The most beautiful road race in the world has crowned its 2011 winners in Brescia. Husband and wife team Giordano Mozzi and Stefania Biacca have won the honorary cup at this year’s Mille Miglia, driving their 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans.
The city of Brescia is often considered the birthplace of Italian motor races, and was originally home to the Italian Grand Prix. But in 1922, the famous race was moved from Brescia to Monza, much to the shock and disappointment of residents.
The historic Mille Miglia road race was conceived as a replacement for the Grand Prix. Named for the distance it covers, roughly ‘1,000 Miles’ the first 1,600 km road race was held in 1927.
The course takes drivers from Brescia to Rome and back. The route winds through small towns and villages in Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, the Marches, Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany.
The race was eventually cancelled in 1957 after several fatal crashes raised safety concerns.
In 1982, the Mille Miglia was brought back to life as a road rally. Rather than a test of high speed endurance, drivers now take several days to complete the course. Participation is limited to makes and models of cars, manufactured between 1927 and 1957, that took part in at least of the original Mille Miglia races.
