STORY OF THE DAY: A Closed Ferrari Conquers the Mille Miglia

Clemente Biondetti and Giuseppe Navone won the 1948 Mille Miglia in number 16, an Allemano-bodied Ferrari 166 S coupé. Covering the immense Brescia–Rome–Brescia road course in 15 hours, 5 minutes and 44 seconds, they gave Ferrari its first victory in Italy’s defining road race.

Their decisive advantage was the coupé body when heavy rain arrived. Tazio Nuvolari had driven brilliantly in an open Cisitalia, but worsening weather and mechanical difficulties undermined his challenge while Biondetti and Navone could sustain their progress with greater protection across the final stages.

Although the supplied title calls it a 166 MM, contemporary identification generally records the winner as a 166 S Allemano coupé; the MM designation followed this Mille Miglia success. The car used a two-litre Colombo V12, a tubular chassis and enclosed Allemano coachwork suited to high-speed, long-distance road competition.

Biondetti, an Italian endurance specialist, had already won the Mille Miglia twice and would ultimately claim a record four victories. Navone, an Italian mechanic and test driver, supplied essential navigation and mechanical judgment. Their partnership combined elite road-racing pace with the practical resilience demanded by the event.