Mille Miglia 1953 | Shell Historical Film Archive

The 1953 Mille Miglia, a thousand-mile Italian motor race starting and ending in Brescia, passing through cities like Rome, Brescia and Florence. This video highlights the dominant presence of Ferrari and Alpha Romeo, with Enzo Ferrari's cars leading the way. Over 500 cars, 1,000 drivers, and co-drivers compete in various classes. Follow the action as cars leave the starting line one by one, face challenges, and see Ferrari take the lead to secure victory in a thrilling race.
For more information about Shell’s Historic Film Archive please contact: [e-mail]
#Shell #ShellFilmUnit #HistoricFilmArchive #Documentary #History #MilleMiglia #Motorsport
---
Shell’s surprising and captivating Historic Film Archive dates from 1934 and covers a rich mix of topics from technology, science and engineering to craftsmanship, motorsport and travelogue.
The Shell Film Unit, responsible for the content, was a highly celebrated part of Britain’s Documentary Movement. Key figures from that movement were involved, including: Jack Beddington, Edgar Anstey, Arthur Elton, John Grierson, Kay Mander, Stuart Legg and Douglas Gordon.
Its films were wide reaching, often screened in cinemas and through the non-theatric film distribution circuit, which brought film to educational establishments and organisations across the UK. While many films covered technological themes related to Shell’s activities, others were entirely unrelated and served purely to educate the general public.
As Shell innovated in technologies that would provide oil and gas products for the world, the Shell Film Unit also innovated in the technological advancement of film, incorporating graphics and different forms of animation as early as the 1930s.
During WW2 the Shell Film Unit was co-opted into war effort, making films for the Ministry of Information’s film division. Its prowess in technological documentary suited the MoI’s need for technical training films.
While the name and the medium has changed many times over the years, the documentary tradition lives on at Shell. Its contemporary film team is part of Shell’s multi-disciplinary in-house agency, Creative Solutions. It continues making award-winning factual content that informs and educates the public, now usually released on social media platforms.

[@aureliobrighton1871]

Sparkling narration, splendid views, beautiful cars and fantastic drivers. Fangio racing the Alfa home is like Tatum playing a piano out of tune. Dangerous, though. Mille Grazie 🌷:)

[@nachferrari9153]

what a beauty of a film

[@gosha_x86]

@3:13 dented Alfa: "One of the greatest threats to Ferrari" ❤

[@OHW313]

Great !! Very informative film !😊❤

[@simonbertioli4696]

Brilliant....great memory video...👍

[@kramnam4716]

Exhausting just watching that!

[@tedpalmer5552]

I'm no youngster myself, but I find it remarkable how old many of the top drivers appeared to be.

[@Caddynars]

A lot of them were World War Two vets looking for a way to take their minds off of the horrors they had to endure. For a lot of them, pushing a car to high speeds helped take the edge off.

[@SMGAPR8]

​@@CaddynarsI can quite believe that 🤗👍

[@hillbilly4christ638]

We needed more engine sounds. Those motors sound great!

[@blxtothis]

Except the majority were added post production and do not match the actual car depicted, at 21’:45” 3 cars of different categories all exhibited the exact same noise!

[@joethaler7921]

That’s a great medley of Sousa Marches!

[@JURacing]

fascinating!

[@timpriddy349]

That was quite good

[@philippruest5577]

❤

[@oresteba]

2:58 Giuseppe Busso 👍🏻

[@josephroll7415]

I wonder what this race would be like today with the advancements we have now. Especially with safety.

[@mmarciniak]

I think it would be safer. And faster.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Hard to top this video. And I'm not a car guy.

[@CandidaRosa889]

I'm a car guy, this is the epitome of class

[@lespanharddufurania]

A 5: 56 minutes- la Dyna Panhard 120 Type X86 - 750cc de 1952 - à 16:23 mm une autre Dyna Panhard 120 -750 cc la N°42 , à 16:41 mm, une autre Dyna Panhard 120 750 cc la N° 47 à 17:42 mm une autre Dyna Panhard 120 750 cc la N° 8 à 18:09 mm une autre Dyna Panhard 120 750 cc la N° 56 à 21:42 mm à nouveau la Dyna Panhard 120 750 cc la N°42 à 25: 12 mm une autre Dyna Panhard 120 750cc la N° ? Quelle épreuve mémorable- Merci à tout ces talentueux et courageux pilotes .. 😍. 😍. 😍...👍🏻. 👍🏻

[@geoffcrisp7225]

Where were these films shown? In the cinema?

[@AmericasChoice]

Yes, before the feature theaters would run newsreels. Thankfully, because we have all these great films of racing.

[@a34rwl]

Rosselini should surely have driven an O.S.C.A.(r)

[@seayak]

is that Ingrid Bergman at 38:37?

[@robingray1302]

Indeed it is, her husband Roberto Rosselini was competing !!!

[@seayak]

@@robingray1302Yes, thanks, that is why I was pretty sure it was her. I notice he retired from the race after the stage where she turned up.

[@willigee7885]

makes F1 look ridiculous. And not a single german car ?

[@AmericasChoice]

A Porsche 356 ran in the race. 14:58