is a whopping $120 million. While he was still a full-time racer, he earned substantial prize money from the various races he won and participated in. After he left racing, he owned businesses and became an electric entrepreneur.
Mario Andretti Was Born To Race
Mario was born to race. He first competed in a youth racing league in Ancona, Italy when he was just 13 years old. After emigrating to America, he began to work on cars and racing them at the local oval dirt tracks near their home. Fixing and racing stock cars spurred his racing career, after he won 46 races in 1960 and 1961.
After his humble beginnings, the rest is history. During his Formula One career, he entered 131 times - and won 12 of those. He was on the podium 19 times, amassing 180 career points. His 24 Hours of Le Mans career spanned sporadically from 1966-2000, and he obtained his best finish of 2nd place in 1995.
Post-Racing Life
After he retired from full-time racing, he made numerous speaking engagements for various sponsors that have helped him throughout his career. He owns a chain of gasoline stations, test drives cars for Car and Driver magazine, and is an ambassador for the Circuit of the Americas.
Retirement? I don't think so
Part of his success and wealth comes in part due to his late retirement and determination to stay in the sport. During his career, he raced every model of a car - stocks, sports cars, and single-seaters. He was the first person to complete the trifecta of racing.
After turning 50, he continued to race. He decided to hang up his suit when he was 53 years old, thinking of what he was going to do next. Although he had made over $11 million on the track and made extra for speaking engagements and endorsements, he needed to figure out a way to obtain some more finances to continue his lifestyle and live comfortably.
Mario Andretti, The Entrepreneur
His business manager, John Caponigro, encouraged Mario to partner with a former Texaco marketing executive to create his chain of gasoline companies, making them a wholesale fuel distributor. The company today owns 37 gas stations in Northern California.
In addition to the gas stations gaining his financial stability, his other passion besides racing can be considered wine. He and a friend bought a Napa Valley vineyard and turned it around, with it now distributing over 30,000 cases per year.
Lastly, in addition to wine and gas station enterprise, he still is a part of many online and TV gigs, appearing as himself in movies and television commercials. Although he is considered in retirement age by some, he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
What Mario Andretti Drives Today
Mario can still be found at the race track, giving 200-mile-per-hour spins to tourists who want a ride with one of the most famous drivers of all time. Although his personal collection is fairly quiet, he did have a 1984 Lamborghini Countach S in his arsenal.
What Is A Lamborghini Countach?
The Lamborghini is a 371-horsepower and 5-liter S model. It was purchased by Andretti in 1984, and is one of just 321 built-in histories. The early carbureted Countach has a distinctive sound and feel that is different from more modern fuel-injected cars. The red outer body combined with the interior tan is an attractive color scheme. The original red paint was able to bring light to the pinstripe involving Mario Andretti’s signature logo. The exterior rearview mirrors also have the Andretti logo, for full personalization of the vehicle.
Lamborghini Aventador S
The Lamborghini Aventador S replaced the Lamborghini Aventador in 2016. Revealed in late 2016, this car has an update to the original Aventador with some mechanical and exterior-body changes. The exterior was designed by Mitja Borket, Lamborghini’s head of design. The 6.5-liter engine produces 740 PS at 8,400 RPM. The performance is virtually the same as the original Aventador.
The S has four-wheel steering, 4WD, and a renovated suspension. The LDVA has four programs that you can select based on what surface you’re driving on. The nose now contains a bigger front splitter and two air ducts in the front bumper.
2009 Corvette ZR1
The ZR1 is the high-performance version of the Z06. Engine levels are between 600-700 horsepower, and the engine contains a displacement greater than the 7.0-liter in the Z06. The supercharged V8 engine contains a power output of 638 hp at 6,500 RPM. The ZR1 can reach top speeds of 192 miles per hour.
Carbon fiber is used on the roof, hood, front splitter, rocker moldings, and the fenders. Polycarbonate windows are featured in the center of the hood, and the wheels are the largest used on a production Corvette.
There you have it - the ways Mario Andretti became a legend in the racing circuit, how he amassed his fortune, and the type of car he drives today.