STORY OF THE DAY: Bracco Overhauls Mercedes on the Futa Pass

Giovanni Bracco and Alfonso Rolfo won the 1952 Mille Miglia in the number 611 Ferrari 250 S Vignale Berlinetta. They completed the 1,574-kilometre course in 12 hours, 9 minutes and 45 seconds, beating Karl Kling and Hans Klenk’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL by fewer than five minutes. The victory introduced the three-litre 250 competition lineage with an immediate triumph.

Mercedes possessed an advantage on the fastest roads, but Bracco recovered time through the hills and over the Futa Pass, where the Ferrari’s agility and his intimate knowledge of the route proved decisive. The contest remained close into the final stages. Bracco’s sustained attack turned a prototype’s debut into one of Ferrari’s most consequential early road-racing victories.

The unique 250 S combined a tubular chassis with a three-litre version of the Colombo 60-degree V12, producing about 230 horsepower. Vignale supplied a light closed berlinetta body that balanced aerodynamic efficiency with protection from the elements. The car’s compact engine and manageable dimensions suited the Mille Miglia’s transitions between straights, villages and mountain bends, and its success directly inspired the 250 MM name.

Bracco was an Italian road-racing specialist celebrated for exceptional speed in the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. Rolfo, also Italian, served as navigator and riding mechanic, helping manage timing, route and the car’s condition. Their partnership mattered because it defeated a highly organised Mercedes works effort and gave Ferrari’s new three-litre formula its defining first result.