70 Years ago: Moss and Jenkinson break 100 mph record in Mille Miglia

70 Years ago, Stirling Moss – navigated by Denis Jenkinson – set an improbable record in their Mercedes 300 SLR in the 1955 Mille Miglia. Over 1000 miles of the toughest Italian country roads, Moss averaged 100 mph. A feat that was never repeated. A lookback from the Mercedes archive.

Preparation is all the work

Mercedes left nothing to chance and started an intensive testing programme ahead of the Mille Miglia. Here, John Fitch is seen leaving the streets of Brescia in the 300 SLR. He would drive a 300 SL in the race.

Doing the paperwork

Alfred Neubauer, Mercedes’ legendary competitions director, goes over the paperwork with Stirling Moss, at the start of the Mille Miglia in Brescia.

Fangio, the soloist

Before the race, Juan Manuel Fangio was the favorite. The Argentinian would take his third of five world titles in Formula 1 with Mercedes that year. In the Mille Miglia, Fangio opted to drive solo. Finishing second was no mean feat.

Kling, (too) eager to repeat Caracciola

701 – starting at 7:01 – was Karl Kling’s Mercedes 300 SLR, seen here at pre-race checks in the company of Araldo Sassone’s Porsche 550 Spyder (No. 556). Kling had been eager to win, clocking 50,000 miles in testing on the Mille’s roads. He wanted to honour Caracciola’s magnificent win for Mercedes, 20 years earlier.

Moss, in comparison, had racked up 7000 miles before the race. Kling, however, crashed out, just after reaching the halfway point in Rome. Kling broke three ribs in the process.

Away we go

722 rolls off the starting ramp. It would be 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds later before Moss and Jenkinson would be back in Brescia, setting the fastest time ever. It was Ferrari however, that set the highest pace for the first part of the race. Castellotti and Taruffi in their Ferraris led up to Pescara. Moss grabbed the lead by the time they entered Rome for the turnaround.

Herrmann, so close to victory

Hans Herrmann and Hermann Eger set off in the fourth of the factory Mercedes 300 SLRs. Herrmann was actually challenging Moss for the win, right up to Florence, over 7 hours into the race. But then he crashed out. Herrmann called it the biggest regret of his career.

Fitch storms to class victory

That John Fitch took a class win in the near-standard 300 SL, is actually the least important. That he drove that car to fifth overall among the mighty 300 SLRs and Ferrari 375s, was nothing short of a miracle. And testament to a gritty drive.

Nothing can stop Moss

722 bears the signs of the all-out effort. But the dented front – the result of a slight off – could not rein in Moss. His co-driver Denis Jenkinson – who first was set to navigate John Fitch – had come up with a road book he could scroll through and warn Moss of the dangers ahead. “One time, there was a plane next to us, filming. And we were pulling away from it.” On the 85-mile stretch from Cremona to Brescia, Moss averaged 123 mph (200 kph).

Victory is ours

Jenkinson in his race report: “The last corner into the finishing area was taken in a long slide with the power and the noise full on and we crossed the finishing line at well over 100 mph.”

Moss drove to the team garage. “Do you think we’ve won?”

They did, and broke all the records. Moss’ 1955 average was 10 mph faster than the existing record. His record would never be beaten.

Here, Moss and Jenkinson – faces still wearing all the grime from a 1000 miles of hard racing – are receiving congratulations from Rudolf Uhlenhaut.

Thirsty

It’s sparkling water, not champagne, for messrs. Moss and Jenkinson.

Video report here.