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Text: Dhruv Behl
Images: Dhruv Behl, Ferrari & The MAC Group |
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| Mille Miglia |
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What is the Mille Miglia? |
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Well, its part rolling museum, part Tour de Italia on four wheels, part annual get together for the world’s most foremost car collectors (who actually like to drive), and certainly the most beautiful road-race in the world – in keeping with its tag line.
The original Mille Miglia, held from 1927-57 (not including the years of WWII of course) is perhaps the most famous road-race in history. Covering 1,000 miles (hence the name) the race goes from Brescia in the North to the Italian capital of Rome, and then back to Brescia – traversing through some of the most beautiful parts of Italy in the process.
In 1927, a few years after Brescia lost the Italian Grand Prix to Monza in Milan, a group of young racing drivers came up with the idea of a road-race to-and-from Brescia. The idea was to cover a large part of Italy, and in doing so take the cars virtually to the front doors of potential buyers, which was an idea that appealed to car manufacturers at the time.
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All the 350+ participants assemble at the Fiera de Brescia (the fairgrounds) before the event to go through scrutineering
(technical checks) |
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A row of icons – a Porsche Speedster, BMW 328, Jaguar XK120, & Mercedes SL300 |
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1953 Jaguar C-type |
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The Mercedes Benz 300SLR made famous by Sir Stirling Moss’s historic win in 1955 – this particular car was driven by two-time F1 champ, Mika Hakinnen |
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This legendary Ferrari 288GTO from the mid-80’s was
one of the 150 Ferrari’s that took part in the Ferrari tribute
to the Mille Miglia |
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A 1926 Bugatti Type 35 being pushed to scrutineering
by Julius Kruta (in stripes), Head of Tradition at Bugatti |
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1950 Ferrari 166MM |
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A row of gullwinged Mercedes 300SL’s from the mid-50’s |
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A row of BMW 328’s, which set the record in 1940 for the highest average speed at the Mille Miglia – at just under 100mph |
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Naturally, the Italian marques dominated the race, especially since their drivers benefitted from local knowledge of the route – home-grown carmaker from Brescia, OM (Officine Meccaniche), took the inaugural victory, followed by three successive victories by Alfa Romeo. But the Germans made quite an impression as well. Rudolf Caracciola won the 5th running of the Mille Miglia in a Mercedes Benz SSK in 1931. Alfa then took another seven victories before Huschke von Hanstein took an aerodynamically enhanced BMW 328 to first place in 1940 at an average speed of just under 100mph – the record for the highest average speed ever at the Mille Miglia. Don’t forget, this was 1940 and the race was run on public roads! Von Hanstein, by the way, went on to become Porsche’s racing director and was instrumental in the sports car maker forging its world beating reputation in the global racing arena.
The post war years were dominated by Ferrari, until Sir Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson, an English motorsport journalist, took a historic victory in 1955. That year, the Mille Miglia was also part of the World Sportscar Championship, so Mercedes mounted an all-out challenge on this famous Italian road-race. The 300SLR driven by Moss was essentially a derivative of their unbeatable 1955 Formula 1 car, rather than a beefed up version of the famous 300SL sports car. It had a 3 litre V8 that (even back then) was front-mid mounted, which is to say that the engine was mounted behind the line of the front axels for better weight distribution. It was also cantered at a 33-degree angle for a better aerodynamic profile, which gave the bonnet its distinctive bulge on the passenger side. All of this allowed Moss to complete the race in just 10 hours and 7 minutes, which was to remain the fastest time on that particular variant of the course. The English pair finished about 30 minutes ahead of Fangio in the same car – but then the legendary Argentinean was driving solo because he considered road-races too unsafe to take a passenger along for the ride. Nevertheless, the 1955 Mille Miglia win cemented Moss’s place as one of the all-time greats – despite never winning an F1 world championship. |
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The different faces of the Mille Miglia – Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes, and more |
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1952 Aston Martin DB3 |
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The iconic kidney grille of the late 30’s BMW 328 |
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A 1951 Allard J2 Sport from the UK |
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1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial |
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1938 Alfa Romeo 8C |
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1934 Lagonda 4.5 Rapide |
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A Ferrari F430 in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City |
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1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL |
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1955 Ferrari 750 Monza |
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1955 Ferrari 250GT |
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A row of impeccable BMW 328’s from BMW Classic |
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A similar SLR was driven this year in the Miglia by two-time F1 champion Mika Hakinnen. And about a dozen other iconic 300SL gullwings also participated in the race. As an aside, the gull-wing doors were used on the 300SL not merely for purposes of style, but because the spaceframe construction of the chassis required high sill beams on each side, which meant that the engineers had no choice but to hinge the doors on the roof – thereby creating an automotive icon that will forever capture the imagination of people.
1955, however, was also a tragic year for Mercedes. In Le Mans the same year, a Frenchman named Pierre Levegh, driving for Mercedes, got caught out by a slower car on the main straight and got catapulted into the crowd, killing himself and 82 spectators – the worst accident in the history of motorsport, causing Mercedes to withdraw from all forms of motorsport till the mid 1980’s. In fact, it was safety concerns that caused the Mille Miglia to be cancelled following the 1957 race, in which the left front tire of Alfonso de Portago’s Ferrari blew – sending him off the road and into the crowd lining the road, resulting in the death of 10 people.
Today, the Mille Miglia is more of a reliability trial for 350+ of the most iconic cars in the history of the automobile. It’s a TSD (time-speed-distance) event where participants are required to maintain a certain average speed over the course of the event – only now you get 3 days to cover 1,000 miles or 1,600 kilometers. It’s still fiercely competitive at the front though. And while an average speed of roughly 50km/h doesn’t seem like much, it’s quite a bit when you taken into account that the Miglia stays off the Autostrade in an attempt to stay as faithful to the original route as possible. The event is broken up into three legs: the first is from Brescia to Bologna, which takes you through the Garda lakes – specifically, you drive through the main piazza of the beautiful lakeside town of Desenzano del Garda. From there you make your way through the main square of the historic city of Verona, which was made famous by Shakespeare’s tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet. |
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A 1962 Ferrari 250GT Lusso takes the start (of the Ferrari Tribute to the Mille Miglia)
at Brescia’s Viale Venezia as the Italian flag drops |
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1927 Bentley Speed Six |
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1927 Bugatti Type 37 |
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1930 Alfa Romeo 6C |
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A row of modern day Ferrari’s – part of the Ferrari Tribute to
the Mille Miglia – in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, following the on-stage parade at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome |
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Backtracking a little bit, the race starts from Viale Venezia in Brescia, and the first thing you notice is the intense support from the locals. The Mille Miglia has a heritage that goes back a long way, and it’s one that’s still very much embraced by people of this region. There are huge crowds not only at the start, but also lining the road almost all the way through the entire 1,000 miles. Restaurants set up tables on the side of the road so people can dine with the sights and sounds of these majestic automobiles roaring by. The police urge participants to go faster still, and the locals literally drive off the road to ensure smooth passage for the participating vehicles. You get a real sense of the pride that Italy still has for this legendary road-race. The Freccia Rossa (red arrow) points the way, as it did in 1927 – the lasting symbol of the Mille Miglia, and in many ways truly the ‘mark of the myth.’
Day two takes you from Bologna to Rome, with a stop for lunch at the beautiful little town of Sansepolcro. Rome is where the action is though, as there’s a procession of the cars through the cobblestone streets of the Italian capital criss-crossing the Tiber River. Naturally, Vatican City is on the course as well, before an on-stage parade at Castel Sant’Angelo, which has a secret passage directly to the Pope’s chambers. The sight of 150 Ferrari’s and 350 classics in the heart of the gorgeous Italian capital is enough to give you goose bumps. Ferrari runs an event alongside the Mille Miglia wherein owners from all over the world bring their Ferrari’s back to the motherland to follow the same course as the race, as a tribute to the Mille Miglia – fitting since the Prancing Horse claimed victory 8 times in the race, including in the final race of 1957. |
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1927 BNC 527 Monza |
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1929 Mercedes Benz SSK
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1940 Siata 1100 coupe
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1932 MG C-Type Midget
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Participants lined up for an evening start
at Brescia’s Viale Venezia |
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1939 BMW 328
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1948 Fiat Motor RG |
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Day three goes all the way from Rome back to Brescia, through some of the most beautiful towns and cities in Tuscany. The most beautiful setting of all has to be Piazza del Campo in Siena, a medieval square in the heart of this historic city – and like many other sites en route, the privilege to actually drive through the piazza is reserved only once a year. You could, however, choose to ride in the Palio di Siena – only if you’re a bit of a daredevil though, and one of the best jockeys in Italy. This famous horse race is still held twice a year, during which time the piazza is covered in a thick layer of dirt to set the stage for a challenge involving ten riders racing bareback for the pride of their respective province. But, believe it or not, the next destination was equally exotic – Florence, known as the art capital of Italy. Unfortunately a stop at the famous Uffizi gallery was out of the question, but some stunning mountain passes lay in wait before reaching Modena, now the home of Maserati, and Maranello, the hallowed home of Ferrari. From there it was the final stretch back to Brescia’s Viale Venezia – where there was some late night rain to add to the finish line atmosphere. A lot of very tired, yet triumphant, drivers and co-drivers crossed the finish line before they headed to the Fiera de Brescia (the fairgrounds) to give their vehicles some well deserved rest.
The fairgrounds are also where I got my first taste of the Mille Miglia four days prior. The cars all assemble at the Feira to go through scrutineering (technical checks) prior to being allotted a start number. As I walked into this massive hall, the size of multiple football fields, I was struck by the sight of hundreds of automotive icons dating back roughly through the first half of the 20th century. The 20’s and 30’s were represented by the massive blower Bentley’s and delicate Bugatti’s. Of course, there were all things Italian like Alfa Romeo’s, Fiat’s, Abarth’s, Lancia’s, and Ferrari’s. The British weren’t far behind either with a huge number of Jaguar’s (ranging from XK120’s, C Type’s, and D Type’s), Aston Martin’s, Lagonda’s, Bristol’s, MG’s, and Healey’s. Of course, there were BMW 328’s and Mercedes 300SL’s aplenty, as well as Porsche 550 Spyder’s and Speedster’s. Many of the German cars were from the manufacturers’ respective museums, which meant that they were in absolutely impeccable condition. From the US, there was even a Ford Thunderbird convertible, which was perhaps the loudest car at the Miglia with its massive American V8. |
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1956 Maserati 2000 Competition Coupe Zagato |
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1954 Fiat Ottovu 106 Sport V8 |
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Two-time F1 champion Mika Hakinnen behind the
wheel of a 1955 Mercedes Benz SLR – made famous
by Sir Stirling Moss’s historic win in 1955 |
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Heading from Florence to Bologna via the Futa Pass in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine Mountains |
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1956 Aston Martin DBR1 |
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1957 Citroen DS |
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1953 Ferrari 250MM Berlinetta |
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The original Mille Miglia trophy, which includes names (and faces) of the likes of Nuvolari, Caracciola, Ascari, and Moss |
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At the end of an incredible experience, all I can say is that the Mille Miglia is so much more than just a race – it always has been. In the past, it was about a display of engineering, but also about daring, overcoming challenges, and approaching the limit of man and machine. Today, it remains about all of those things, but it’s also about heritage, culture, and passion – all of which Italy, of course, and the Mille Miglia as well, has in spades. The participants aren’t merely car collectors who have the means, but also those who have the passion to drive these priceless classics the way they were really meant to be driven – thundering through the mountains come rain or shine. And it’s because of this passion that this incredible legacy lives on for us to experience and enjoy in the present day. Here’s to the power of the Freccia Rossa – the famous red arrow that points the way even today. |
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Old and new – the Mille Miglia spans the ages |
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Another example of old and new – a 1955 Ferrari 121LM & a 2010 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG |
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An impressionist view of the on-stage parade at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome |
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The Miglia driving through Piazza del Campo in Siena, a medieval square in the heart of this historic & beautiful Tuscan city |
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A 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC in front of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello |
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A Jaguar XK140 entering the main square in Florence to much fanfare |
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A 1955 AC Ace entering the beautiful little town of Sansepolcro
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A 1954 Porsche 356 1500 Coupe lining up for the on-stage parade at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome
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The incredibly supportive (and stylish) Italian police |
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The winning couple of Girodano Mozzi and Stefania Biacca celebrate their victory in a 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans – while Sandro Binelli, President, MAC Group, organiser of the event, shares their joy, and perhaps also celebrates the end of another successful Mille Miglia |
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