[Dennis David]

Stirling Moss called it the finest road race of them all. This unyielding 1,000-mile challenge through the Italian Countryside, sometimes literally, ran from 1927 through 1957. Playing host to greats such as Caracciola, Nuvolari, Varzi and Moss. Who did battle driving the cars from Mercedes, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and of course Ferrari. Where a Grand Prix cars with mudguards raced on the same roads, as would be aces in their Fiat Topolinos. A uniquely Italian affair that lives in legend and reenactment.

Come and join SlotForum in association with Grand Prix History to relive those days which Piero Taruffi called "the proudest moment in my life."

The Mille Miglia

 

[TSRF]

See you in Brescia next week then, Dennis?

 

[Guest]

Me too Dennis, Great idea.

RR

 

[BEEJAY7]

Excellent Dennis...I'm looing forward to this.

Regards

Alan

 

[Eno Dog]

I love this type of stuff. Thanks for taking the time to put things like this up.

 

[howmet tx]

Very exciting- Thanks very much, Mr D.!

 

[pault86]

Boy, have you hit a nerve. I'm the guy who would not buy Carrera's Mercedes 300 until I found out if the figure of Denis Jenkinson (Moss's codriver) had been modeled with a beard. I know that's Emilio Giletti sitting in the cockpit of Carrera's #525 Maserati A6GCS, from the 1953 race, and Ron Flockart in the Ecurie Ecosse D-type, from 57 .

Above my layout is a painting of Moss and Jenkinson, battling it out with an A6GCS in 55, along with a repro poster from the 53 race that shows the course.

I've bought all the Carrera MM cars and some from MMK. I knew about the Mille Miglia before I learned algebra.

And I live in the states, have only spent about two weeks in Italy, and was a day shy of 4 months old when the last Mille Miglia was run.

Thanks so much for this work in progress. Please stick with it and finish it up. I hope the slot car manufacturers take note that we slot car racers are, at heart, true motorsports enthusiasts who appreciate the history of the sport and love those old cars enough to spend our money on them!

Thanks again!
Paul

 

[McLaren]

What's going on?

 

[astro]

would like to echo mclarens query - whats going on??? And does it require digital, to enable the recreation of QUOTE Their drivers were still driving on the left side of the road while in town and on the right side while in the country,?

 

[Dennis David]

If you have ever driven on Italian roads you wouldn't be asking that question.

I had the pleasure of visiting Brescia a couple of years back and did battle on some of the very roads of the Mille Miglia. My competition you ask? … lorries, Vespas and one seater pickup trucks and trust me they have no concept of lanes over there.

 

[McLaren]

I'm still lost...

 

[Dennis David]

Ok,

This thread is basically to announce a new series of articles I am writing on the Mille Miglia that will include reports on each race plus articles on the major cars and drivers that took part in the finest road race of them all.

Take a look here

 

[TSRF]

QUOTE Above my layout is a painting of Moss and Jenkinson, battling it out with an A6GCS in 55...

You mean, lapping it for the second time?

 

[astro]

sounds great Dennis David! Up till now, I was under the impression someone was going to build a 1:32 mille miglia, hold a proxy race or else go to italy and street race 1:1

 

[Doug]

Nobody said anything about building, racing or going there

Perhaps if you had known what Dennis does or had seen some of his previous work it would be more clear from the start.

Dennis is a Historian, writer, expert on Grand Prix history and collector of fine things - slot cars and replica models amongst others.

 

[Fergy]

True Nuro, but I was kinda hoping we'd sucker Astro into building a 1:32 Mille Miglia replica and hosting a proxy race!

Seriously, yes, I too look forward to what Dennis compiles on the Mille Miglia. Fascinating stuff, and he puts words down sooo well!

 

[TSRF]

OK, who is the wise one who will tell us what kind of car is Moss sitting in under the rain, and this without researching it? Be honest, no looksee at old docs...

It is a.....

 

[speedyweenie]

Well, at the risk of extreme embarrassment, with those louvers it MIGHT be a C Jag. Didn't he drive one of those before hitting fame and fortune with Jenks in '55? No idea how he finished.

mp

 

[BEEJAY7]

Ummmm....an HVM?........although it does look like an early Jag.

Regards

Alan

 

[pault86]

RacerDude,

No, Moss was not lapping the Maserati for the second time. The Mille Miglia - which means "1000 Miles" in Italian - was a one lap race around all of Italy run on "normal Italian roads, passing through villages, towns, and cities, along dead-straight coastal roads and crossing mountain passes, every imaginable type of road being covered by the route, which must surely constitute the toughest racing circuit in the world on which to drive a near-Grand-Prix car." (Motor Sport June, 55)

The race started and ended in the town of Brescia in northern Italy. The course first ran south along Italy's Adriatic coast, crossed the boot to Rome, and then followed the west side of the Appenine mountains.

The Maseratis were surprisingly competitive. Moss's 300 SLR, like those of his teammates, Fangio, Kling, and Herrmann, were essentially Mercedes W196 Grand Prix cars with 3 litre engines. Nevertheless, the 2 litre A6Gs placed 4th, 9th, and 12th.

You're right about Moss, though, he was ahead of 2nd place Fangio by more than a half an hour at the finish, becoming the first British driver to win the MM and breaking the speed record by 10 mph. 521 cars started the race!

Paul