Product description
On May 12, 1957, the twenty-fourth edition of the legendary Mille Miglia took place, the Italian car race par excellence. Unfortunately, during that tragic day, a Ferrari driven by the Spanish marquis Alfonso De Portago catastrophically went off the road, killing nine spectators, including five children. De Portago and his co-pilot, the American Edmund Nelson, lost their lives in the accident. Despite the tragedy, the race was not stopped immediately.
However, once the bodies of the victims were buried, intense controversy erupted which would have dramatic consequences for the race itself, which was eventually abolished. In an atmosphere in which Italy was looking for a culprit, the Modenese builder of the famous sports cars, Enzo Ferrari, was soon labeled responsible. The investigation began and Ferrari’s passport and driving license were withdrawn, as if he himself had driven De Portago’s car. The court-ordered technical report appeared to incriminate him, and Drake was charged with multiple manslaughter, risking many years in prison.
In an Italy still deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, the Church also intervened in the controversy. L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, accused Ferrari of being a “modernized Saturn that devours its own children”, meaning by “children” the pilots themselves. Despite being deeply affected by the tragedy, Ferrari did not lose heart and decided to fight, thus facing the most difficult battle of his life.
The book tells this engaging story, drawing on the original trial documents which, for the first time, have been consulted in their entirety. It reads like a thrilling legal thriller, with a crescendo of tension culminating in a gripping epilogue. The narration offers an in-depth look at the life of Enzo Ferrari, one of the most legendary characters in the world of motoring.
