The Mille Miglia race, an epochal myth
The Mille Miglia race, an epochal myth
The Mille Miglia (thousend miles) 2017 will take place from 18th to 21 may, in its traditional motor racing circuit Brescia – Rome – Brescia.
Tales of racing and speed
Mille Miglia; something not defined, beyond the natural, reminding the old fairy tales we used to listen to eagerly when we were children, stories of fairies, magicians with boots, infinite horizons. Mille Miglia: evocative words that nowadays means progress of vehicles and bravery of men. Mad race, draining, without pit stops, throughout the countryside and the city, the mountain and the seashore, day and night. Roads under the roaring cars, eyes that do not sleep, faces that do not tremble, pilots with nerves of steel.
Giuseppe Tonelli, from “100 macchine si lanciano da Brescia per la “Mille Miglia”, La Stampa, 27th March 1927
So, in the typical futuristic style of the period, the journalist describes the historical race, that still today involves a large number of fans, who come from all over the world to remind the past glories and to animate the world of the vintage cars.
Made in Italy style
Historical cars showing the elegance and the sophistication of the Made in Italy, the technique of skillfull hands of enthusiastic mechanics and designers, the beauty and the use of the best materials, perfectly worked. Lancia, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo among the brands of the Gran Turismo, in a historical era of great development throughout the world.
As the great Enzo Ferrari used to say:
The Mille Miglia teached Italians how to build so well the cars.
We are in front of monuments on four wheels, which cover state and provincial roads, from Brescia to Rome and vice versa, along the Apennines, in a trip accross wonderful places and landscapes, between the scent of the sea, the coolness of the mountains and the colors of the countryside.
The stop-overs will be four: Brescia - Padova; Padova - Rome; Rome - Parma and finally Parma - Brescia.
The itinerary and its history
The development of the Mille Miglia has not always be regular: the race was held 24 times from 1927 to 1957, then again 3 times from 1958 to 1961. Since 1977 the Mille Miglia is regularly organized, but only vintage cars can take part to the race. This is the more practiced formula for the historical races all over the world, as for example the well-known Tour de France Automobile.
Participation is limited to cars produced no later than 1957: such car should have attended or registered to the original race. During the 2017 edition there will be 89 cars: car brands and pilots come from all over the world.
The Mille Miglia Museum
From november 2004, in Sant’Eufemia (Brescia) can be visited the Mille Miglia Museum. It is possible to visit 9 sections, divided in temporal order that retrace the whole history of the Mille Miglia: some vintage cars participating to the race are shown in this museum.
The archive safeguards about 130.000 documents collected by the historical car racer and sport organizer Renzo Castagneto, together with his staff. The documents were collected in different locations of the Automobile Club Brescia, from 1927 to 1957.
Amarcord: the Mille Miglia at the Cinema
“Amarcord”, directed by Federico Fellini, is an absolute masterpiece of the Italian, and not only, cinema. In this film, set in 1933, we can see a scene, where the race pass through the city of Rimini. Rimini was reconstructed for the film shooting at Cinecittà in Rome, but Fellini in this film shows us the moments of aggregation, the roads, moments of simplicity and wonder towards the myth of the moment: the result is a dreamlike and grotesque representation, in a perfect Fellini style.
Then for the fan of this film and for all the enthusiasts it will be an excellent occasion to visit the museum and to take place at the departure on Thursday 18th May from Viale Venezia, near the gardens of Rebuffone in Brescia. The arrival of the race is scheduled on Sunday, May 21st, always in Viale Venezia with the award ceremony, in Piazza della Loggia, in the evening.
Vip Limousine and the transfer NCC for the Mille Miglia
Vip Limousine organizes upon request personalized tours in relationship with the Mille Miglia and transfers NCC from the airports of Milan for the departure and the arrival of the race: our offices, open 24 hour a day and 7 days a week, plan transfers and personalized itineraries connected to this great event. Please refer to the contacts page for further informations.
