Francisco Carrion
TEXT: FRANCISCO CARRIÓN / PHOTO FEATURES: JAVIER ROMAGOSA
The Mille Miglia, the quintessential road event worldwide, it returns to Italy between May 16 and 18 with its traditional Brescia-Rome-Brescia route. In scoop and almost live, as we have taken the photographs in Brescia during the first few meters of the route, from The Escuderia We attend this authentic spectacle, ecstatic with the quality that the closed park offers year after year. This "classic" edition has almost nothing to envy to the authentic races that took place from the 20s to the 50s, but this "almost" we will see later.
The departure from Brescia It happens, like everything in the Mille Miglia, in a spectacular setting in the historic center of the city. And even some sponsors, brands or specialized companies such as the German restaurateur Kienle they set up small stands there. From what we have seen on this first day we can highlight that many of the 450 teams that participate "officially" do so on the back of Mercedes Benz 300 SL Seagull wings.
For example, there is only one spanish team enrolled this year, and they come with one of these cars. Their number overwhelms and exceeds twenty, and we can affirm without fear of being wrong that these Mercedes have been crowned as the “911 of the Mille Miglia”; an expensive and exclusive car that based on repetition in this event they almost lose interest.
If you keep - or increase - your interest several cars that come recently restored like a beautiful Aston Martin DB2 / 4 Roadster bodied by Bertone in the early 50s, or a demure Fiat 8V Zagato that he had little to envy the Ferraris of the time. And speaking of Ferrari, apart from the many and varied traditional trays of the Mille Miglia, this year we have been able to see the Ferrari 212 Inter from 1953 that Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman used for long trips, who also participates fully equipped with a roof rack. era and two huge briefcases on it.
Mille Miglia 2018: Famous, popular and some setback
The theme of "famoseo" It is also something very widespread and common in the Mille Miglia, and not only with personalities from the past; currently many brands invite retired drivers, as was the case with Alfa Romeo this year. At the controls of a 6C 2300 from 1934 we have seen the former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella, for example.
And although luxury and glamor are the norm, you can also participate in the Mille Miglia with popular cars, provided they had run in the original race. Thus we have observed the occasional Triumph TR3, and even a humble Simca Aronde arrived from Holland, a curious case in which the price of the registration most likely exceeds that of the participating car itself.
The jury that accepts the applications toughens the scale every year, and yet even in this 2018 edition we have been able to see some other goof at the exit of Brescia. A Mercedes Benz 190 SL equipped with horrible modern rims or a safety arch is something that we did not expect, but much less could we imagine finding ourselves with a whole “goof”, verified and ready to participate: A Fiat 1500 from 1937 that was born with a sober 4-door saloon body, recently re-trimmed in Belgium. To finish the cake, the car has inappropriate Jaguar XK wheels, and was auctioned by Bonhams in Paris in 2016, so the information was available to anyone!
Finally, a very unfortunate event that took place when the Mille Miglia had not even started. Few days before it has been stolen whole Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cabriolet Touring from 1942 that was already registered as a participant, and they have taken it on the trailer in which it was transported to the event. With the bow on, let's go. Let's hope the car recovers soon, and in the meantime we still have two days to enjoy the most exciting race in the world.
