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In 1955, the late great Sir Stirling Moss won the Mille Miglia in a record time. His drive in the race has passed into legend as he managed to come out on top against the odds. Even if you’ve heard the story before, it never gets old…

In the 23 times the 1,000-mile event ran in full, only two non-Italian drivers had managed to claim victory. Prior to the 1955 race, Moss’s record in the Mille Miglia wasn’t great, with three retirements while driving for Jaguar.

But, helming his Mercedes machine, he undertook extensive pre-event testing on various sections of the route. From this, he compiled a detailed set of pacenotes, with his co-driver Denis Jenkinson designing a special roller device that allowed him to scroll through them quickly.

However, due to the loud engine roar of their Mercedes 300SLR, Moss was unable to hear Jenkinson dictate the notes, so the navigator developed a series of hand gestures instead.

Somehow, Moss won in a new record time, seeing off team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio by nearly half an hour.

Trying to put the accomplishment into words, Autocar said at the time: “Imagine having an early breakfast and leaving London by car at about 7.15am, reaching Aberdeen by lunchtime, and getting back to London in time for a latish tea – with only two stops.”

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Moss and Jenkinson had to overcome an issue with the brakes which caused them to spin, they collided with a straw bale and, after taking one crest flat-out, almost crashed into a petrol station.

Moss was fearless when it came to taking blind crests at speeds of 170mph, trusting that the notes that were being delivered to him were completely accurate. He was also supported by a slick pit team which gave him a further edge over his rivals and helped him to come out victorious.

If that little story has piqued your curiosity about the Mille Miglia, you’ll want to read on. Given that the last ever race was completed in 1957 – although a ‘historical re-enactment’ of the race continues to this day – you’ll be forgiven for not knowing the ins and outs of the Mille Miglia. But we’re about to change all that.

The history of the race

In December 1926, a group that went by the nickname of the "Four Musketeers" – Giovanni Canestrini, a Gazzetta dello Sport journalist; Renzo Castagneto, secretary of the Brescia branch of the Regio Automobil Club; and enthusiastic patrons Aymo Maggi and Franco Mazzotti – were bemoaning the ‘theft’ of the Italian Grand Prix.

For the people of Brescia, the town was considered to be the birthplace of Italian motorsport and it came as a shock when the 1922 Italian Grand Prix was moved to the new Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

With that, the Four Musketeers decided to create a race that would fill its place and the Mille Miglia was born. It’s said that the route was mapped out to be 1,600 kilometres long, which Mazzotti, having recently been on a trip to the United States where kilometres was the norm, had realised equated to 1,000 miles.

It didn’t take long for the race to win people over, thanks in no small part to the incredible speeds that drivers were prepared to drive at. Within just four runs of the race, drivers Tazio Nuvolari and Giovanni-Battista Guidotti managed to complete the circuit with an average speed of 100km/h in the legendary 1930 contest, on board an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS.

Alfa Romeo and its brilliantly daring drivers, who besides Nuvolari included Achille Varzi, Giuseppe Campari, Carlo Maria Pintacuda and Clemente Biondetti, dominated the race during the early years. However, a serious accident in 1938 prompted the Italian government to ban road racing, which meant the 1939 edition never went ahead.

Nevertheless, the organisers wouldn’t be beaten that easily and set about reinventing the race in the form of a circuit between Brescia, Cremona and Mantua, which consisted of nine laps and was called the Brescia Grand Prix of the Mille Miglia.

However, the breakout of the Second World War once again put paid to the race, before resuming in 1947 under strange circumstances, with the circuit and the car industry battered and bruised due to the effects of the war. Although the races from 1947 to 1949 were difficult to organise, they were exhilarating to compete in.

The races from 1950 to 1957 attracted both professional drivers and official teams from all over the globe. The event became renowned throughout the world, with policymakers being so impressed with how it was put together, they were inspired to reconstruct Italy's road network; the race is also said to have played a part in the development of the automotive sector.

However, in the years following Stirling’s famous win, racing became increasingly dangerous with two fatal crashes taking place in 1957, leading to all motor racing on public roads being banned and the Mille Miglia in its most pure and beautiful form coming to an end.

The organisers weren’t done there, though, and created a formula that is still used in rally racing: long ‘safe’ sections at legal speeds sprinkled with special stages involving speed trials on tracks or hill climbs on private roads. The 1958, 1959 and 1961 races kept with this formula, which was less about out-and-out speed and more about being able to turn it on when required.

The race took a hiatus until 1968 when Alfa Romeo used the race to parade its new 1750 model, made in honour of the legendary vehicle that Nuvolari drove to victory in 1930. The manufacturer organised the re-enactment race for a number of historic cars, with a number of journalists in tow on board the new 1750s. This event set the tone for modern editions of the race.

In 1982, the Mille Miglia was officially revitalised as a historic re-enactment, initially on a two-yearly basis. Unsurprisingly, the race, if that’s what you can call it, is now run on public roads at legal speeds. However, it is only open to cars involved in the 1927-1957 editions.

The Mille Miglia has gone ahead every year since 1987 and attracts enthusiasts and celebrities alike. But the cars remain the real stars of the show, because they are what the Mille Miglia is all about.

What cars are eligible for the race?

The modern re-enactment of the Mille Miglia appears on many classic car enthusiasts’ bucket lists, but it often remains a bit of a pipe dream because, to put it bluntly, it doesn’t come cheap. As we already mentioned, in order to get into the race, you need to be able to get your hands on a car that participated in the original event’s timeline (1927-1957).

Cars which have appeared in the original race can command tens of millions at auction. Even the cheaper cars which competed in the slower classifications in the period are also quite pricey now – if you can find one that is! So, to be able to acquire a suitable piece of history for the race, you’ve got to have deep pockets and a lot of patience. Even if you do find a car that ticks the boxes, you could still struggle to get accepted, according to those who have tried.

However, if you want to give it a go, we’ve rounded up four cars which could prove your ticket to next year’s event. Just don’t come back to us should you find your route to entry blocked by the powers that be!

1952 FERRARI 225S BERLINETTA VIGNALE

Launched at the 1952 Giro di Sicilia as a larger version of 212 Export, the Ferrari 225 Sport was built for endurance sports car racing and was framed either as a two seat Berlinetta or Spyder.

The Berlinetta Vignale participated in the 1952 Mille Miglia, helmed by Count Sterzi. As such, this Italian beauty is guaranteed you an entry to the famous race – well, as guaranteed as you can get.

BUGATTI TYPE 40                                       

Ettore Bugatti earned his reputation for his formative designs. The cars produced in Brescia, Italy between 1909 and 1926 are held up as some of the purest Bugattis thanks to their sleek short-chassis designs featuring gorgeous exposed mechanical components and an ultra-reliable smaller capacity high-performance engine.

The Type 40 first appeared in June 1926 and proved to be an immediate success thanks to its reliability. As such, it quickly became a favourite for adventurers and explorers of the time including Lieutenant Frédéric Loiseau who took one on an incredible 11,500km journey across the Sahara and back in 1929.

As far as the Mille Miglia goes, the Bugatti Type 40 was entered in the race between 1927 and 1929.  

ASTON MARTIN LM3

The Aston Martin LM3 is part of a group of just seven bespoke motorcars designed by the master craftsmen at Aston Martin between 1928 and 1931 to compete in the world’s famous races Le Mans and the Mille Miglia.

What made the Aston Martin LM3 so special was that it was raced by company director A.C. “Bert” Bertell. Racing his own cars allowed him to gain an understanding of how exactly the design needed to be modified for peak performance. His motto was “Racing improves the breed” believing building successful racing cars and successful road cars went hand in hand, with the hard lessons learnt from the track able to be translated onto the road. Also, winning races wasn’t exactly bad for the overall image of the brand.

All “Le Mans” series Aston Martins qualify for the Mille Miglia. Their impressive record in the race will give you a decent chance of a successful application. Just make sure you have the right classic car insurance in place to protect you from any mishaps.

JAGUAR XK120 ROADSTER

Available at a quarter the price of the Ferrari of the time, with a performance that could match it, the XK was a major hit, even if it came as a surprise to Jaguar. Orders for the XK flooded in, which caught Jaguar on the hop as it was only intended to be an interim model, used primarily to publicise the XK engine for the new Mk VII saloon. As a result, they had only made an initial 200 units.

Powering this William Lyons designed Roadster was the all-new 3.4 six-cylinder engine featuring twin overhead camshafts, twin SU carburettors and pumping out 160bph. This meant the XK could go from 0-60mph in less than 10 seconds, with a top speed of over 120mph (the clue is in the name after all). It went on to become a huge success both on the road and on the circuit, winning Le Mans in 1951 and 1953, while proving equally formidable in the Mille Miglia.

Once the fastest car in the world, you stand a great chance of making the dream of competing in the Mille Miglia come true as an owner of one of these beauties.

Classic car insurance from Lancaster Insurance

The Lancaster Insurance team has been proudly arranging classic car insurance for more than 35 years.

Our job is to arrange quality, tailored insurance cover to protect your pride and joy, for the best possible price. In fact, we have access to some of the most competitive classic car, vintage car and classic vehicle insurance schemes anywhere in the UK.

Some of the many reasons you should choose classic car insurance from Lancaster Insurance include:

• Hard-to-insure classics and classics without MOT considered
• Classic Car Club member discounts of up to 25%
• Static show cover
• Historical rally cover
• Choice of repairer
• Salvage retention
• Free EU cover up to 90 days
• Two-year agreed valuation available for £18
• Laid up cover available
• Limited mileage discounts

With a policy arranged through Lancaster Insurance, you will also receive 24-hour access to our claims line and UK call centre, so your case will be dealt with as swiftly as possible.

If you’d like to speak to one of our specialist classic car insurance experts about covering your vehicle, call 01480 484826 or request a call back. Or, simply get a quote today.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.