A Symphony of Speed
Contents
? I Know a Man Who Can
?Mille Miglia: A Little History
?Mille Miglia: The Drivers
I Know a Man Who Can
As I am sure my readers know, I draw immense pleasure from writing about iconic motor cars and the stories that go with them.
My function is writing, not transacting Private Sales of these wonderful motor cars.
That is the job of the specialist.
Inevitably, I get asked if certain motor cars or build slots are available, and the short answer is that I don't know!
But I know a man that does.
Fisherley is about information and introductions, and I am always pleased to broaden my readers' network by introducing them to someone from my network.
Please feel free to contact me.
Racing through History
The Mille Miglia is a testament to human ingenuity and the thrill of speed.
The last official Mille Miglia race occurred in 1957 due to safety concerns; in 1977, it was revived as a historic re-enactment.
The Mille Miglia ran 13 times before the war and 11 times more after 1947 before its demise in 1957.
In the initial years, only Italians participated.
Baroness Avanzo and the actresses Mimi Alymer and Eugenia Spandon, female drivers, balanced the lack of foreign entrants.
Out of the 24 original Mille Miglia races held till 1957, only non-Italians won two.
The race is approximately 1,000 miles long, started and finished in Brescia; the locals are said to have petrol running through their veins, not blood.
It is a journey of endurance and triumph.
Cancelling the Mille Miglia marked the end of an era for open-road endurance racing in Italy.
Safety concerns, coupled with the tragic accident in 1957, led to the demise of one of the most legendary motorsport events in history.
In 1957, two incidents rang the death knell for the race.
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The first was the crash of a 4.2 litre Ferrari 335 S that took the lives of Spanish driver Alfonso de Portago, his co-driver/navigator Edmund Nelson, and nine spectators at the village of Guidizzolo.
The second car crash, in Brescia, took the life of Joseph Gottgens, who was driving a Triumph TR3.
Spectators were at an equal risk as the driver.
Through the years, many mishaps happened in Mille Miglia.
The race was briefly stopped by Benito Mussolini after an accident in 1938 killed ten spectators, including seven children, and seriously injured 23 others.
The Drivers
'If you're not sweating, swearing, or smiling, you're not driving the Mille Miglia'
Piero Taruffi, aka Piero the Silver Fox, named due to his premature mane of grey hair, won the last race in 1957.
Taruffi was known for his versatility as a racing driver; he competed as a rally, endurance, and F1 driver.
He drove for numerous teams, including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz.
Although remembered for winning the last Mille Miglia, he also set numerous speed records.
For example, when driving a Ferrari, he set a record for the Flying Kilometre at 231 mph at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
Taruffi was also an author and scholar, writing 'The Technique of Motor Racing, ' which is still considered a respected resource.
In 1931, Rudolph Carraciola drove a heavy Mercedes Benz SSKL to set a new record of 16 hours and 10 minutes.
It is thought that this particular 'foreign' driver was responsible for the Mille Miglia ceasing to be an 'Italian-only event'.
The only other 'foreign' driver to win the Mille Miglia was Stirling Moss, covering the 992 miles in 10 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds, averaging a speed of 99 mph.
Without a navigator and only his passenger, Denis Jenkinson, who attached a 'homemade' paper scroll to the dashboard.
This incredible record has never been beaten.
One of the greatest race drivers, Tazio Nuvolari, in 1930, switched off his headlights in the dead of night, overtook the unaware race favourite and won the Mille Miglia.
Tazio told a friend, 'Driving in the Mille Miglia was like drinking an exotic cocktail.
'You might not be able to name all the ingredients, but once you have sampled it, you could never forget the taste.'
Legends are born in the Mille Miglia, and the cars become heroes.
A thousand miles of pure adrenaline, the Mille Miglia is a test of man and machine like no other.
More than a race, the Mille Miglia celebrates automotive history and the pursuit of excellence.