Mille miglia, 1743 kilometers or a thousand miles across Italy, from Brescia to Rome and back, racing through the beautiful countryside landscapes. Some say it's the most beautiful race... in the world. I can't disagree for sure, even if, shame on me, it's the only race I've ever seen until now.
For sure it's a blast on the past, hundreds of cars, 450 in this 2018 edition, all of them produced between 1927 and 1957 as the rules requires. Exactly like sixty years ago, only the models which took part at the first editions of this race are allowed to participate. Sad thought because I’d really fancied to see, one day, Richard Hammond’s Opel kadett, Oliver, gloriously ran across Via Veneto, one of the most beautiful roads of the Italian capital.
The idea of this race came up from Count Aymo Maggi, who, gutted by the fact his city, Brescia wasn't chosen for the Gran Premio d’Italia, with the help of Renzo Castagneto and some financial help from others members of local nobility, Maggi give the start to this race, which after had been through some troubles across the years, still last nowadays.
The initial seventy cars of the first edition had become more than 700 in 2017 race and the route it's changed more than once since 1927. Meanwhile WW2 the event was suspended and after 1957, the annual race was suppressed, only after twenty years, in 1977 this event had a second birth as race for historical cars. From the almost total majority of Italian participants of the first race, when only two cars where from France, now pilots and co drivers from all around the world take part at this incredible race.
Incredible it's the right word, waiting before the finishing line of the leg, on top of Via Veneto, choked by the smell from the exhausts and deaf cause the roar and sputtering of the engines, the view I had was magnificent. The slow parade of old cars was astonishing, Maserati, Porsches, Ferrari, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin, Jaguar and Mercedes and so many other I didn't recognized, in my newbie ignorance.
From my spot I had the occasion to look closely, the cars were aligned waiting for their turn to pass in front of the stage, beeping the horns and cheering at the crowd, taking photos or revving the engines. The drivers, most of them with racing suits and helmets with goggles looked just come out of a time machine, except for Gopro cameras and sat-navs systems fitted in the cars. It was a beautiful mess, noisy, smelly and colorful. I didn't even saw all the cars pass by, after three hours I walked back to the metro and went home sadly, next year I hopefully will stay until the last one arrive, maybe closer to the stage and with a Drivetribe badge!
For more information about the race, here it is the official website of the event, there's a complete list of all the cars allowed to participate as well.
I leave here some photos, not the better quality … in the world but this is what I got.
1928 Bugatti T40 and 1927 Lancia Lambda VII serie Casaro
1935 Fiat 508 CS MM Berlinetta
1928 Bugatti T35 B
1955 O.S.C.A. TN 1500
1955 Mercedes-Benz 180 D
1956 Fiat 750 GT Zagato Abarth
1949 Lancia Aprilia 500 and in green 1951 Fiat 500 C Topolino
1933 INVICTA S
1952 Panhard Dyna X86 and 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Bertone
Sorry I can't figure what they are, my bad.
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Comments (3)
Nice work!
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