Miguel Sánchez
With his four Mille Miglia victories, Clemente Biondetti is one of the key names in Italian motorsport of the XNUMXs and XNUMXs. In fact, he is the driver with the most victories in this legendary endurance race. Just the specialty dominated by him. Having started as an official driver for Maserati without attracting attention on the circuits due to his poor ability to reach high speeds. Nevertheless, little by little the team managers began to perceive his ability to take care of the mechanics and not get out of the way. Perfect qualities for long endurance tests, demonstrating in 1938 his expertise in this field by winning the Mille Miglia aboard an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Spider.
From then on, in 1947 he won the first Mille Miglia after the Second World War, also aboard an Alfa Romeo. Last of the eleven victories of the brand, surpassed from this moment by the irruption of Ferrari. Former disciple and now vigorous competitor, reaching the top of the historic Italian event in 1948 with a 166 piloted by Clemente Biondetti himself. Thus, the 1948 Mille Miglia will always be remembered as the one in which Ferrari began its reign in the world of endurance racing. Winning, in fact, up to eight Mille Miglia being the first six in a row.
However, that Mille Miglia of 1948 is also remembered by other stories. The most epic perhaps is that of Tazio "Il Campionissimo" Nuvolari fighting the mechanical problems of the Ferrari 166SC. The only reason he couldn't win the test. Driving in such a dedicated and magnificent way that even Biondetti apologized for his victory. Undoubtedly an anecdote full of recognition of the figure of that great pilot. True legend faded by age and the death of two of his children, although never defeated as long as he had the opportunity to drive a wheel.
In addition, in the 1948 Mille Miglia a very young and unknown Ferruccio Lamborghini made his debut with a barchetta made by himself. Quite a demonstration of the mechanical skill of this boy recently returned from the war. The clearest beginning of what, a few years later, was the birth of his iconic sports car. Of course, in 1948 that Lamborghini was made on the basis FIAT.
TRAINED IN MECHANICS DURING THE WAR
Being born in an eminently agricultural area, Ferruccio Lamborghini he had every chance of ending up in his father's fields. However, from a very young age he showed an everlasting fascination with mechanics. That's the way it is, the outbreak of World War II breaks with any preconceived plan. Called up by the Italian army, Lamborghini falls on the island of Rhodes within the 50th Autoreparto Misto di Manovra. A wonderful coincidence for our protagonist. Since this unit is responsible for the maintenance and repair of operational military vehicles on site.
In this way, Ferruccio Lamborghini finds an improvised mechanics school in which he soon stands out until he is appointed workshop manager. Possessor of an innate intuition, his only activity happens to be the repair of vehicles. To the point that when his unit disintegrated in 1943, he sets up a workshop on his own where he continues to work under the German occupation of the island. At this point, when the war finally ends in 1945 and the allied troops liberate Rhodes, Lamborghini remains under the custody of the British until 1946. At which point he manages to return to Italy after having acquired great mechanical knowledge based on practice daily than in the theory of books.
Just the point that allows Ferruccio to reconcile his own expectations with those of his father. Not in vain, although the province of Ferrara had not suffered too much from the war due to being more agrarian than industrial, its farmland demanded rapid reconstruction in which agricultural vehicles would be key. Especially the tractors. Main protagonists of the mechanization and reactivation of the agricultural economy. Being a business where field and mechanics could -and should- star in a lucrative relationship. Under this context, Ferruccio Lamborghini buys all kinds of old military vehicles to get different parts. In this way he manages to assemble his first tractor. The Carioca. A small but effective and cheap model well received by farmers in the area.
In the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum sports cars and tractors intermingle
Thanks to the immediate success of the Carioca, Lamborghini expanded production thanks to bank loans with his father's farm as collateral. First step towards serial production, which ends up materializing with the L33. A more ambitious tractor equipped with 3,5-litre six-cylinder Morris engines. True turning point for the young company, arriving to register around 1950 a production of approximately 200 tractors per year. However, despite the success Ferruccio Lamborghini has not forgotten other types of mechanics. For this reason, while building tractors during working time, he dedicated a large part of his free hours to competition.
First FIAT-based barchetta built by Ferruccio Lamborghini
FIAT BARCHETTA SPORT LAMBORGHINI, FROM THE CROP FIELD TO THE MILLE MIGLIA
Introduced in 1936 and in production until 1955, the popular FIAT 500 “Mickey mouse” has been one of the most used bases for making handcrafted racing cars. In this way, searching through the barchettas made with it as a base by all kinds of workshops and pilots is a world in itself. What's more, Zagato, Bertone, Vignale or Savio were just some of the coachbuilders that produced sports versions of the model. as tiny GT. Extremely different from each other, although often recognizable by the recurring use of Gianetti wheels. Especially in all the etceterini that used the FIAT 500 “Mickey mouse" as starting point.
Under these coordinates, it is not surprising that in 1946 Ferruccio Lamborghini made his first racing car on one of them. And yes, the first sports Lamborghini was neither more nor less than a FIAT. Obviously modified to exhaustion as long as we are talking about a unique piece. to the point of receiving a new open bodywork that proudly sports Ferruccio's signature on the bonnet. However, the truth is that this first Lamborghini sports car needed some improvements. Especially in the engine, but also in the refinement of its aerodynamic shapes.
This being the case, in 1947 our protagonist decided to be completely serious by having the Next year's Mille Miglia as target. For this reason, he transformed another Topolino, giving it a more compact and stylized body. In fact, saving the obvious distances marked by the space required by the V12 Colombo, it even resembles the Ferrari 125S presented that same year in its general lines. However, what went under the hood was very different in the FIAT Barchetta Sport created by Ferruccio Lamborghini. In the end, it was the block with four cylinders in line extracted from the Topolino. Of course, with a displacement increased from the original 567cc to 650cc thanks to the hands of our protagonist.
Unit marked with the number 427. The one that ran in Mille Miglia 1948
A completely handmade modification, in which he demonstrated his mechanical ingenuity adding two vertical carburettors and modifying the crankshaft bearings. With all this, the result was a small barchetta that, thanks to the improvement in displacement, weight and power, could reach up to 130/140 kilometers per hour. Quite remarkable for the time. Especially considering how an easy Topolino had been the starting point for this Lamborghini. Unfortunately, when in May 1948 Ferruccio and his co-driver Gianluca Baglioni took the exit of the Mille Miglia with the number 427, they did not manage to finish the race.
Of course, not due to mechanical problems. In fact, the FIAT Barchetta Sport was going so fast that about 400 miles from the finish Lamborghini lost control and skidded off the road. So much so that, in his own words, “I entered a bar through the wall with the car”. Another of many similar incidents at the Mille Miglia, Targa-Florio and other historic races in Italy. But also the pause on the part of Ferruccio Lamborghini when it comes to building his own sports cars. Something that was not restarted until 1964 with the presentation of the 350. The first production GT signed by the brand, which, despite being an icon of sportsmanship, has not been especially lavished in competition. Anyway, maybe it's because of the trauma of seeing danger up close in an accident.
Images: Unai Ona / Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum
