STORY OF THE DAY: A Class-Sized Alfa Reaches Brescia

Alfredo Caniato and Aurelio Caniato finished the 1932 Mille Miglia in twenty-ninth place with the number 59 Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS TF. Their recorded time was 20 hours 21 minutes 28.4 seconds. Although far behind the winning 8C 2300 of Baconin Borzacchini and Amedeo Bignami, theirs was a complete finish in the smaller 1.5-litre category.

The Caniatos’ story was one of endurance. The Mille Miglia placed small sports cars on the same immense road course as the fastest machinery of the day, making survival and regularity essential. By returning to Brescia, the brothers completed a contest that eliminated numerous larger Alfa Romeos and several prominent crews through accidents or mechanical failure.

The 6C 1500 Super Sport Testa Fissa belonged to Vittorio Jano’s compact six-cylinder family. Its 1.5-litre inline-six used twin overhead camshafts, and the sporting version was supercharged; Testa Fissa denoted a fixed-head configuration intended to improve rigidity and sealing. Light Zagato spider coachwork helped the car retain the agility and efficiency needed over a long, varied road course.

Alfredo and Aurelio Caniato were Italian brothers who competed together in long-distance road racing during Scuderia Ferrari’s formative years. Alfredo appeared in several important Italian events, while Aurelio undertook the demanding co-driver’s duties of navigation and mechanical assistance. Their twenty-ninth place mattered because it represented a successful completion of one of motor racing’s hardest assignments.