1000 Mille Miglia 2023: Favorites, Guests, and Curiosities

The Mille Miglia, the iconic Italian classic car race that took place between 1927 and 1957, is not merely a nostalgic event anymore. It has evolved into a symbol of Italian style and vision, fearlessly embracing the challenges of the present while cherishing its history of innovation, beauty, and uniqueness.

The 2023 edition of the 1000 Miglia has finally started in Brescia, Italy. At 12:30 p.m. the first of the 417 cars in the race (15 of which on the Special List), a 1927 O.M. 665 SUPERBA , led the way to Brescia Castle, where the first block of Time Trials took place. After the Passage Control in Piazza Vittoria, the convoy then left Brescia to head towards the Ghedi Military Airbase, the first of the five symbolic places where the race will pass on the occasion of the Air Force Centenary.

On the first day of the race, the crews will cover some 360 kilometres, out of a total of more than 2000 for this unprecedented five-leg edition, towards Cervia-Milano Marittima. Over the next few days, drivers and co-drivers will have to test themselves in 34 Passage Controls, 23 Time Controls, 144 Time Trials and 8 Average Trials with 25 secret detections. The absolute new feature of this year’s route is the passage through Piedmont, which has two precedents only in the historic speed race in 1947-48.

More than 400 cars were present on Mille Miglia‘s Brescia platform. There were well-known personalities and familiar faces, starting with the crews favoured for victory.

At the starting line, there were all three crews which were on the podium of the previous edition, Vesco Salvinelli, Belometti-Bergomi and Turelli-Turelli, who will battle to the last hundredth of a second. Of interest, Giovanni Moceri, winner in 2019, alongside Osvaldo Peli in the 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS SPIDER ZAGATO with number 64.

Daniele Turrisi and Filippo Sole enters the competition in the 1925 LANCIA LAMBDA SPIDER TYPE 214 CASARO number 14 in which they won the Warm UP USA 2022. Matteo Belotti and Ingrid Plebani will drive the 1927 Bugatti T37A in which they triumphed at the Coppa delle Alpi 2023.

A few minutes before the start, a Topolino driven by Alfredo Coppellotti and Giovanni Corazza appeared on the platform to relive the excitement of the start, 70 years after the 1953 edition of 1000 Miglia: today, both over ninety years of age, they represent the daring drivers who took part in the 1000 Miglia speed race.

Matteo Marzotto, the exceptional co-driver of the Self-driving Car, will also celebrate the 1953 edition of 1000 Miglia that was won by his uncle Giannino, the unforgettable driver who was the first to cross the finish line in a suit and tie.

Csaba dalla Zorza, Roberta Ruiu, Paola Turani, Giulia Valentina, Ludovica Frasca and Irene Saderini will take turns in the Pink Car, the official car of the 1000 Miglia Charity that will raise public awareness for fundraising in favour of research against female tumours.

Paolo Piva, Giancarlo Fisichella, Alessio Frassinetti, Piero Pelù and Francesca Manzini will be broadcasting a podcast from a Tesla entered in the 1000 Miglia Green. The official voices of Radio Deejay, led by Rudy Zerbi, will take turns in the car of the Radio Partner of the 1000 Miglia 2023 for live reports from the route and leg finishes.

Alongside the main classic car race there will be several collateral events this year that further enhance the Mille Miglia experience.

One of them is the Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia, a regularity race exclusively for Cavallino Rampante models built after 1958. This race precedes the convoy of vintage cars, adding an extra thrill to the proceedings. Additionally, the 1000 Miglia Green will showcase alternative fuel-powered vehicles, emphasizing the event’s commitment to sustainability. As part of the Green format, the Green Talk, a discussion on innovations and trends in future mobility, was streamed on the official website, 1000miglia.it, on the morning of Thursday, June 8.

In this year of Brescia being designated as the Capital of Culture, the Mille Miglia will celebrate its partnership with the city by gifting an artistic installation by Sabine Marcelis, the acclaimed designer of the year at Milan Design Week. This installation will be unveiled at the 1000 Miglia Village on Sunday afternoon, June 11. Another significant highlight of this year’s event is the Maserati MC20 Cielo from the 1000 Miglia Autonomous Drive project. This vehicle will be the first autonomous car to navigate public roads. Supervised by Matteo Marzotto, the car will showcase cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.

Apart from the main event, there have been several other notable occasions leading up to the Mille Miglia. The year commenced with the successful third edition of the Coppa delle Alpi by 1000 Miglia, a winter regularity competition where 76 crews competed along a 1,100 km route across the Alpine region. From March 31 to April 2, Sorrento Roads took the Red Arrow from the Gulf of Sorrento to the Gulf of Naples, offering breathtaking views of the vastness of the Royal Palace of Caserta and the dramatic cliffs of the Amalfi Coast. In May, the 1000 Miglia journeyed to the Ticino region for the Warm Up CH, a weekend of training in regularity racing. September will witness the Mille Miglia celebration in Japan with the Festa Mille Miglia, followed by the established Warm Up USA in the Washington D.C. area. Finally, the year will conclude with the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE, replicating the success of the 2022 edition, which hosted the largest gathering of vintage cars ever seen in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Mille Miglia 2023 event is not just a race; it is a convergence of history, automotive excellence, and forward-thinking innovation. With each passing year, it continues to captivate enthusiasts and participants alike, showcasing the enduring spirit of an iconic event that has transcended time.