Homage to Lancia's only victory in the Mille Miglia

As a tribute to a great victory in the brand's history, Lancia is taking part in this year's Mille Miglia (June 11 to 15, 2024). Exactly 70 years ago, Alberto Ascari, the Formula 1 world champion of the 1952 and 1953 seasons, won the toughest and most famous road race in the world at the time in a Lancia DS24 Spider. Today, the Mille Miglia fascinates hundreds of thousands of spectators along the traditional 1000-mile route, especially as a classic car rally. One of the cars on display is a 1951 Lancia B20 GT, an elegant coupé from the collection of the Stellantis Heritage Hub in Turin. It will be accompanied by the new Lancia Ypsilon, which will be delivered to the first Italian customers at the same time.

Lancia's return to the Mille Miglia is highly symbolic. It is the 70th anniversary of Lancia's only victory in the road race, which was held between 1927 and 1957. With the success of Formula 1 star Alberto Ascari, the Lancia works team followed on from previous victories in the Carrera Panamericana in South America and the Targa Florio in Sicily. Lancia drivers also achieved pole position and the fastest race lap in the 1000-kilometer race at the Nürburgring. In the 1954 season, Lancia cars won the Monte-Carlo Rally, the Giro di Sicilia, the Targa Florio and the Porto Grand Prix in Portugal. In the same year, Lancia also made its debut in Formula 1.

The Mille Miglia has been held as a regularity rally for classic cars since 1977. For the more than 300 participants, it is not speed that counts, but precision and hundredths of a second in the short time trials. Only vehicle types that raced in the Mille Miglia between 1927 and 1957 are permitted to take part.(aum)