Mercedes Mille Miglia 2018
May 22, 2018
B rescia, as always the starting point of the Mille Miglia. The city is seething on the day of the start, more and more oldtimers from the O.M. 665 S MM Superba 2000 from 1927 as starting number 1 to the Triumph TR 3 Sport from 1956 are gathering in the city. The enthusiasm of the crowd at the start is just a first impression of what happened over the next 1,700 kilometers over the course of four days: Even whoever had to crank the valance so hard on the way to Rome and back - the crowd thanked them too overwhelming support - be it in the narrow streets of San Marino, in the countless small towns of Umbria or on the way to Monza, where the precious items from the heavy pre-war cars to the lightweights from the 1950s flew through the special stages.
Like Carraciola: Mille Miglia in the SSK
And even if the cars were so precious - nothing was spared here. Tire on tire, the caravan pulled through the country, not only in search of beautiful landscapes, but also for the best possible placement. This year auto motor und sport is there - on a Mercedes 710 SSK from 1928, with which the legendary Rudolf Caracciola won the race normally dominated by Italians in 1931 (then in the SSKL type) with an average speed of 101.1 km /h.
One of four women's teams
ams
One of four women's teams at the Mille Miglia 2018: Birgit Priemer (at the wheel) and Ellen Lohr.
Of these, the women's team in the form of racing legend Ellen Lohr and auto-motor-und sport editor-in-chief Birgit Priemer was one of only fourWomen's teams at this year's Mille Miglia are admittedly far away. But it wasn't about victory either - it was about driving the pre-war legend, painted white, with its enormous 750 Newton meters of torque, developed from the 7.1 liter supercharged six-cylinder, safely over the potholes of Italy - and that was a real Herculean task. Difficult-to-dose brakes, a demanding four-speed gearbox and a truck-like steering without power assistance demand everything from woman and machine in this case.
589 km in one day
The average speeds were in the specially designed tests at 36 or 38 km /h - over eight to eleven kilometers, completed, among other things, on the third day on the wonderfully beautiful Passo della Cisa, before the end of the longest and most demanding day of driving through Tuscany at 589 kilometers went to Parma in a postcard sunset mood, where again a crowd waited for the driver field.
Hundreds of roundabouts - without power steering
The Mille Miglia, in the past always through a rather chaotic organization came under criticism, this time convinced with a wonderful route through Monteriggioni, San Miniato and Lucca - although it was again considered hundreds of Kreisve Leaving the streets behind - also a show of strength for the SSK team. But there was no slouch when collecting points: At the end of the second day of driving, the Lohr /Priemer team was asked to assist the time control. The race director is waiting for the ladies. Why? Driven twice too fast, it was said. Once there was a warning, the second time there was 2,000 penalty points, which were reflected in the overall result. Bad luck, right? No, lucky! Four days in the SSK without any wounds except newly won thresholds in the hands and freshly steeled upper arms were worth every single penalty point.
