# 1953 Mille Miglia

The 1953 Mille Miglia, was the second round of the 1953 F.I.A. World Sportscar Championship and was held on the open-road of Italy, on 26 April 1953. The route was based on a round trip between Brescia and Rome, with start/finish, in Brescia.
A total of 577 cars were entered 1953 running of the Mille Miglia, across eight classes based on engine sizes, ranging from up to 750 cc to over 2.0 litre, for both Touring Cars and Sport Cars. Of these, 490 cars started the event. The smaller displacement, slower cars started first, with each car number related to their allocated start time. For example Juan-Manuel Fangio’s car had the number 602, he left Brescia at 6:02 am, while the first cars had started late in the evening on the previous day.

## Report
### Entry

The works S. P. A. Alfa Romeo entered in force with three new cars, the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 Competizione Maggiorata to be driven by Fangio, Karl Kling, and Consalvo Sanesi. Scuderia Lancia had assembled a veteran team, consisting of Piero Taruffi, four-time winner Clemente Biondetti, Umberto Maglioli, Felice Bonetto and Franco Bornigia with the first four driving their D20 2900. Ferrari for their part arrived with four 300 bhp 4.1 litre, Ferrari 340 MM Spyder Vignale for Luigi Villoresi, Giuseppe Farina, Giannino Marzotto and the American racer Tom Cole. For 1953, the Mille Miglia was a round of the new World Sports Car Championship, the home teams faced strong challengers. From Great Britain, came Aston Martin and Jaguar, and France sent Gordini.

### Race

The race started at 22:01 on 25 April, when P.J. Darquier departed Brescia in his Renault 4CV/1063. The faster car would leave the following morning, when conditions were warm and dry. After nine and half hours, all the cars were on their way to Rome.
The Alfas took the early lead, with Sanesi controlling the pace, averaging 113 mph, on the leg to Verona, but his drive ended with an accident on the road to Rome. The Ferrari of Farina had crashed out, and Kling assumed the lead, only to retire from an accident himself.
Just past Siena, Marzotto remembered that the Ferrari mechanics did not change his engine oil at the last control point, as they were unable to open the bonnet. After making a U-turn, he raced back to Siena, where his mechanics cut a hole in the bonnet, directly over the engines oil filler cap, and topped the oil up accordingly. Meanwhile, Fangio’s Alfa was now leading, but surrender to the chasing Marzotto when his steering started to play up along with fading brakes. When Marzotto got to Bologna, he had broken the 15-year old record for crossing the Futa Pass. Although Marzotto suffered two minor crashes, he took it all the way to Brescia, to win his second Mille Miglia, repeating his success of 1950. In second place with a remarkable drive was Fangio. For most of the return leg, his Alfa had effective steering on one front wheel.
Marzotto, partner by his navigator, Marco Crosara, won in a time of 10hr 37:19mins., averaging a speed of 88.96 mph. 11:44mins adrift in second place was Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM of Fangio. The third different car on the podium was the Lancia of Bonetto. Another Ferrari came home in fourth, driven by Cole. The top Aston Martin was fifth in the hands of Reg Parnell. Apart from Aston Martin’s fifth place, the other foreign challenges faded away. Belgian journalist, Paul Frère won the unlimited touring class in an unlikely 5.3-litre Chrysler Saratoga saloon.
The race had dramatic farce. Film director, Roberto Rossellini drove a Ferrari. Having recently married film star Ingrid Bergman, he raced against her wishes. At Rome, she flung herself across the car and refused to move until he agreed to withdraw.
Typical of the Mille Miglia, the event was marred by fatal accidents. The first was one which cost the French navigator, Pierre-Gilbert Ugnon his life when his driver Luc Descollanges crashed his Jaguar C-Type near Ferrara about 140 miles (224 km) into their race. Descollanges was badly injured and was unconscious for 3 days but managed to make a full recovery. 2 spectators were also killed in the race- 48-year old Auerlio Turci was killed after he was hit by a Porsche 356 being driven by Juan Iturralde and future FIA president Paul Metternich in a suburb of Cesena near Rimini and San Marino 220 miles (352 km) into the route. Several spectators standing with Turci were also injured by the crashing Porsche. And in Ancona, 70 miles further down the Adriatic coast a 12 year old boy was killed after a Fiat 1100 also crashed into a group of spectators.

## Classification
### Mille Miglia

Of the 490 starters, 283 were classified as finishers. Therefore, only a selection of notably racers has been listed below.
Class Winners are in Bold text.
| Pos. | No. | Class | Driver | Navigator | Entrant | Car - Engine | Time | Reason Out |
| 1st | 547 | S+2.0 | Giannino Marzotto | Marco Crosara | | Ferrari 340 MM Vignale | 10hr 37:19 | |
| 2nd | 602 | S+2.0 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Giulio Sala | S. P. A. Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM | 10hr 49:03 | |
| 3rd | 606 | S+2.0 | Felice Bonetto | U Peruzzi | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 Pinin Farina | 11hr 07:40 | |
| 4th | 608 | S+2.0 | Tom Cole | Mario Vandelli | | Ferrari 340 MM Vignale | 11hr 20:39 | |
| 5th | 611 | S+2.0 | Reg Parnell | Louis Klemantaski | Aston Martin Lagonda | Aston Martin DB3 | 11hr 32:43 | |
| 6th | 525 | S2.0 | Emilio Giletti | Guerino Bertocchi | | Maserati A6GCS/53 Fantuzzi | 11hr 38:42 | |
| 7th | 546 | S+2.0 | Enrico Anselmi | Luigi Maggio | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia B20 | 11hr 41:07 | |
| 8th | 616 | S+2.0 | Clemente Biondetti | E. Barovero | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 Pinin Farina | 11hr 49:49 | |
| 9th | 633 | S+2.0 | Giulio Cabianca | Gianfranco Roghi | | Ferrari 250 MM Vignale | 11hr 51:39 | |
| 10th | 512 | S2.0 | Sergio Mantovani | R Palazzi | | Maserati A6GCS/53 Fantuzzi | 11hr 51:56 | |
| 11th | 541 | S+2.0 | Roberto Piodi | B. Militello | | Lancia Aurelia B20 | 12hr 01:39 | |
| 12th | 340 | S1.1 | Bruno Venezian | Achille Albarelli | | O.S.C.A. MT4 1100 | 12hr 04:50 | |
| 13th | 518 | S2.0 | Salvatore Casella | Vinicio Puccini | Franco Bordoni | Gordini T15S | 12hr 05:39 | |
| 14th | 504 | S2.0 | Franco Cortese | P. Feroldi | | Fiat 8V | 12hr 09:19 | |
| 15th | 446 | S2.0 | Enrico Sterzi | O. Rossi | | Ferrari 166 MM Vignale | 12hr 15:49 | |
| 16th | 551 | S+2.0 | Peter Collins | Mike Keen | Aston Martin Lagonda | Aston Martin DB3 | 12hr 22:20 | |
| 17th | 337 | S1.1 | Gaetano Sani | Adone Bianchi | | O.S.C.A. MT4 1100 | 12hr 26:35 | |
| 18th | 506 | S2.0 | Franco Mosters | G. Vitali | | Fiat 8V | 12hr 29:18 | |
| 19th | 526 | S2.0 | Salvatore Leto di Prioli | Massimo Leto di Prioli | | Fiat 8V Zagato | 12hr 30:36 | |
| 20th | 444 | S2.0 | Ovidio Capelli | Orlando Gerli | | Fiat 8V | 12hr 30:49 | |
| 21st | 550 | S+2.0 | Umberto Marzotto | Gino Bronzoni | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia Aurelia B20 | 12hr 32:16 | |
| 22nd | 255 | T2.0 | Luciano Pagliai | Vasco Parducci | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 12hr 34:05 | |
| 23rd | 457 | S2.0 | Sante Montanari | A. Bombardini | | Fiat 8V | 12hr 34:20 | |
| 24th | 447 | S2.0 | Luigi Piotti | Bruno Franzoni | | Ferrari 166 MM Vignale | 12hr 36:21 | |
| 25th | 230 | T2.0 | Antonio Stagnoli | Mario de Giuseppe | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 12hr 37:33 | |
| 26th | 358 | S1.1 | Giuseppe Coriasco | L. Gamerro | | O.S.C.A. MT4 1100 | 12hr 37:53 | |
| 27th | 249 | T2.0 | Ugo Bormioli | O. Marchiori | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 12hr 40:46 | |
| 28th | 252 | T2.0 | Mario Pareschi | Paolo Milanese | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 12hr 46:49 | |
| 29th | 237 | T2.0 | Elio Zagato | Franco Martinego | | Alfa Romeo 1900 | 12hr 47:16 | |
| 30th | 438 | S2.0 | Hans Herrmann | Erwin Bauer | Porsche KG | Porsche 356 1500 Super | 12hr 47:37 | |
| 31st | 222 | T2.0 | Alberto Della Beffa | Olga Della Beffa | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 12hr 50:49 | |
| 41st | 428 | S2.0 | Heinz Schulthess | Peter Kaiser | | Porsche 356 1500 Super | 13hr 09:25 | |
| 58th | 407 | T+2.0 | Paul Frère | André Milhoux | | Chrysler Saratoga | 13hr 38:03 | |
| 78th | 2349 | T1.3 | Guido Mancini | Carlo Mancini | | Fiat 1100/103 | 14hr 05:16 | |
| 84th | 2221 | S750 | R. Touzot | A. Persillon | | DB HBR Panhard | 14hr 15:36 | |
| 100th | 425 | S2.0 | J. Brons | Melvin H. Stickney | | Porsche 356 | 14hr 35:54 | |
| 141st | 005 | T1.3 | Roberto Lippi | P. Ungarelli | | Fiat 1100 | 15hr 04:35 | |
| 151st | 2229 | S750 | Jean Rédélé | Louis Pons | | Renault 4CV/1063 | 15hr 14:51 | |
| 170th | 82 | T750 | Adriano Angelelli | Mario Recchi | | Renault 4CV | 15hr 46:12 | |
| 250th | 2201 | S750 | P. J. Darquier | “Bargary” | | Renault 4CV/1063 | 18hr 04:29 | |
| DNF | 603 | S+2.0 | Karl Kling | Hans Klenk | S. P. A. Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM | 5hr 38:38 | Accident |
| DNF | 609 | S+2.0 | Giovanni Bracco | Alfonso Rolfo | Ferrari Spa | Ferrari 250 MM Pinin Farina | 5hr 50:20 | Differential |
| DNF | 619 | S+2.0 | Umberto Maglioli | “Carnio” | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 Pinin Farina | 5hr 58:30 | DNF |
| DNF | 511 | S2.0 | Luigi Musso | O. Donatelli | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCS/53 Fantuzzi | 6hr 08:45 | Accident |
| DNF | 617 | S+2.0 | Gerino Gerini | Luciano Donazzolo | | Ferrari 212 Export | 6hr 15:23 | DNF |
| DNF | 612 | S+2.0 | George Abecassis | Pat Griffith | Aston Martin Lagonda | Aston Martin DB3 | 6hr 18:28 | Steering, Accident |
| DNF | 322 | T2.0 | Piero Palmieri | Giorgio Pianta | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | 6hr 27:50 | DNF |
| DNF | 544 | S+2.0 | Roberto Rossellini | Aldo Tonti | Roberto Rossellini | Ferrari 250 MM Vignale | 7hr 28:26 | Differential |
| DNF | 532 | S2.0 | Goffredo Zehender | A. de Giuseppe | | Alfa Romeo 1900 C52 | 7hr 53:25 | DNF |
| DNF | 552 | S+2.0 | John Lockett | Mike Read | | Austin-Healey 100 | 8hr 19:54 | DNF |
| DNF | 2241 | S750 | Rinaldo Pravettoni | Dioscoride Lanza | | Moretti 750 | 9hr 21:54 | DNF |
| DNF | 2249 | S750 | Ilario Bandini | Giovanni Sintoni | | Bandini-Crosley | | DNF |
| DNF | 2334 | T1.3 | Alfonso Thiele | Aldo Storzini | | Fiat 1100/103 | | DNF |
| DNF | 101 | T1.3 | Nello Pagani | “Albis” | | Fiat 1100 | | DNF |
| DNF | 141 | T2.0 | Lamberto Dalla Costa | “Velardi” | | Fiat 1400 | | DNF |
| DNF | 220 | T2.0 | Piero Carini | A. Artesiani | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | | DNF |
| DNF | 318 | T2.0 | Bruno Ruffo | E. Mantegazza | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | | DNF |
| DNF | 320 | T2.0 | Onofre Marimón | Gianfranco Maroni | | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | | DNF |
| DNF | 527 | S2.0 | Michelangelo Leonardi | Roberto Vallone | | Ferrari 166 MM/53 | | DNF |
| DNF | 540 | S+2.0 | John Fitch | Raymond Willday | Nash Motors | Nash-Healey | | Brakes |
| DNF | 542 | S+2.0 | Stirling Moss | Mortimer Morris-Goodall | Jaguars Cars Ltd. | Jaguar C-Type | | Rear Axle |
| DNF | 555 | S+2.0 | Leslie Johnson | W. A. McKenzie | L. H. Johnson | Jaguar C-Type | | Split fuel tank |
| DNF | 556 | S+2.0 | Jacques Swaters | Charles de Tornaco | Ecurie Francorchamps | Ferrari 250 S Vignale | | DNF |
| DNF | 559 | S+2.0 | Gino Valenzano | “Margutti” | | Lancia Aurelia B20 | | Ignition |
| DNF | 601 | S+2.0 | Luc Descollanges | Pierre-Gilbert Ugnon | | Jaguar C-Type | | Fatal accident |
| DNF | 607 | S+2.0 | Franco Bordoni | Cetti Serbelloni | Franco Bordoni | Gordini T15S | | Engine |
| DNF | 613 | S+2.0 | Luigi Villoresi | Piero Cassani | Ferrari Spa | Ferrari 340 MM Touring | | Differential |
| DNF | 615 | S+2.0 | Giuseppe Farina | Luigi Parenti | Ferrari Spa | Ferrari 340 MM Touring | | Accident |
| DNF | 618 | S+2.0 | Tommy Wisdom | Dave Halliwell | Aston Martin Lagonda | Aston Martin DB2 | | Rear Axle |
| DNF | 624 | S+2.0 | Olivier Gendebien | Charles Fraikin | | Jaguar XK120 | | DNF |
| DNF | 625 | S+2.0 | Mike Hawthorn | Azelio Cappi | Ferrari Spa | Ferrari 250 MM Vignale | | Brakes |
| DNF | 631 | S+2.0 | Consalvo Sanesi | Giuseppe Cagna | S. P. A. Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM | | Accident |
| DNF | 635 | S+2.0 | Piero Taruffi | “Gobbetti” | Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D20 Pininfarina | | Engine |
| DNF | 636 | S+2.0 | Piero Scotti | Giulio Contini | Piero Scotti | Ferrari 250 MM Vignale | | DNF |
| DNF | 637 | S+2.0 | Eugenio Castellotti | Ivo Regosa | | Ferrari 340 Mexico Vignale | | Clutch |
| DNF | 638 | S+2.0 | Tony Rolt | Len Hayden | Bill Cannell / Jaguar Cars Ltd. | Jaguar C-Type | | Engine |

### Class Winners

| Class | Winners | | |
| Sport oltre 2000 | 547 | Ferrari 340 MM Vignale | Marzotto / Crosara |
| Sports 2000 | 525 | Maserati A6GCS/53 Fantuzzi | Giletti /Bertocchi |
| Sports 1100 | 340 | Osca MT4 1100 | Venezian / Albarelli |
| Sports 750 | 2221 | DB HBR Panhard | Touzot / Persillon |
| Turismo internazionale +2000 | 407 | Chrysler Saratoga | Frère / Milhoux |
| Turismo internazionale 2000 | 255 | Alfa Romeo 1900 TI | Pagliai / Parducci |
| Turismo internazionale 1300 | 2349 | Fiat 1100/103 | Mancini / Mancini |
| Turismo internazionale 750 | 82 | Renault 4CV | Angelelli / Recchi |

## Standings after the race

| Pos | Championship | Points |
| 1 | Ferrari | 9 |
| 2= | Aston Martin | 8 |
| 2= | Cunningham | 8 |
| 4 | Alfa Romeo | 6 |
| 5= | Jaguar | 4 |
| 5= | Lancia | 4 |
* Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.
Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 4 results out of the 7 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.