Giovanni Galli was the son of a wealthy textile merchant, who began racing at the comparatively late age of 24. He had sensed that his family would be opposed to his early racing activities, and ran under the pseudonym 'Nanni', which stuck. He bought a Mini-Cooper with which he entered the 1965 Italian touring car championship and proceeded to take ten class wins in ten starts, before moving on to an Alfa Romeo GTA.

    Galli began to forge a reputation in sports car racing in the factory Alfa Romeo T33 in 1967, though he had to wait until the following season for success, winning the Circuit of Mugello (with Bianchi and Vaccarella), and finishing second in both the Targa Florio and the Imola 500 Km (both with Giunti). He was to be a mainstay of the Autodelta sports car programme right through until 1972, with many placings in the top six.

    In tandem with his long-distance activities, Galli moved into single-seaters, initially with Tecno in Formula 2. He then graduated to Grand Prix racing via an Alfa Romeo engine-supply deal, first at Monza in 1970 with McLaren, and then with March in 1971. For 1972, he became involved in the well-funded but unsuccessful Tecno F1 project, his best result being a third place in the poorly supported GP of the Italian Republic at Vallelunga. With Clay Regazzoni indisposed, Galli was invited to represent Ferrari in the French GP, but could finish no better than 13th.

    For 1973, 'Nanni' joined Frank Williams to race his new Iso car, but after a handful of disappointing outings, he quit the team and announced his retirement, although he was to return briefly in 1974 at the wheel of a works Abarth sports car.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000