1951 Mille Miglia

The 1951 Mille Miglia, held on 28–29 April, marked the 18th running of the race and brought several important route adjustments. While retaining the now-standard clockwise direction, organizers altered the Rome–Florence leg, replacing the coastal Via Aurelia with the Via Cassia, passing through Viterbo, Siena, and San Quirico d’Orcia. Additionally, between Rimini and Ravenna, a new detour through Forlì was introduced. These changes reduced the total race distance to 1,564 km, down from 1,682.5 km the previous year.

Victory went to Luigi “Gigi” Villoresi, one of Italy’s most celebrated postwar drivers, co-driven by Pasquale Cassani in a Ferrari 340 America Coupé Vignale. The 4.1-litre V12 machine, representing Ferrari’s push into high-displacement grand touring territory, completed the race in 12h 50m 18s, averaging 121.822 km/h. It was Ferrari’s third consecutive Mille Miglia win, consolidating the brand’s growing dominance.

The standout performance of the event, however, came from the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Coupé of Giovanni Bracco and Umberto Maglioli, finishing second overall. With only a 2.0-litre V6 engine, the Pininfarina-bodied coupe averaged 118.749 km/h, outperforming many higher-powered rivals. Their result marked a turning point for the gran turismo category, demonstrating that balance and handling could rival outright power.

Third place was taken by Piero Scotti and Amos Ruspaggiari in a Ferrari 212 Export Spyder by Motto, a 2.6-litre V12 machine designed for privateers.

The 1951 edition showcased the growing technical diversity of Italian sports cars: from high-displacement V12s to innovative lightweight coupés. It also hinted at the increasing relevance of production-derived GT cars, with the Lancia B20 setting a new standard for road-based racing performance. The Mille Miglia continued to define itself not just as a test of speed, but of endurance, precision, and engineering excellence.

Winner: Villoresi/Cassani – Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta Vignale
6th: Bonetto – Alfa Romeo 412 Spider Vignale