On 2 April 1949, Clemente Biondetti and Ettore Salani steered race number 624 from Brescia to Rome and back to take overall honours at the XVI Mille Miglia. This 1:18 die-cast by KK Scale captures that precise car, livery, and number — a fixed point in Ferrari's earliest competition history and in Biondetti's remarkable personal record.
Colombo's V12 in a Barchetta Shell
The Ferrari 166 MM was introduced in 1948, its designation referencing both the single-cylinder displacement of 166 cc and, via the MM suffix, the Mille Miglia itself. At its core sat Gioacchino Colombo's 1995 cc, 60-degree V12 producing around 140 bhp — a compact, free-revving unit that would underpin Ferrari competition cars for years. The bodywork on most competition examples was entrusted to Touring Superleggera, whose open two-seat Barchetta style became one of the most recognisable silhouettes in motorsport history.
Biondetti's Fourth — and Final — Mille Miglia
The 1949 Mille Miglia was Clemente Biondetti's fourth outright win in the event, following victories in 1938, 1947, and 1948 — a record that has never been matched. Co-driven by Ettore Salani, car number 624 (the digits encoding the 06:24 start time under the Italian open-road format) ran in classic Rosso Corsa. The win extended Ferrari's consecutive run of Mille Miglia victories begun the previous year. That same season the 166 MM also won the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Targa Florio, completing an extraordinary triple for a single model.
A 1:18 Scale Model in Die-Cast Metal
KK Scale renders the winning car in die-cast metal at 1:18, faithfully reproducing race number 624 in the Rosso Corsa livery carried on 2 April 1949. Die-cast construction at this scale allows the Barchetta's low, tapering flanks, exposed cockpit, and cycle-wing front fenders to read with the clarity the original design deserves. KK Scale has built a reputation for covering significant pre-war and early post-war competition subjects at 1:18, and this 166 MM sits among the more historically grounded releases in that catalogue.
Placing It in a Collection
The No. 624 Ferrari 166 MM anchors any early Ferrari or Mille Miglia specialist display. It pairs naturally with the 1949 Le Mans-winning 166 MM (No. 22, Chinetti/Selsdon) or the 1948 Mille Miglia winner that preceded Biondetti's final triumph. For collectors focused on the Barchetta body style, the Ferrari 212 Export is the logical next step chronologically. Those building a Biondetti narrative across different seasons will find this the definitive centrepiece — four wins, one driver, one open-road race, and the marque's foundation myth rendered at 1:18.
