Began his racing career as a mechanic, but soon also became a racing driver. He didn't particularly achieve too many notable results prior to World War Two and it was only after the war as a team owner that he tasted success. With his Scuderia Enrico Plate team set up, he ran Maserati cars for the likes of Bira, Schell, de Graffenried, and most notably, Tazio Nuvolari, who won his last Grand Prix, at Albi, in 1946, in a Plate car. 3 more main wins followed - Christian Kautz, Nello Pagani and Toulo de Graffenried winning - the latter was the 1949 British Grand Prix. Sadly though Kautz would die in a Plate car, and when the World Championship started, Plate was not generally a front-runner any more. He died, in tragic circumstances at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix, when Jorge Daponte, trying to pit, had a wheel lock up. Daponte, heading towards the wall, swerved right, careered out into the centre of the track and then over-corrected. This caused him to spins backwards into the pit lane area, where his right rear wheel struck down Plate, who reputedly had his back to the action, watching his racing car at another part of the track.

Biography last updated 10 Jul 2018