The latest installment of the famous race kicks off this week.
The famous auction house, Gooding & Company, and the 1000 Miglia (the modern equivalent to the classic Mille Miglia) have teamed up to form a cross-promotional partnership to make it easier for the wealthy to buy vehicles for the historic race. Gooding & Company will be one of the 1000 Miglia’s biggest sponsors, while the team behind the race will provide eligible vehicles with pre-certification for upcoming races.
This exciting relationship kicks off this week with the annual running of the 1000 Miglia in Italy. The event kicks off in Brescia, where Gooding & Company will display a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita that will be sold at an upcoming auction in London.
“We are honored to partake in this initiative with the 1000 Miglia team, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with one of the most important brands in the history of automotive racing,” said Gooding & Company President and Founder David Gooding.
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“The Spirit of 1000 Miglia is the recognition that is given to the cars that symbolize the authentic essence of the Red Arrow and which stems from the desire to exalt and spread the spirit that, since 1927, has characterized the race that is today recognized as 'the most beautiful race in the world,'” said Alberto Piantoni, CEO of 1000 Miglia.
The 1000 Miglia is no longer as bonkers as it was in 1927. The modern Mille Miglia is not a speed race but rather a week-long rally experience along the classic routes from Brescia to Rome and back.
The original was an endurance race over 1,000 miles of public roads. The overall record still belongs to Sir Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson, who completed the 1,000 miles in 10 hours, seven minutes, and 48 seconds. The glorious Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722 was built to celebrate this record, which still stands today.
As you can imagine, the death toll was substantial. From 1927 to 1957, nearly 60 people, including drivers and spectators, were killed. Also, remember that the race was canceled from 1941 to 1946.
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The Alfa Romeo Gooding & Company will display in Italy this week might seem like an odd choice. Still, it’s worth knowing that the Italian manufacturer has more Mille Miglia victories than anyone else. Its final win was in 1947 with the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Berlinetta Touring. It was the first race after WWII ended. Ferrari dominated the remaining years, with Moss and Jenkinson taking the crown in 1955 and Alberto Ascari winning in a Lancia D24 Spider the year before. Lancia obviously found its niche and would form a very successful rally team many years later.
The 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita is the forefather of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio GTAm. It's a lightweight special with plexiglass windows and aluminum doors, hood, and trunk lid. This particular example never competed in the original Mille Miglia but was restored between 2011 to 2013 to partake in the 2019 running, which it completed.
It will be sold with a FIVA (International Federation for Historic Vehicles) identity card and Registro Mille Miglia homologation, so whoever buys it can enter any upcoming 1000 Miglia events.
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