STORY OF THE DAY: Von Trips Follows Taruffi Home in the Last Mille Miglia

Wolfgang von Trips finished second in the 1957 Mille Miglia with the number 532 Ferrari 315 S. He followed Piero Taruffi’s sister Ferrari to Brescia, completing a one-two for the marque in what became the final competitive running of the original road race. The event counted toward the World Sportscar Championship, but its sporting importance was overwhelmed by the fatal De Portago accident.

Ferrari instructed von Trips not to attack Taruffi during the closing stages, allowing the veteran leader to manage a troubled car without an internal contest. Von Trips accepted the team’s direction and preserved second place. Near Guidizzolo, however, Alfonso de Portago’s 335 S crashed into spectators, killing its crew and nine others; the tragedy brought the Mille Miglia’s open-road era to an end.

The 315 S used a tubular chassis and a front-mounted 3.8-litre Jano-designed V12 with twin overhead camshafts. Scaglietti’s open body, a rear transaxle and substantial power made it one of Ferrari’s fastest road-racing prototypes. Its combination of high speed and manageable displacement proved effective over the varied Italian course.

Von Trips was a German aristocrat who progressed from sports cars into Ferrari’s Formula One team. Known for courtesy away from the circuit and commitment behind the wheel, he became a Grand Prix winner and 1961 championship contender. His restrained second place was significant both as a major result and as evidence of disciplined team service during the Mille Miglia’s tragic final chapter.