On the road to 100 years of the Mille Miglia

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There are events that captivate an entire group of people, or even an entire nation. The Tour de France. The World Cup currently taking place. But for many motoring enthusiasts, that event is the Mille Miglia. Over the past few days, this magnificent spectacle once again unfolded across Italy and, although today it bears little resemblance to the original race, Brescia and much of Italy still breathe the spirit of the Mille Miglia.

Our enthusiastic reporter Michiel Brillenburg-Wurth makes the journey every year to meet the participants, admire the cars and, above all, soak up the atmosphere. He explains: “La corsa più bella del mondo has had me – and by now my entire family – under its spell since 1998. Perhaps one day I will drive it myself; for now, I am more than happy standing by the roadside, enjoying yet another unique gathering of cars from the 1927-1957 era.

The 2026 Mille Miglia once again visited some wonderful cities. Brescia, the traditional start and finish location, Siena and the turning point of Rome are annual fixtures on the route. This year, Padua, Montecatini Terme and Rimini served as intermediate overnight stops and restart locations. Watching the cars arrive to loud cheers and enthusiastic applause remains a wonderful celebration.

What makes following and experiencing this event year after year so special are the cars themselves. Many represent marques that disappeared long ago, such as Ermini, or brands absorbed into the Fiat empire, such as OM and Cisitalia. Others vanished independently or changed ownership, such as Austin-Healey, alongside countless other famous names. The cars that actually competed in period form a category of their own, often still carrying their original competition numbers.

The route, once again laid out in a figure-eight configuration this year, provided a real challenge for the crews. In short, it remains an extraordinary experience of which I simply never tire. Until next year! And that will be a special one: 100 years after the very first Mille Miglia. Ciao!

Photos courtesy of the Mille Miglia organisation and others.

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