1953 Mille Miglia

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.

For 1953, the Mille Miglia was a round of the new World Sports Car Championship, the home teams faced strong challengers.

[1][2] 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.

[2] 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.

Meanwhile, Fangio’s Alfa was now leading, but surrender to the chasing Marzotto when his steering started to play up along with fading brakes.

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.

Belgian journalist, Paul Frère won the unlimited touring class in an unlikely 5.3-litre Chrysler Saratoga saloon.

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.

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.