Hans Herrmann (Hardcore MFer) and Mille Miglia awesomeness

[Strychnine]

I think Hans should get to carry the wallet this week.

"[Hans] Herrmann had a remarkable Mille Miglia race in 1954, when the gates of a railroad crossing were lowered in the last moment before the fast train to Rome passed. Driving a very low Porsche 550 Spyder, Herrmann decided it was too late for a brake attempt anyway, knocked on the back of the helmet of his navigator Herbert Linge to make him duck, and they barely passed below the gates and before the train, to the surprise of the spectators."

And for his next trick...

He crashed his BRM in 1959 when the brakes failed at the German Grand Prix



[




He went on to win the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring and Targa Florio in the Porsche 718, the first overall victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours for Porsche in 1970 in a 917, raced for Abarth in hill climbs, etc.




Anyway, now onto the race pics

The Mille Miglia (Italian: Thousand Miles) was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before the war, eleven from 1947).

Like the older Targa Florio and later the Carrera Panamericana, the MM made Gran Turismo (Grand Touring) sports cars like Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche famous.

[Strychnine]

[CJ]

Ah, back when the MM was beast. Now it's aristocratic blasphemy.

On another note on the wreck from '59 - Am I the only one that thinks being able to bail out of your car is a viable option to survive that should be looked into again in open vehicles? I'd rather be able to bail then go for a ride in the twinkie of doom.

[Strychnine]

On another note on the wreck from '59 - Am I the only one that thinks being able to bail out of your car is a viable option to survive that should be looked into again in open vehicles? I'd rather be able to bail then go for a ride in the twinkie of doom.

Not at all.


When I built my Model A, my best friend and I hauled ass down to Austin for the Lonestar Roundup just 2 days after the first shakedown drive. On the ride there and back we sat on wheelchair pads on the plywood floor. Sit on the ass, legs straight out in front of you. No seatbelts. The top was also open so we could see sky the entire time.

We talked about it afterward (I guess no one wanted to say anything during the drive).

Apparently, at different times, both of us decided in our own heads that if anything happened we were going to try to bail out of the roof and take our chances on the road rather than ride the [semi-rusty, very sharp] steel shell to a stop.

[Strychnine]

Footage of the 1955 Mille Miglia, with Stirling Moss at the wheel of his Mercedes SLR.

[Strychnine]

[aggie97]

Seatbelts and safety gear are for PUSSIES!!!!


<---current pussy license holder!

[71chevellejohn]

Cool Pics and story as always.

On a side note, the first picture(the B/W sketch of him ducking under the crossing guard) reminds me of the video for "Take On me".