PEOPLE of PASSION; Meet some of the characters who have shaped 50 years of automotive history.

Heroes and scallywags, ringmasters and vision-aries, industry barons and fearless scribesit took all types to direct the course of automobile history over the past 50 years. From their feats of bravura on the great racing circuits to quiet moments of discovery in the humblest of garages, it's because of them that the cars we know and love today are here.

Some of their names are more recognizable than others, and their personalities and reputations are as varied as the cars they penned, built, hawked and raced. The more colorful characters stand out, while some managed to maintain a degree of obscurity despite the greatness of their contributions to the world of the automobile. All, however, shared an undeniable passion for the four-wheeled contrivances that have filled these pages, week in and week out, for half a century.

GIANNI AGNELLI (March 12, 1921-Jan. 24, 2003). Agnelli likely could have made a mark in any number of industries, but when he became Fiat's president in 1966, those who knew the ambitious Italian had little doubt that he would take that family business and run with it. Training as an attorney came in handy as he oversaw Fiat's multiple ordeals, from labor problems to international expansion to a bribery scandal. He was also known for his love of fashion, football, politics and movie actresses. Agnelli stepped down as head of the company in 1996.

MARIO ANDRETTI (Feb. 28, 1940- ): Andretti is arguably the bestand certainly the most versatiledriver of all time, with four Indy-car championships, a Formula One title and an IROC title. He won in everything he raced, from sprint cars to sports cars, and is the only driver ever to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the F1 crown.

ZORA ARKUS-DUNTOV (Dec. 25, 1909-April 21, 1996): He's been called the father of the Corvette, though the car had already debuted in New York by the time he joined General Motors in 1953. In his more than two decades at GM, Arkus-Duntov championed the model and made it a genuine performance car. After he retired, frequent appearances at Corvette shows cemented his legacy.

DEREK BELL

(Oct. 31, 1941- ): Bell made nine F1 starts, including stints with Ferrari and McLaren, but he found stardom in international sports-car competition, where he won five 24 Hours of Le Mans events, two World Sports Car titles and three 24 Hours of Daytona races. The charming Englishman went on to do commentary on F1 broadcasts.