The best things in Italy arise from stubbornness, discontent or a feud. And so the story of the legendary Mille Miglia begins with Aymo Maggi, Franco Mazzotti and Renzo Castagneto. These three gentlemen from the Italian city Brescia were not happy with the new Milano circuit Monza taking away all the attention from their race, Gran Premio di Brescia.
They eventually started their own race out stubbornness. A road race from Brescia to Rome and back, a 1000 miles of sharp corners and steep hills. In 1927 the first Coppa delle Mille Miglia took place. When it ended, Benito Mussolini himself sent a telegram with only one word, "Continua!". The race continued to exist for thirty years after, until the curtain fell over legendary race out of safety concerns.
In 1967, forty years after the first Mille Miglia, another rally was held around Brescia with cars from the pre-war Mille Miglia, and it was repeated ten years later. Since 1982, the Mille Miglia has been organized approximately every year, and is only accessible to cars that participated in the original Mille Miglia race. Once again, it is driven from Brescia to Rome and back, as it was done in the 1930s.
Leave a comment