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[D-Type]

Following on from the question I asked in the "Motorsport Quiz" thread, does anyone know the truth about von Hanstein's participation?

According to Tobias Aichele's Husche von Hanstein - The Racing Baron:

"~ Behind the scenes, a bitter vbnattle was raging  between Ferrari and the organisers on one side, the remaining entrants and the Italian sporting commission on the other.  The point of contention was whether the race would consist of ten laps with two drivers entered per car or, as originally stated, eight laps with with only one driver.  Florio prevailed, and suddenly Maserati, Osca and Porsche each had to find a second driver.  It was obvious that Husche would volunteer himself as the reserve driver for Porsche, even though he hadn't practiced. He prayed that Maglioli would last the distance.

In front of 100,000 spectators, the young man in the white Spyder drove the race of his life.  He benefited in part from the misfortune of his competition, who took each other out of the race.  To the surprise of all present, Maglioli led the field,  Because he did notinsist on a driver change at the pit stop, Husche let him continue.  According to one newspaper report, 'For the rest of the race, Husche could not be found anywhere near the pit.  So Maglioli had to hold on for the rest of the race.  If Hanstein had replaced him, they probably would not have won.'  "

 

But, readable though the book is, Aichele "stretches the facts" sometimes.

 

Websites that list the race result include von Hanstein as a co-driver with Maglioli.  But the usual caveat applies.
 

Motor Sport is no help as their report is very brief - obviously DSJ didn't go to Sicily that year.

 

So, did Husche share the driving or did Maglioli drive the 720km race solo?

Edited by D-Type, 23 March 2017 - 22:10.

[Tim Murray]

Here's what David Owen wrote in Targa Florio, after noting that Osca had entered a single car to be driven by Cabianca:

Naming only one driver for the Targa Florio was unusual: but before the 1956 event there had been furious arguments between Vincenzo Florio and the sporting authorities over the length of the race. Since the terrible Le Mans disaster of the year before, the CSI had been in favour of running shorter races, and they had insisted that the Targa Florio be limited to eight laps. This tempted drivers like Piero Taruffi and Cabianca to declare they would race without co-drivers - but before the event began, Florio finally won his point, and had the distance extended to a full ten laps, which was to prove a very different proposition indeed.

[etc]

[Maglioli took the lead in the race and] after that Maglioli had his work cut out to stay ahead. After all the confusion over the length of the race, drivers had been officially limited to those whose names had been entered officially, and von Hanstein's name had been omitted, so there was now no-one to share the driving [with Maglioli].

The Osca finished second on the road, but as Villoresi had shared the driving with Cabianca the car was disqualified following a protest over 'a technicality' concerning his entry.

[d j fox]

According to at least three contemporary reports in the  Brooklands Books Targa Florio reprints Umberto Maglioli drove all the way himself.

 

Bernard Cahier, writing for “Road & Track” , states that Porsche entered a single car tended by only two mechanics. Cahier claims a degree of responsibility for influencing von Hanstein to debut the Porsche’s in Sicily. The Frenchman was so impressed with its performance at the Nürburgring and, knowing the Targa well, he felt sure “this sensational machine would have a good chance of winning first overall in spite of its size”

Maglioli drove well to win , helped to some extent by all three works Ferraris experiencing problems- Castellotti dnf broken gearbox , Gendebien/ Hermann 4^th, damaged after hitting stone markers and Hermann ,dns- practice crash.

Once again Cahier “ Besides their beautiful  driving Maglioli and Taruffi (Maserati) accomplished another impressive feat in being the only two men who drove all the way without relief…”

 

The “Autocar’s” correspondent again confirms that Maglioli and Taruffi “ had to go the full distance without a relief driver”

 

“Motor Racing “ confirmed that “ he [Maglioli ] drove the whole race ( 7 hours 54 minutes 52 seconds) without relief, stopping only once for fuel”

 

David