The Mille Miglia, often labelled as the world’s most romantic motor race, traces a challenging route of more than 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) across northern and central Italy from Brescia, the industrious Lombard city long reputed to be the cradle of Italian motorsport, down to Rome and back again. The 2025 edition, held between 17 to 21 June, featured all models that originally participated between the 1927 and 1957 race. What began almost a century ago as a daring speed trial is now a moving memorial of the engineering, endurance and elegance of the motor sport of the early 20th century.
Alexandra Dubsky
2 February 2026
“What started as a local family run event that was held as a fun competition among friends has turned into an international multi-million-dollar high ticket marketing event that is a genuine business venture”, said an industry insider who runs a company in the Italian motor valley that provides technical support service during classic car events such as the Mille Miglia among others on condition of anonymity.
The event that has once started as an extended family gathering of old timer car aficionados is today a mega event of some 400 participants, according to the company website.
Behind the romance lies an outstanding robust business model. Official entry fees start at around €15 000, while comprehensive hospitality packages including logistics, transport, and concierge support can exceed €75 000. For collectors, that’s just the start, transporting a rare Ferrari 250 MM or Jaguar XK120 can cost tens of thousands more, not to mention insurance and restoration.
International tour operators sell “join the Mille Miglia” experience packages to mainly Northern European drivers, such as Scandinavians Nostalgic (German), Select Motor Racing (UK), Twynham Tours (UK) or Daytona (Denmark) who primarily cater to Scandinavian participants.
The Mille Miglia used to be a truly global event, now it has turned increasingly into a German / Northern European race, with most contestants coming from this part of the continent, the industry insider continued.
Luxury brands see the Mille Miglia as a marketing jewel. Chopard, the Swiss watchmaker, has been the official timekeeper since 1988, releasing annual limited-edition chronographs that have become famous collectibles. Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Pirelli and Brembo are regular partners who are keen to align their heritage stories with the race’s legacy.
The Mille Miglia was indeed born out of local pride. In 1926, when Brescia lost the Italian Grand Prix to Monza, four local visionaries, Aymo Maggi, Franco Mazzotti, Renzo Castagneto and Giovanni Canestrini, chose to host their own race. The concept was a thousand-mile road challenge from Brescia to Rome and back, crossing the heart of Italy’s most demanding territory.
The first competition in 1927 featured 77 starters and 51 finishers, with victory claimed by Minoia and Morandi in an OM 665 Superba, averaging a then-outstanding 77 km/h. Within several years, the Mille Miglia turned into the ultimate test for cars and daring drivers.
Manufacturers like Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and later Ferrari used the race as a test center for innovation, proving reliability, aerodynamic and engine technology on public roads. By the 1930s, the Mille Miglia had become Europe’s most famous road race, drawing global attention that has shaped the modern motorsport era until today.
After World War II, the Mille Miglia became an icon of Italy’s revival. It was during this time that Enzo Ferrari used the race to showcase his new cars, creating legends such as the Ferrari 166 MM and the 340 America.
Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson set a constant record in 1955. Some 1000 miles in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, at an average of 157.65 km/h in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Their result is widely considered the greatest single drive in racing history.
The vision ended suddenly in 1957, after a crash near Guidizzolo in Lombardy took several lives. The Italian government prohibited high-speed road racing, and the Mille Miglia disappeared into legend, until its return some 30 years later.
Since 1987, the Mille Miglia has been renewed as a regularity rally, a driving event where stability and timing matter more than just speed. Yet the spirit is still very much present in the cars, and of course the cheering crowds.
The 2025 route once again linked Brescia, Cervia Milano Marittima, Rome, Bologna, Parma and back to Brescia, tracing the same roads than nearly a century ago. Famous contestants of the last 10 years have included global collectors, racing veterans and celebrities such as Brian Johnson (frontman of AC/DC), the Oscar-winner actor Jeremy Irons or Jodie Kidd, the British model and television personality, to name a few.
The Mille Miglia is also a tourism powerhouse. Towns along the route see hotel occupancy soar to some 100% during race week. The 2025 edition generated an estimated €30–80 million in direct and indirect spending, including hospitality, dining, transportation and retail. For regions like Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, it’s one of the biggest annual injections of high-end tourism revenue.
The Mille Miglia’s broadcast reach and social media exposure also amplify Italy’s global image as a hub of design, craftsmanship and lifestyle.
The Mille Miglia brand has further been developed into an international franchise, with six international “1000 Miglia” events listed by the official 1000 Miglia organization who carry the authorized Red Arrow brand outside Ital, additionally to the original Italian 1000 Miglia itself and numerous independently run “1000-millas/1000-miglia” style rallies all over the world. Those include the official warm up events in Austria and Switzerland as well as the full experiences in Greece, China, UAE and USA.
That trend is likely to grow into even more licensed events globally, according to the industry estimates.
The Mille Miglia’s local charm lies in its accessibility. Unlike most historic races, the cars drive through everyday streets, markets, piazzas and mountain passes where spectators can reach out and touch history.
Local artisans sell hand-stitched driving gloves and leather helmets. Museums curate Mille Miglia-themed exhibits. Families plan holidays around the route, and towns compete for the most festive roadside welcome.
As the Mille Miglia approaches its centenary in 2027, its relevance continues to grow. For Italy, it’s not just a commemoration, it’s an affirmation of identity.
The Mille Miglia endures not because of competition, but because of emotion. It remains what Enzo Ferrari once called “the most beautiful race in the world.”
Heroes of the Mille Miglia
Over three decades of competition, the Mille Miglia created great legends whose names remain famous in racing history.
Multiple Mille Miglia Winners (Overall Victories)
Giuseppe Campari – 2 wins
1928, 1929 (Alfa Romeo)
Campari, the opera-singing racing driver, was one of the early masters of the Mille Miglia. His back-to-back victories contributed to the establishment of Alfa Romeo’s supremacy in the late 1920s motor sport industry.
Tazio Nuvolari – 2 wins
1930, 1933 (Alfa Romeo)
Known as “Il Mantovano Volante” (Italian for the flying Mantuan) Nuvolari remains one of the most admired Italian drivers of all time. His 1930 victory, accomplished by cutting his headlights on the final night to sneak past Varzi’s Mercedes in the darkness, remains one of racing’s famous legends.
Clemente Biondetti – 4 wins (record holder)
1938, 1947, 1948, 1949 (mostly with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo)
Biondetti’s four victories across pre- and post-war Mille Miglia editions make him the event’s undoubted record holder. Him linking eras, winning before and after World War II, has helped establish Ferrari’s early postwar dominance in the field.
Biondetti’s record of four wins stands unchallenged. Even though Nuvolari remains the most iconic figure, it is Biondetti who remains to be the Mille Miglia’s ultimate winner.
Erasmo Simeone, the famous Venetian Ferrari driver that participate at the renowned race several times.
