Mille Miglia 2023

[Jens]

I will be participating at the Mille Miglia starting next Tuesday (13.6.) in Brescia.

Anyone around?

We're in an original Austin Healey 100 M, #347.

2.180 km in 5 days, a total of 53 hours of driving. Hope the car will make it - and me too.

[Barrie]

Fantastic Jens!
What an adventure!
I know it’s going to be busy but do try and send pics as you progress
ATB. Barrie

[Kevin Birch]

Hi Jens, stunning car, the early Healeys are just that little bit nicer.
Good luck and as said, keep us informed.

[felixkk]

Posts like these are really upsetting Enjoy!

[Barrie]

Hi again Herr Dr.Dr Umlaut. The attached is my favourite tale of motoring derring-do.
I’m sure you’ve read it but it’s worth posting for those who haven’t.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arch ... le-miglia/

Bon voyage, bon chance, chapeau, gute Fahrt, 旅途平安, etc.

[VFK44]

I thought it was going to be my favourite story, also copied from Motor Sport, from a rather flowery translation:

Tazio Nuvolari

The Man Who Knew No Fear

(Reprinted from” La Domenica del Corriere,” Milan, August 23;1953.) It is 1931: a red car is travelling at high speed along the Emilia and Veneto roads towards Brescia; it is getting dark but it doesn’t slow down. At the wheel is Achille Varzi, one of the greatest aces of all time; and the steady roar of his engine seems to him a song of victory for only a few miles separate him from the finishing line of the fourth ” Mille Miglia.” In those days the race always finished at night, and the last battle was fought on the roads of Veneto and Lombardy with headlights on Varzi switched on his lights as he descended to flat country towards Peschiera. By this time the young champion had fought off all competitors after a gruelling race, even though they, included such names as Campari, Caraceiola. Arcangeli, Ghersi, etc. Only one man remained to be disposed of : Tazio Nuvolari. Virzi had managed to throw him off at Perugia and, as Nuvolari’s car was exactly the same as his own, he had nothing to fear as regards engine power.

Only by some crazy stunt could Nuvolari pull it off ; from Perugia to Bologna he gradually gained on Varzi, however, and glimpsed in the uncertain light the shadowy form of his car. At this juncture all Nuvolari’s fearless but calculated daring was now revealed in full. He knew that once Varzi was aware of his closeness there would be no catching him, and so daredevil surprise tactics were the only possible solution. But neither Varzi nor his mechanic, all intent on negotiating the winding dark roads, were aware of the slinky shadow tailing them only a few hundred yards away; the crackling exhaust note and wind noises damped all other sounds. By now the two cars were tearing along the flat roads, the speedometer needle soaring rapidly from 60 to 100 m.p.h., to touch at times 120 m.p.h. Varzi still ahead with headlights on, and Nuvolari five hundred yards behind in the dark, his only guide being the light from Yarn’s car. Death stalked the fearless ‘Fazio at every bend, bridge and crossroads ; his mechanic, Guidotti, crouched fearful but fascinated by this extraordinary man who seemed to possess the eyes of a lynx and the audacity of a thwarted tigress. Nuvolari sneaked closer and closer to Varzi, who, still oblivious of the threat in the rear and feeling more than ever victory within his grasp, slowed down somewhat. Then it happened. Nuvolari jabbed the accelerator flat to the boards, rapidly closing the gap separating the two cars. Varzi, a moment before lulled in a sense of secure victory, was rudely jolted into action as Nuvolari suddenly switched on his headlights and drew level; he stamped on his accelerator pedal in a desperate attempt to throw off the attack, but in vain : Nuvolari tore past at a terrific clip. The finishing line was by now only a few kilometres away and Virzi gave up all hope of victory: Thus Nuvolari won the Mille Miglia. More than beating his rivals, he beat Death itself; for him this continual gamble with death was the rule of his sporting life.

[Richie]

A dream event!
Here's hoping you thoroughly enjoy every mile Jens.

[schumijoe]

Good Luck Jens, hope you enjoy it
Joe

[bashford1]

Wow, It won’t be easy in a pre 1957 car so I do not envy you. It will be a great experience tho. Good luck.
Brett

[Jens]

I am just sitting in the train returning from Brescia back home.

It has been the expected "once in a lifetime" experience.

First of all: 415 cars built between 1925 and 1957. The Pre-66 car park in Goodwood during the Revival is one thing that has to be seen. But here were more than 100 prewar cars all on one spot. The usual and well known Alfas, Bentleys, Lancias, Aston Martin LeMans, BMWs and Bugattis but also small O.M.s, Salmsons, Italias, Chryslers, Hotchkiss and the like. Marvellous.

I will post some pictures later when I have gone through all the photos I took.

This years version was extended by one more day up to five days, a new loop through the Piemont was added (in my personal opinion four days are enough) so the total was a bit more that mille miglia, we ended up with 2,200 kms (or 1,368 mls). 53 hours of driving, the longest part was 16 (!) hrs from Rome to Parma on Thursday.

The driving is crazy, even for Italian standards. I now know why the organisers do not call it a rallye but a RACE. It it ridicolously dangerous. I grew up at the Nürburgring, I love driving the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique and I think I know where and when to take risks. But this is uncontrollable. Stop lights don't count. If a crossing or a roundabout is controlled by the police to give the MM free way it is fine. But if not they all drive anyway. First you think this is funny and you do it once or twice. But then you notice that you have to do it ALL THE TIME otherwise you're not able to meet the tight time schedule. So you adapt and get into the flow.

And suddenly the whole event is a Cannonball race. People come to Italy and drive the MM because they can quit ALL traffic rules for five days and drive like crazy. There were many crashes (inevitably), a few police motorbike riders were hurt when participants suddenly changed lanes without looking or indicating thus ramming them from the streets, many drivers completely overestimating their personal driving abilities and the break and safety features of their cars. A disastrous combination.

Sheer madness.

So much for the rant.

Now for the event itself and the unbelievable fun. 2,200 kms through some of the most beautiful parts of Italy, sunny weather (except for one day when it rained for 10 hours and we got soaking wet), fantastic atmosphere created by the spectators in the towns and villages (the list of places to visit has grown again as there was no time for even a short stop and look around), nice new people to talk to about cars and other things (as well as arrogant snobs behaving like arrogant snobs), meeting Jochen Mass again and explaining the tests to him (also again ), Karl Wendlinger, Bernd Schneider (all driving 300 SL Gullwings) and Christian Geistdörfer (ingenious copilot of Walter Röhrl).

And yes, the 100M is a fairly small car and it was really challenging and we were very tired every evening.

As said, pictures later (except this one from Siena) and a few more stories too, there is a bit more to tell.

[Jens]

As promised a few more pictures

Logo

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Scrutineering

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Brescia

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Verificato

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Jochen Mass

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[Jens]

some more

Siena

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Campo

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Idiots making cars kaputt

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[Jens]

The lady in the white car didn't stop at the STOP sign and shot us from the street.

Fortunately we were very slow at that moment, 300m before the time control in Pistoia. Some discussions with the police and some work on the car and an hour and a half later we were back on the road. We missed the TC by 40 min, resulting in 12.000 penalty points.

Milano

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Back in Brescia after 2.200 kms

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We made it

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[Chris_R]

Wonderful images. Is this the first time you did the Mille Miglia? Would you do it again?

[felixkk]

Stuff like that would really upset me. Who's going to cover the damage? I thought white bermudas died a silent death in the 80s