9 replies to this topic

[hans stuck]

Is there a film of this race? Very interested in Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, 17th Marquis de Portago and would like to learn more...here's a quote from the his Riverside tribute album I just purchased: "no one has any pity for the driver who goes off the road...they just think you're stupid."

[Marcel Visbeen]

I've got some footage of De Portago in this race. It's an item of about three minutes of the contemporary Dutch cinema-news. The original is in the Dutch broadcasting archives.

[conjohn]

Motorfilms Quarterly Vol. 2 has a 20 minute film from the Rootes Group.

[Ray Bell]

The description published in Motor Racing after the event is horrifying...

Yet, typically, it is one of the best race reports (for atmosphere) I have ever read. I've posted most of it (if not all of it?) previously.

[hans stuck]

Thanks all..read some old posts...great info as usual.

[Ray Bell]

Did you like the opening to that Motor Racing report?

A week before the Mille Miglia, sporting cars of all sizes and makes were parked along the front of the Albergo Reale in Modena. The dining room resounded to shouting voices in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish, as drivers, co-drivers, journalists and mechanics indulged in pre-race prognostications.

Down Viale Ciro Menotti and in the Via Emilia lights were still burning at three in the morning as Maserati and Ferrari worked at high pressure to get both team and customers' cars ready in time. Further away near the station the clanging of hammers disturbed the night as Scaglietti worked ceaselessly to finish three Gran Turismo, and two Testa Rossa Ferraris in time for the race.

Gendebien was the first to start practice with his Mercedes 300SL, followed by Behra with a 2-litre Zagato Maserati. Von Tripps arrived with a special Porsche drophead with wire wheels and set off early, in the rain, with a 3.5-litre single cam Ferrari. Jenkinson was waiting for Moss who finally arrivein in a 190SL Mercedes and prepared to leave in a 2-litre GT Maserati just to see if everything was still there. The Gran Turismo leaked so much in the perpetual rain, however, that he decided to use the 190SL instead.

Portago and Nelson practised tyre changing on their Gran Turismo and then set off for a quick lap. Collins was kicking his heels at Maranello building model boats whilst impatiently waiting for "co-driver" Louis Klemantaski to arrive. On the Maranello-Formigine road the haycarts and bicycles took greater care than usual as Ferrari's testing increased in intensity. martino Severi, Ferrari's chief tester, was screaming up and down the narrow road trying all shapes and sizes of Ferraris.

From the Maserati factory the 3.5-litre 12 cylinder went to the Autodrome for its preliminary testing, still unpainted and emitting a shattering roar as Guerrino Bertocchi kept up the revs in traffic.

Gendebien returned but went off again for another lap, so did Behra. Bordoni acquired the new 4-cylinder 2-litre Maserati and asked to race it at Florence as a tyrout before the Mille Miglia. The Swede Nottrop anxiously waited as his 4.9-litre twin ignition Ferrari was modified by Scagliatti to conform with Appendix C. Ron Flockhart stopped at the Albergo Reale with the Ecurie Ecosse D-type Jaguar with sported a miniature fin on the headrest, Ecurie Ecosse had made their headquarters at Count Maggi's country home near Brescia, Gendebien was back, and off for a third.

Then news came through that Taruffi would drive for Ferrari for the first time since their disagreement in the Targa Florio. News came also that Musso was very ill again and would not be able to take part in the Mille Miglia. Von Tripps returned with his front dented by a motorcycle, and Portago's Gran Turismo was considerably more battered than when it left. There was a rumour that Maserati would carry advertisements for spaghetti.

Moss was back and Jenkinson complained of having been violently car sick. The 4.5-litre was wheeled out and the pair took off for a ride across the Futa. Within half an hour they were back, soaked to the skin and the car half full of hailstones. Fron then on the 4.5 was in and out of the factory testing air ducts, servo brakes, overdrive gearbox, and Moss was contenting himself with going up and down the road.

Behra took off for Brescia with Scarlatti at 12pm and returned ten minutes later with a frightened Scarlatti who had already had enough. Everyone was waiting for Ak Miller to pass with the Chrysler Kurtis "Caballo de Hierro II" but he appeared to be busy staking out the sites for his cine camera teams. Moss left for two days' rest and Portago took in one more lap when he found that he would be driving a sports instead of a Gran Turismo car. The afternoon before the race a big depression descended upon Maserati - Jean Behra has crashed with the 4.5 and was in hospital, the Maserati had been destroyed and Jean had stayed with the car only long enough to collect his money, cigarette lighter and plastic ear before thumbing a lift from a shaken Fiat Topolino driver to the hospital at Modena.

Maseratis hopes then depended on Moss, since the reliability of the new 3.5-litre to be driven by Hermann was still uncertain, and the team was made up with Scarlatti on a 3-litre.

Ferraris left early Saturday morning for scrutineering driven by their respective drivers, Portago with a 4.1-litre twin ohc engined car.

Nottrop decided against taking part with his 4.9-litre and Masten Gregory and Temple Buell called from Rome to announce the same decision. There were five Ferraris and three Maseratis in the big sports car class, whilst 14 Maseratis faced seven Ferraris in the two litre class. Eleven Mercedes 300SLs were ranged against ten Gran Turismo Ferraris. Osca announced their withdrawal in the 1500cc class as the new engine had blown up in final trials the morning before the race. Cabianca was given the new 950cc to run in the 1100cc class. The only Italian 1500cc to face the Porsches was Berger's 1500cc Maserati, 11 Oscas faced two Erminis, two Lotus a Moretti and a Stanguellini in the 1100cc class, whilst four Stanguellinis, four Oscas, three DBs and two Bandinis prepared to do battle in the 750 class.

In the hubbub of the packed crowdes Renzo Castagnetto dropped the flag to send the first of the cars on its way to Verona and from then on car after car streaked off into the night...

[hans stuck]

thats cool...really puts you in the moment.

[wibblywobbly]

Originally posted by hans stuck
thats cool...really puts you in the moment.

Totally, thanks for that, Ray.

Well, now for the Doom and Gloom. There was a video posted on our forum, from the 1957 Mille Miglia, which shows de Portago crash aftermath. Very sad, I must admit.

http://www.crasheram...er=asc&start=15

[Andrew Fellowes]

My brother happened to mention that MM to Moss and it went thus;

talking to Moss at the Sunday lunch at one of the modern Retro’s so despised by Jenks where we had driven 450S #4510 and made it back to Brescia and in doing so I think became the first to complete the full distance in a 450, (Moss had broken down at Rome while driving a 200S prepared by the factory that year).

“There” said my brother “you can get a 450S round the Mille Miglia!” to which Moss replied, “Oh no you can't, not if its prepared by the factory”.

Ouch!

[Paul Taylor]

There is also a video of de Portago's actual crash. And I have it. But it's not my capture. So I can't post it if people want to see it.