Mille Miglia Diary

LIKE MOST CLASSIC CAR ENTHUSIASTS, I have been always intrigued by those advertisements for cars that note their “Mille Miglia Eligibility.” As the Millie Miglia (MM) was run between 1927 and ’57, the requirement for the modern recreation is that the car be an actual historic participant, or of the same type, with an absolute cut-off date of 1957. Other events such as the California Mille and the Colorado Grand have similar age requirements. 

Having spent several years in Italy with my family as a teenager, I was always attracted to Italian cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, which in turn informed my small collection of Alfa Romeos. But as I got to know other enthusiasts, I became more and more interested in earlier models, and with retirement pending, actively sought out a “pre-‘57” model, with a vague idea of participating in the Mille Miglia. I first focused on the Touring-bodied Alfa Romeo 1900s, which I have always loved, but after laying eyes on a wonderfully restored 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Sprint Coupé, bodied by Pininfarina, painted in a lovely “Celeste Bettula” and available at auction in Paris, I was struck by, as they say in French a “coup de coeur.”

2019:

Having purchased the car, I begin the process to change the registration from Italy to France, where I live part-time, receiving certification from the FFVE (Fédération Française de Véhicules d’Époque) which allows me to obtain “black” historic plates. I then have the car registered and insured.

2020:

I begin to research the application process for the MM, and learn that rules have been recently instituted that require that the car be first entered into the “Registro Mille Miglia.” The Registro requires the owner to provide extensive documentation on the car, provenance, chassis numbers etc., to make a determination if the car is eligible for entry. An annual fee is required to maintain the car’s status. I make the application in late 2020. I also apply for and obtain the required “fiche ACI.”

2021:

January 29: Car accepted in the Registro! But too late for the 2021 MM, for which entries closed on Jan. 18. But do I really want to do the MM during Covid?

2022:

Registration for the 2022 MM came and went. Not sure if I’m ready to do this. I decide to do the Giro di Sicilia (which circumnavigates Sicily) in May with my wife, thinking that this would be a good introduction to a long-distance event. After missing all the beauties of Sicily, e.g. Agrigento, Mount Etna, Siracusa having whizzed by them at speed I realize that these rallies are serious driving events, not sight-seeing tours. My wife says that if I want to do the MM, I need to find a co-driver. The requirements are driving skill, mechanical sympathy, calm demeanor, and enthusiasm. Luckily I find the perfect candidate, my friend Peter Walker, fellow Bostonian, AROC member, and like myself living a second life in France and member of the Alfa Classic Club de France.

2023:

January: I complete the registration for the 2023 MM before the Jan. 31 deadline, along with my security deposit. I am told that decisions on approved entries will be made in April. The process is a bit mysterious, a bit like choosing a new Pope.  All entries are already in the Registro. How many entries are there? How do they choose? Perhaps they don’t want too many of the same car? Do previous entrants get priority? Does the nationality of the participants matter?

April: I receive an email confirming my acceptance on April 3, along with instructions to send the remaining application fee and access to the website to complete documentation. The list of required documents is quite extensive, including passport, driver’s license (EU or international) car insurance valid for the event, car registration information, health certificate and competition license. This last is a bit of a surprise, and it begins to dawn on me that this really is a race, albeit a regularity event. Claudia, who works for the MM organization is very responsive and helps Peter and me to each obtain a one-year “licenza sportiva” from the Automobile Club of Brescia. I begin to go over the car to make sure that it’s ready, including tightening up the steering and gear linkages, testing the brakes, etc. I suddenly realize that there is a problem with the windshield, which distorts terribly. Luckily I am able to obtain a spare from a friend but then to my dismay realize that it has a height difference of 1 cm, demonstrating how each of these cars was essentially hand-made. With only 30 cars left in the world, there is no chance to obtain a replacement in time, so the shop that maintains the car, Bonfanti Garage, in Bassano, Italy arranges to fabricate a Perspex copy.

May: I make a quick trip to Bassano to test the car. Everything works perfectly, though I have a nagging doubt as to whether the windshield will be a problem during the scrutineering process.