The 2024 Mille Miglia

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Day Five: Finish in Brescia
The days have gone by so fast—it is already the last day of the 2024 edition of the Mille Miglia. There is no doubt that the Italians keep their rich automotive heritage alive. Today, again, more passionate Italians are to be seen all along the route, which is what in my opinion makes it the "The most beautiful race in the world." That is,, of course, if we don't count the parts of the route which wind through the hills and mountains with the wonderful views and the historic towns, joyfully decorated with flags for the festivities.

Along the shores of Lake Garda, the terraces are jam packed, and waiting for a table is something I would not recommend. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves very much, and with music drifting through the air, it's a great party! The car clubs have also turned out in force.

The fact that I still give hand signals when making a turn and don't drive round the roundabouts at 100 m.p.h. indicates that I still have a lot to learn. For us it is not so much about the competition (we have finished 229th) but much more about the whole experience, and even just completing the route...

...Which we have done! We've made it back to Brescia. After lining up all cars in order of their starting numbers, we now drive in convoy to the Viale Venezia where we are awarded a bottle of Villa Trasqua wine and on stage the medals are hung around our necks.

We have proven it is possible to complete the Mille Miglia in a 1926 Sunbeam (number 27) without a service team! As some of  you have mentioned in the comments, always carry the most essential tools and some parts. I have no doubt we all prefer driving between the classic cars instead of driving miles behind a support and/or assistanza van. Even worse are those with trailers, as I have not seen one of them behaving in a way that is conducive to smooth driving. I realise not all cars are spacious enough for every tool or spare, and not all drivers and navigators are expert mechanicians, so the "pit stops" along the route are a great idea.

It is just so unnecessary, though, to have a modern car with seven jerry cans of petrol,. Just stop at the petrol stations and fill your car up yourself. That surely makes it so much more enjoyable. Anyway, enough said about that.

It has been an absolutely excellent experience—one to tick from my must-do list. I would like to thank Michel for being a great co-pilot. We had such a fun and enjoyable time, and by alternating driving and navigating I acquired the knowhow for all aspects of the Mille Miglia. Thanks are also due to our supportive family, the organisers, the Villa Trasqua team, Niko Bloemendaal for the beautiful pictures he took, the polizia for making sure everything ran as smoothly as possible, not to mention the people who hang up, across the whole route, the famous red arrow sign, making navigation nice and easy.

Most of all, though, we want to thank the people along the route, young and old, for passionately participating in the spirit of the event. Let’s keep the history alive!

Meanwhile, in Brescia, we hear reports that the party is still going on…

Mille saluti,
Morris

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Update day 4: packed squares and streets, what a great atmosphere
Another early start today, to leave Rome for a 550km drive to San Lazzaro di Savena. But it was all worth it, because what a great route we covered again and what a beautiful country Italy is from a classic, open car. Once again, we enjoyed ourselves. Of the many hills, the olive trees along the road, the romantic towns and the beautiful views
We were not to be the only ones enjoying ourselves. It seemed like everyone was off today to watch the Mille Miglia, it was overwhelming. All along the side of the road there were people, some very fanatical with participant lists. Number 27, check. Look up and tick off. There were people sitting under a tree on a picnic blanket, some from the back of a van or just from their seats on the side. It was a great atmosphere!

The competition and time trials were mainly over dry dirt tracks, which produced the necessary dust clouds. Big dust clouds, which undoubtedly made for great places.

And then came Siena, the place where in previous years the great photos had been taken during the lunch stop. I have been there a few times to look around as a tourist and it is beautiful. However driving through it is of a whole other dimension, enjoyable and exciting at the same time. There were so many people, it was almost impossible to get through. People were tripping over each other in the small streets around the historic square. And although it was not a lunch stop this year, it turned out to be a small stop and the historic city centre was once again decked out with the tricolore carpet; bellissimo!
However, there was not much time to enjoy this magical moment, because after 5 minutes we already had to drive again; to Prato. The few people who had not taken today off now came out of work to watch the most beautiful race in the world. We were warmly welcomed in this beautiful village.

The sun was setting as we still had 50km to go, it got darker and darker until we reached the finish line. One last lap through a crowded town and time for a drink. How much we enjoyed ourselves, thanks to everyone who came to watch and provided this great atmosphere. Tomorrow is the last day, with the finish in Brescia. Hope to see you then! 

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Day Three: We are in Rome!
After a well-deserved beer, if you ask me, here we are with another update on the third day of the 2024 Mille Miglia. We are in Rome or, In other words, halfway along the route! Our car, a 1926 Sunbeam Super Sports, has been performing superbly so far. Apart from requesting a couple of new spark plugs, it's been firing away beautifully.

This morning, our start is at 6.08, as we are number 27. Although early, there are already many people all along the roadside. It's great to see—people of all ages, and different types of people from different countries, all gathered side-by-side to cheer the cars and participants, help us speed along with each wave of their pretty tricolori, and capture thousands of photographs to treasure as mementoes.

Rolling hills instead of mountains make today's route easier to drive than yesterday's. It remains a breathtaking course, although in the cities it can be very busy—pure chaos, in fact. I've been told that they're always that way, so I am prepared for them. I have also been told about the police escorts, but I never expected them to go at sich high speeds. Keeping close to the polizia is (almost) impossible to do safely, with all the normal traffic. And then if there is a gap, you can rely on another participant to fly into it. Such experiences, shall we say, give us an adrenaline boost after 14 hours of driving.
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At last we arrive in Rome; with intersections closed, we race past the crowd into the city and across the stage, with, as an encore, a lap around the city behind the polizia, whizzing past the Colosseum. What a way to end a beautiful but long day. Cheers!

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Day Two: Through the clouds to the sea
What an amazing route today, first through beautiful Tuscany and then through the magical mountains. The morning, however, could certainly be described as challenging, with the combination of rain and malfunctioning windscreen wipers causing us to drive mostly hanging out the side of the car. Although visibility is very poor, the clouds are making the route look almost otherworldy. It's magnificent.

The method of descent on the mountain passes is to put the Sunbeam in low gear, to avoid overheating the brakes, and just roll along with the thunder burbling from the exhaust, enjoying the romantic Italian landscape.

The word of the day is 'hairpin.' Whether it is our favourite word, I won't say, but you will understand how I feel about it, driving a tourer with a long wheelbase and the turning circle of a barge. Yes, it's a tough workout and my arms are beginning to ache, but this is driving at its purest and most engaging, and I'm enjoying every second of it. Video footage will follow soon.

Arriving at the top of the mountains, we're treated to some great views, and we can even see our next stop, Genova, where we can look forward to being served platters of Italian delicacies.

The weather remains unpredictable and very variable. We put on some suncream, only for it to be washed off by some sudden rain. We put it on again, and it gets washed off again, and so the process is repeated over and over. From our appearances, it's pretty clear who's been driving an open car and who's had the luxury of a roof. The two white stripes on my legs, where the steering wheel blocked the sun, are a bit of a giveaway...

Today's final stage is to Viareggio, the elongated seaside resort. The finish is in the southernmost part of the Viale Europa and it we know when we've arrived because of the heavy traffic. We've suffered a lot of delays but the finish makes up for everything. Many enthusiasts, including my family, have been waiting to greet us—truly a wonderful end to a great day.

Mille saluti,
Morris

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Day One: A wet start

After having been to Italy to watch the Mille Miglia for the last few years with the family it was now my turn to have a go and expeience it for myself, a great opportuniy for which I am very grateful.

The rain is pouring on the way from the Mille Miglia Museum to the starting grid, but the moment we drive across the podium, the adventure really begins and the sun is starting to shine. At last, all the months of preparation and paperwork are behind us and lots of fun lays ahead.

You can really tell I'm a beginner, and I definitely need to 'be a man' about all this—but how am I supposed to do that when I'm a woman? It seems that the more times you have participated, the more you are entitled to ‘own’ the road, or at least that's what some people seem to think. There are some who are very arrogant, and really couldn't give a thought for others. Sometimes you can pass ‘normal’ traffic with a police escort, but there are some who pass traffic jams just hoping for the best.

It's raining once more, and by the time we've more or less been dried out by the sun and wind, it's started raining again... but that's all part of the fun and the spirit of adventure, right? Although, being Italy, one might have hoped for more Mediterranean weather. The route is only so-so, but the people along the side of the road, mostly in towns, are waving so enthusiastically, some of them with flags, and thousands of photos are being taken.

The only thing I really don't understand is the 'support' cars. What is the definition of a ‘support car’, does it also give mental support?! By driving in front of the classics, with hazard lights clearing the road, and some rather questionable manoeuvres, when there are three cars between them, exactly what kind of support are they providing? And they seem to like to push their weight around. I understand they might have tools and spares with them, but come on guys... do you really need a support team just to put the hardtop on your car?!

Mille saluti,
Morris

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The sun is shining, glasses full of ice-cold refreshment are being jovially clinked, and freshly-cut slices of sizzling pizza fill the Piazza della Vittoria with a warm and welcoming aroma. All around the square, Ferraris of all different sorts are lined up seemingly at random, their graceful beauty contrasting with the stark severity of the Fascist-era architecture. The sound of laughter from visitors and drivers rings through the air. Flags adorned with the famous red arrow flutter in the breeze. It can only mean one thing: the Mille Miglia has returned and all of Brescia is under its spell. Yesterday afternoon, at 6.00 p.m., the cars and participants were blessed by the Pope and today, June 11, is the official start of the race from Viale Venezia. As always, it promises to be a great sight.

The PreWarCar.com and PostWarClassic.com team will be present again, and this year the elegant Morris is taking the wheel for the historic thousand-mile trek.

During the week, we will try to provide photographic updates whenever possible, so be sure to keep an eye on these pages.

The programme

Today, after the start at 12.30, the route will wind from Brescia, viâ Bergamo, Novara and Vercelli, to Turin. Wednesday will see the cars start again at 7.00 to head south, through the Langhe region and viâ Acqui Terme to lunch in Genoa. Taking the coastline, they will finally stop for the night in Viareggio, just before Pisa. 

Thursday will see the drivers reach the southernmost point of the course, taking in Lucca and a lunch break in Castiglione della Pescaia. Afterwards Rome will be reached and, after parading past the ancient walls of the might Colosseum, the rolling museum will arrive at one of the most elegant streets in the city, the Via Vittorio Veneto.

On Friday, early in the morning, the return journey will get underway, with the teams driving first to Orvieto and then to Solomeo, where lunch takes place. After the break, the procession will continue to Siena and Prato and then pass through Futa and Raticosa, which precede the arrival in San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna.

On the final day, Saturday, June 15th, the route passes through Ferrara, Bovolone and Villafranca, then along the shores of Lake Garda, where lie the lush vineyards of the Valtenesi and picturesque villages such as Salò, ultimately returning to the Viale Venezia in Brescia to finish with a grand party.

Photos

Thanks to the Villa Trasqua team, we can use the photos made by the one and only Niko Bloemendal of Bloemendal Fotografie. Besides his photos, we took our own camera with us and shoot some nice pictures of what we think has captured the athmosphere of the event. Enjoy!

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