last MILLE MIGLIA , death of de portago

Alfonso Antonio Vicente Eduardo Angel Blas Francisco de Borja Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton marquis of Portago, best known as Alfonso de Portago (born in London, October 11, 1928 - died near Guidizzolo, Mantua, Italy, May 12, 1957) was a racing driver from Spain. He and his co-driver Edmund Nelson were killed in a crash in the 1957 Mille Miglia about forty miles (68 km) from Brescia, the starting and finishing point of the 1,000 mile (1609 km) race. They were in third place at the time. The accident also claimed the lives of ten spectators, among them five children. Portago blew a tire on his Ferrari, causing the car to go into the crowd lining the highway. He was travelling at 150 mph (250 km/h) when the tire went flat. The Ferrari hurtled over a canal on the left side of the road, killing five spectators, then veered back across the canal, and caused the deaths of five other onlookers on the right side of the road. Two of the dead children were hit by a concrete highway milestone that was ripped from the ground by Portago's car and thrown into the crowd. The bodies of Portago and Nelson were badly disfigured beneath the Ferrari, which was upside down. Portago's body was in two sections.[2] This resulted in a long trial for Ferrari team owner Enzo Ferrari. As T.C. Browne wrote: The inevitable happened when Alfonso [...] de Portago stopped alongside the course, ran to the fence, kissed Linda Christian, ran back to his Ferrari and drove on to his destiny, killing himself, his co-driver, 10 spectators, and the Mille Miglia.[6]

Once Portago commented: "I won't die in an accident. I'll die of old age or be executed in some gross miscarriage of justice". However Nelson countered this assertion by saying that Portago would not live to be 30. According to Nelson, "every time Portago comes in from a race the front of his car is wrinkled where he has been nudging people out of the way at 130 mph (210 km/h)".[1]The Portago curve at the St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun is named in his honor for his foundation's efforts to renovate the lower portion of the track. A Portago curve (#7) is also shown on the Jarama motor racing circuit in Spain

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• MAY 12 1957 last MILLE MIGLIA
• death of de portago

[pistarino1]

i have footage of the 58' Race of Two Worlds at Monza actually

[pistarino1]

this is something i did nit know my friend thanks. will had the info to the footage i have on ferraris

cheers



[2007Colonial]

The engine went into the Ferrari Special in the 58' Race of Two Worlds at Monza, then went into the 412MI that Phil Hill raced at Riverside in the Fall of 58', I believe the chassis was scrapped?

[pistarino1]

i actually have fotaage of that race

[tejastiger61]

BRAVO ...!

[jimboinfl45]

At 2:05 the caption reads "1938-1957"...Should be 1928. Nice video, though...

[muscken]

1000 miglia, the most beautiful and sad race in the history

[lotuselisel]

Anyone know the history of what happened with the chassis?