STORY OF THE DAY: Enzo Ferrari’s Final Finish

Enzo Ferrari drove the number 52 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MM to second place in the Circuito delle Tre Province on 9 August 1931. The 128.5-kilometre road race ran from Bologna through Pistoia to Modena. Ferrari finished in 1 hour 59 minutes 19.2 seconds, only 32.8 seconds behind his Scuderia Ferrari teammate Tazio Nuvolari, who won in an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS.

The narrow margin gave Ferrari one of his finest results, yet the day became more important as the conclusion of his driving career. He had matched Nuvolari closely across a difficult point-to-point course but thereafter concentrated on directing the Scuderia he had founded in 1929. The runner-up finish therefore marked the transition from Enzo Ferrari the competitor to Ferrari the organizer and team leader.

The 8C 2300 was a new Vittorio Jano design built around a supercharged 2.3-litre straight-eight with twin overhead camshafts. The long engine was constructed in two four-cylinder blocks with its central gear train helping drive the camshafts and ancillaries. In Mille Miglia form, a relatively short chassis and light open body gave the car the speed, braking and flexibility needed for fast road competition.

Enzo Ferrari was an Italian racing driver who had competed for Alfa Romeo before establishing Scuderia Ferrari as a team for owners and professional drivers. Although he achieved useful results behind the wheel, his greater significance lay in selecting drivers, organizing racing operations and developing the Scuderia’s relationship with Alfa Romeo. His final second place, behind his own star driver Nuvolari, was a fitting close to that first career.