Next Monday, the “greatest race car driver of the 20th century,” Mario Andretti, plans to travel down Fifth Avenue from 76th Street to 44th Street at the pokey pace of half a mile an hour.

Mr. Andretti was introduced in Grand Central Terminal yesterday as grand marshal of the 60th Annual Columbus Day parade. The president of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, Lawrence Auriana, praised him as a “passionate person in the pursuit of excellence, which is what the Italians are all about.”

At yesterday’s event at Vanderbilt Hall, four racing cars, which Mr. Andretti fondly referred to as his “past toys,” were showcased. The cars included the Gapco United States Auto Club car in which Mr. Andretti earned his first major USAC title, in 1964. Two parked Lamborghinis and four MV Agusta motorcycles caught the attention of people passing by. To transport the vehicles into the terminal, employees laid down 800 feet of plywood and rolled the cars in from Lexington Avenue overnight Monday. The exhibition is open to the public through Friday.

Mr. Auriana called Mr. Andretti, who was born in Italy in 1940 and came to America when he was 10, the “American dream come true.” In a career spanning five decades, he became the only driver to win the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula One World Championship, before retiring in 1993. He remains connected to the racing world through his son Michael and grandson Marco, who both followed in his footsteps. Mr. Andretti currently spends most of his time pursuing business interests, including a winery in Napa Valley and Andretti gas stations in the San Francisco Bay area. “There is life after the cockpit,” he said.