Bartolomeo Costantini
Bartolomeo "Meo" Costantini (February 14, 1889 in Vittorio Veneto - July 19, 1941 in Milano) was an italian aviator and racing car driver, known for being the sporting manager of the Bugatti car manufacturer.
He joined the Italo-Turkish War (1911) and became known
in World War I, where capitano Costantini became a flying ace with six victories flying a Spad S.VII in the Squadriglia degli Assi, part of the Corpo Aeronautico Militare.
Costantini was a racing driver in the Aquila Italiana team (1914-17). He joined Bugatti (1923) and won two Targa Florio in a Bugatti Type 35 (1925-26), won the Circuito Lasarte (1926), and in chassis #4802 of Type 39, got second in French GP (1926). "Meo" manages to be repeated the following year by dominating the 17th Targa Florio in 1926, race marred by the death of Masetti, this event that will take him to the abandonment of racing as a driver to devote full time management of team Bugatti, in which three other wins at Targa Florio (1927,1928,1929). He remained racing team manager until 1935, than replaced by Jean Bugatti.
