STORY OF THE DAY: Gendebien Wins the GT Class and Takes Third Overall

Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer finished third overall in the 1957 Mille Miglia with the number 417 Ferrari 250 GT long-wheelbase Scaglietti Berlinetta. They won the Grand Touring category behind the Ferrari 315 S prototypes of Piero Taruffi and Wolfgang von Trips. It was an exceptional production-based result in the final running of the original open-road race.

The Belgian crew repeated and improved upon its 1956 performance, when it had placed fifth. Their closed Ferrari combined weather protection, reliability and sufficient speed to outlast most of the specialised sports cars. The achievement was later overshadowed by the De Portago disaster near Guidizzolo, which led to the prohibition of the traditional flat-out Mille Miglia.

The competition 250 GT used a 2.60-metre tubular chassis, a front-mounted three-litre Colombo V12 and light Scaglietti-built berlinetta bodywork. Although related to Ferrari’s road-going grand tourers, aluminium panels, competition tuning and reduced weight made it highly effective in long-distance racing. Its predictable handling and robust engine were particularly valuable over the full Italian route.

Gendebien and Washer were Belgian racers whose partnership suited the Mille Miglia’s dual demands. Gendebien became one of Ferrari’s greatest endurance drivers and later won Le Mans four times. Washer brought rallying experience, route discipline and mechanical awareness. Their third place represented the high point of the 250 GT’s Mille Miglia record and confirmed Gendebien’s mastery of Ferrari’s GT cars.