The Mille Miglia was an open road endurance race that was first popularized in 1927 and ran for many years after that. Unlike races seen at closed circuits, the Mille Miglia was an extensive race that takes place over miles of civilian roads in Italy. Back in 1938 a new race car hit the scene, the BMW 328, and it dominated the Mille Miglia that year. At the time, the vehicle was very advanced and reliable, making in perfect for this type of race. While the official Mille Miglia ended in 1957, today the race has been recreated to capture the essence of classic motor sports. BMW wanted to celebrate its history, so for this years race, many classic BMW’s showed up including the famed 328.
The race began on May 14th and it was an extensive, four-day race that went across nearly the entire country of Italy. The race started in Brescia where drivers and cars left the town to follow the course down the Adriatic coast, primarily traveling on back roads. From there, the course went to Rome and then back up the western side of the country before finally ending back in Brescia. In total, some 1,000 miles or so were covered over those four days. During the course there were several events and time trials for racers to compete in. Since the 328 dominated the race back in the day, BMW signed up six different 328’s to celebrate their heritage and their relationship with the Mille Miglia. The vehicles included a 328 Berlin-Rom Touring Roadster and a 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, which was the model created specifically for the race.
While the Mille Miglia is still a race that’s about going fast, a race of this nature is also an endurance test, both on the driver and the car. The vehicles that compete need to be extremely reliable, versatile, and dependable, and the old 328’s are exactly that. In total, some 438 historic vehicles showed up for the Mille Miglia. While it’s still a competitive race, the Mille Miglia now is more of a celebration of historic and antique race cars of yesteryear. It’s a great event all around, and it lets people truly appreciate classic cars, racing, and how far motoring as a whole has come over the years.
Photo from BMWblog.com
