Mille Miglia, 2006 - Part I

Photos by Alessandro Gerelli

Every year our Italian correspondent, Alessandro Gerelli, takes us to the staging area of the Mille Miglia Retro in Brescia. This year he has photographed a prodigious list of cars, concentrating on those raced from 1947 to 1957.

Given this wealth of material, we decided to present the images in order of year. A couple of caveats: 1) some of the cars entered in the retro event did not actually participate in the original Mille Miglia, but similar models did. 2) The year of the car as listed may not strictly correspond to our article--again, similar models would have participated in the year as described. This week we'll cover 1947 to 1952; next week, 1953-1957.

Lastly, we could not have provided the information below without the help of
"La Sport e i suoi artigiani 1937-1965" .

1947
Entrants were to learn the viability of the Bailey Bridge, a temporary floating structure which spanned many of Italy’s rivers. Still suffering from massive damage from WWII bombings, gas and tires were still rationed. But Italy was eager to get back to racing in the streets and highways over the peninsula.

This 1947-48 Nardi-Danese was originally equipped with the same 1500cc Fiat based engine that was used in Enzo Ferrari's 815 of 1940. An example of "siluro" coachwork, and driven by the team of Masini/Masini in this year's event.

To help ensure participation, Shell offered free gas to all entrants, and Pirelli offered free tires. Over 265 would-be race drivers entered the event. 110 did not start, but kept the gas and tires, a demonstration of "street smart" in its purest form.

A 1947 Alfa Romeo 2500 SS Touring, seemingly more French in style than Italian, contrasts sharply with the stark Nardi Danese.

It seemed like every garage owner in the country had cobbled up a special 750 cc Fiat to race in the first post-war Mille Miglia. Larger Fiats of the 1100 variety abounded, and the new streamlined version did particularly well. Only one Ferrari was entered (along with the pre-war 815) and it did not last the distance. Alfa Romeo would win its last Mille Miglia. Clemente Biondetti, who would win the event four times, borrowed a privately entered 8C2900 Touring coupe to win his second Mille Miglia.

Although listed as a 1949 model, this Cisitalia MM is virtually identical to the one driven by Tazio Nuvolari to second place in the 1947 Mille Miglia.

But the real story was the ailing Tazio Nuvolari and the Cisitalia. Created by Piero Dusio and designed by Dante Giacosa and Giovanni Savonuzzi, the Cisitalia, though using only a 60hp Fiat 1100 cc engine, represented the latest word in sports racing cars. Driving the Cisitalia, his head bent to the side to inhale fresh air, Nuvolari nearly won the event, coming in a close second to the much more powerful Alfa.

The Mille Miglia had begun anew, and would continue to excite and inspire all who love motorsport for the next ten years.

1948
"Siluros" were now all the rage, as they were easy to build and lightweight. Siluros, meaning "torpedo", were also popular with the larger cars such as Ferrari, Maseratis and Oscas, for by removing the fenders the cars could enter Formula events as well.

Stanguellini's early cars were very competitive with the new Tipo 125 Ferraris and 1500cc Maseratis. This attractive "siluro" was driven by the team of Lorenzoni and Bresi of Italy in 2006.

At the same time, styles were rapidly evolving around the Pininfarina Cisitalia 202 mold, in both open and closed configurations. Allemano bodied a 166 Ferrari with a slightly ungainly coupe ---and it won the event, underscoring the end of the Alfa era and the beginning of a long string of Ferrari victories. Again, Biondetti drove the winning car. It was another near miss for the great Nuvolari, whose Ferrari 166--in torpedo form--retired within sight of the finish.

In 1948, a mechanic named Placido Prete built this special from Maserati chassis parts and an Alfa 6C2300 engine, naming it "AMP", for Alfa, Maserati and Prete. Entered by the team of Tomasoni and Morandi.

1949
Biondetti won his fourth and final Mille Miglia with a Touring bodied Ferrari 166. The day of the barchetta had dawned, but the torpedo shape would remain popular for several more years.

Not Biondetti's car, but a Ferrari similar to this 166 MM won the 1949 Mille Miglia. Biondetti achieved his fourth and last victory in the Mille Miglia with the Touring barchetta. Biondetti would die of cancer a few years later.

A more international cast was evident as BMW, Frazer Nash, and Healey's were scattered throughout the entry list. To no avail, however, as Italians still dominated every class.

Not all small sports racers sported "siluro" bodywork. This stunning 1947 Fiat Volpini was built by Colli Coachworks of Milan. The Fiat engine was modified with a Roselli head.

It was also the first year car numbers were assigned by the clock, making their relative race position easier to determine.

1950
Gainnino Marzotto, whose fortune was made in textiles, fittingly wore a three piece business suit while driving a Ferrari 166MM Coupe to victory.

Touring's coupe version of the Ferrari barchetta allowed Marzotto to drive in comfort as he won the 1950 Mille Miglia. All of the Marzotto brothers were rich, elegant, and very good race drivers.

This, for some reason, made big news, but coupes had previously won the Mille Miglia on several occasions. An OSCA, driven by pre-war ace Luigi Fagioli made its first appearance and won the 1100 cc class and finished an amazing 7th overall.

The first OSCAs were all "siluros" and many also competed in Formula Two events, sans fenders. This is a 1950-51 1100cc MT4 entered by Marchesi and Marchesi of Italy.

The team of Diaz/Luna brought this 1950 Cisitalia 202 Pininfarina coupe from Argentina. The post-war Mille Miglia provided great stage for presenting the finest examples of Italian design to the world.

Another "siluro" survivor is the Bottega. Giovanni Bottega learned his trade working on Bugattis and after the war turned his attention to the Fiat 1100. Now in the hands of Vargiu and Gallinari of Italy.

1951
For the third year a Ferrari coupe won the race, this time a Vignale 340 driven by Luigi Villoresi, but victory was overshadowed by a young Giovanni Bracco, driving a Lancia Aurelia GT coupe to second overall, only 20 minutes behind the thundering 4.1 liter Ferrari.

Entry list has this as a 1951, but the 300BC 750 Siata was introduced at the Geneva show of 1952. Regardless, it offered beautiful Bertone bodywork and a choice of either the 750 Fiat based engine or the SOHC 750 cc Crosley and imported to the U.S. by Tony Pompeo.

Fagioli repeated his win with the OSCA, this time placing 8th overall. By this time, the Mille Miglia was considered a world class event, and manufacturers from all parts of Europe wanted a part of the action.

Stanga soon got on the barchetta bandwagon with this 750 sports racer. Entered by the Stanga family, who still participate with their vintage cars in many Italian events.

1952
Mercedes Benz appeared in force. Mercedes was the only non-Italian car to ever win the Mille Miglia, once in 1931, and again in 1955.(BMW won an abbreviated event in 1940). A brilliant effort by Giovanni Bracco in a Vignale Ferrari coupe foiled the German team from winning in 1952.

Pasquino Ermini was a prolific constructor of a variety of specials up to 1962. This model used a Fiat 1100 engine, and another example of the rapid change to the barchetta body style.

Giulio Cabianca took a newly styled barchetta OSCA to the 1100 cc class win. Competition was becoming more fierce. In addition to the 300SLs, Porsche entered the race for the first time and won the 1500cc Grand Touring category. It was also the beginning of the end for the famous garage built "etceterinis". The French team of Redele-Pons won the 750 Sports category with a Renault, and the 750 International Sports category was won by a Dyna Panhard.

Read more in Part II of the Mille Miglia.

Surprisingly, Maserati was a little slow to adopt the envelope body. But this A6GCS, designed by Guglielmo Carraroli, became a true classic. Only ten were built with this flared fender. By 1953, sports regulations barred the use of cycle wings.

With the Ferrari 212, Vignale was at his peak, creating this crisp, clean barchetta in both coupe and spider configurations.

Built for Scuderia Guastalla, this 225 Export Ferrari was raced at the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix and placed third, driven by the hero of the Mille Miglia, Clemente Biondetti. It was later rebodied as a normal Vignale spider, and recently restored to this configuration.