The 1938 Mille Miglia Race
Results: 1938 Mille Miglia Results / Dates: April 3-4, 1938 / Winner: Biondetti – Stefani / Winning Speed: 84.61 mph / Starters: 141 / Finishers: 72
Prior to this years Mille Miglia the responsibility for running the Alfa Romeo cars was brought in house under Alfa Corse, and Vittorio Jano was forced out of the team. Enzo Ferrari was still in charge of the racing team but new levels of bureaucracy were added that would cause Ferrari to leave on his own. Three new 8C 2900B Alfas were prepared for the event , to be driven by Pintacuda, Farina and Biondetti. Biondetti’s cars was fitted with an experimental 308 engine which had slightly more power. Clemente Biondetti was born in a small village in the hills of northern Sardinia and grew up there. He was a late starter in racing as his career did not begin until his family moved to Florence in the 1920s. He would turn forty later that year. Delahaye once again entered two cars, this time with 4.5-litre V12s to be driven by Dreyfus and Mazaud. Delahaye used lightweight alloys extensively in both the engine block and heads of their new V12. In an age when cast-iron engines were the norm, the use of aluminum alloy for the heads and magnesium alloy for the engine block was quite a daring move. Talbot entered a single car for Rene Carriere and BMW entered four of their new 328s.
