Andy Granatelli
A flamboyant showman who brought turbocharged innovation and corporate savvy to the brutal world of Indianapolis 500 racing.
1923–2013 (age 90)·American racing driver·Birthday: March 18·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Andy Granatelli was a force of nature in a STP cap, a Chicago mechanic's son who turned a passion for speed into a racing empire. He first stormed the Brickyard with monstrous, front-wheel-drive Novis that sounded like banshees but often broke hearts. Unwilling to accept defeat, he pivoted from driver to master promoter and technological insurgent. His partnership with the STP oil treatment company became legendary, funding audacious engineering quests. Granatelli's true masterpiece was luring automotive geniuses like the brothers at Lotus and a young Colin Chapman to Indy, introducing the rear-engine revolution to American oval racing. His emotional, tear-streaked face in victory lane after Mario Andretti finally won for him in 1969 is an indelible image of a man who willed his way to the top through a blend of hustle, vision, and sheer theatrical persistence.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Andy was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Died at 90
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- As owner of the STP-sponsored team, he won the Indianapolis 500 twice, with Graham Hill in 1966 and Mario Andretti in 1969.
- He introduced the revolutionary rear-engine Lotus-Ford to the Indianapolis 500, changing the technical future of the race.
- He set numerous world land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats with turbine-powered cars.
- Transformed STP from a small oil additive company into a household name through massive racing sponsorship.
Did You Know?
He and his brothers, Joe and Vince, started by running a 'fix-it' shop for cars in a Chicago garage.
He attempted to race at Indy as a driver but never qualified; his greatest impact came as an owner and innovator.
The massive 1967 STP-Paxton Turbocar he entered, driven by Parnelli Jones, dominated the Indy 500 until a bearing failed with just three laps left.
He was known for his distinctive look, often wearing a blue STP blazer and a cap.
“Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.”
