Here’s an interesting story about a last minute change that never felt like a typo that had me confused while working on the 1956 Mille Miglia project.
Using www.racingspirrscars.com as a semi-official source, shows car 33 as a Renault 4CV.
Our photo does not match. So off to AI and image searching to see if we can turn up some information. Clearly the image is not a Renault. It is a Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato.
From Google search:
You have hit on a classic piece of motorsport trivia. Your observation about the official race program is correct, but there is a distinct reason why it contradicts the photo.
The Discrepancy Explained
- The Race Program Entry: The official entry list for the 1956 Mille Miglia scheduled number 33 to be a Renault 4CV. During the historical Mille Miglia, race numbers were typically assigned based on a car's scheduled start time.
- The Last-Minute Switch: It was common for drivers to register under one car but switch to an entirely different vehicle right before the race due to mechanical failures, late delivery from coachbuilders, or class changes. In this instance, the team showed up to the starting line in Brescia with the newly debuted Abarth-Zagato 750 GT rather than the planned French saloon.
- Lagging Official Records: Because these adjustments happened during tech inspection just hours before the green flag, official printed programs and some post-race result sheets never updated the vehicle model from the original mail-in registration data.
This photo captures a rare, historical timestamp from the very first weeks of the Abarth 750 Zagato's public life—proving the physical car on the track differed from what fans read in their programs.
The Drivers Behind Number 33
The original entry list for car number 33 was registered under the names of the French racing duo Gilles Nebon Carle and A. Janoray.
They were seasoned enthusiasts who regularly campaigned small-displacement French cars. Originally, they mailed in their entry form to run a modest Renault 4CV in the Turismo/Gran Turismo 750cc class.
The Grand Unveiling Swap
Why the sudden change? April 1956 marked the exact month Carlo Abarth and Elio Zagato debuted the prototype of the aluminum-bodied Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato. Abarth was desperate to prove the car on the world stage, and private racers were eager to get their hands on a machine that essentially doubled the horsepower of a standard Fiat 600.
Realizing that their reliable but sluggish Renault 4CV stood no chance against the incoming wave of specialized Italian GT cars, Nebon Carle and Janoray managed to secure one of the very first Abarth-Zagato 750 "Double Bubble" customer cars just before tech inspection.
Because the swap happened at the track, the race officials allowed them to keep their starting time slot—00:33 AM—meaning number 33 was painted onto the fresh aluminum flank of the Abarth instead of the Renault.
The Result: A Historic Typo
Despite the horrific weather conditions that plagued the lightweight, rear-engine coupe, Nebon Carle and Janoray drove a masterful, conservative race.
- They crossed the finish line in Brescia with a total elapsed time of 17 hours, 12 minutes, and 14 seconds.
- Because the administrative office never reconciled the vehicle change from the original mail-in entry sheet, the official final standings still recorded them as finishing 21st in the 750cc class driving a "Renault 4CV".
This precise photo serves as physical evidence of the historical discrepancy, capturing the French duo splashing through the Italian countryside in a cutting-edge Italian sports car while the official timers marked them down as a French family sedan.