Fangio's Lancia at Sebring 1954

Juan Manuel Fangio and Eugenio Castellotti drove this Lancia D24 at Sebring in 1954. The car failed to finish due to a busted rear axle. The car sported a 3.2 liter V6. Stirling Moss won the race in an Osca MT4 which was equipped with a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder. SI photo.
There’s an unbelievable story regarding the second place LANCIA of Rubirosa-Valenzano. Playboy Rubirosa was in 32nd (!) position when he stopped and Valenzano started walking the circuit to find the car. Rubirosa was sitting on the car’s trunk signing autographs when Valenzano got in the driver’s seat, started the engine and drove the car to the pits without 3rd gear. Valenzano put on his helmet and started turning laps. At the 11th hour Valenzano had moved from 32nd position to 2nd (without 3rd gear) ; both the Ascari and Fangio cars were out. He was faster than Moss but didn’t have time to catch the lead car. The N.39 Valenzano LANCIA D24 finished 5 laps behind the Moss-Lloyd OSCA MT4 1450. The Ascari/Villoresi, Fangio/Castellotti and Taruffi/Manzon cars were DNF. Taruffi was disqualified for pushing his car when he ran out of gas. The publicity of having a playboy driver behind the wheel of one of their cars didn’t pay-off for the LANCIA team.