 | |
| Venue | Italy (Brescia–Rome–Brescia) |
|---|---|
| First race | 26–27 March 1927 |
| Last race | 11–12 May 1957 |
| Distance | 1,000 miles (approximately) |
| Laps | One |
| Most wins (driver) |  Clemente Biondetti |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Alfa Romeo |
The Mille Miglia (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmille ˈmiʎʎa], Thousand Miles) was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi. It took place in Italy 24 times from 1927 to 1957 (13 times before World War II, and 11 times from 1947).[1]
Like the older Targa Florio and later the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the MM made grand tourers like Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche famous.[2] The race brought out an estimated 5 million spectators.[3]
From 1953 until 1957, the Mille Miglia was also a round of the World Sports Car Championship.
Since 1977, the "Mille Miglia" has been reborn as a regularity race for classic and vintage cars. Participation is limited to cars, produced no later than 1957, which had attended (or were registered to) the original race. The route (Brescia–Rome round trip) is similar to that of the original race, maintaining the point of departure/arrival in Viale Venezia in Brescia.
- ^ "Mille Miglia". grandprixhistory.org. November 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Marcus, Ted. "The Most Beautiful Race in the World – Mille Miglia". Dyler.com. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ MacKenzie, Angus (February 2013). "The Most Epic Drive. Ever". Motor Trend. 65 (2): 88.
With an estimated 5 million Italians out watching the race, crowd control was another cause for concern.