STORY OF THE DAY: Chinetti Completes Ferrari’s Endurance Double

On 10 July 1949, Luigi Chinetti won at Spa-Francorchamps in the number 20 Ferrari 166 MM Spider Touring. Sharing the demanding Belgian endurance race with Jean Lucas, he secured another major international success shortly after Ferrari’s breakthrough victory at Le Mans.

The defining achievement was the rapid return of a proven car and driver to another severe long-distance contest. Spa’s high-speed public roads, elevation changes and variable weather rewarded disciplined pacing and mechanical sympathy. Victory confirmed that Ferrari’s growing endurance reputation rested on repeatable performance rather than one exceptional result.

The 166 MM combined a light Touring-built barchetta body with a tubular chassis and a front-mounted two-litre Colombo V12. Independent front suspension, a live rear axle and drum brakes were conventional for the period, but low mass and flexible power made the car especially effective on long road circuits.

Chinetti was Italian-born and later became an American citizen. A pre-war endurance specialist and three-time Le Mans winner, he became Ferrari’s crucial early representative in North America and later founded the North American Racing Team. His Spa victory helped transform Ferrari from a new Italian constructor into an internationally respected racing marque.