As we enter Mille Miglia week, our inboxes are filled with car manufacturers with historical links to the original race. Today, car manufacturers are acutely aware of the significance of their racing heritage in selling to today’s buyers and while some may say that the Mille Miglia has become a rolling motor show complete with car maker’s top management sharing cars with celebrities, our view is that it’s a good thing. Without it, the cars may never see the light of day and the event would probably be a shadow of the giant it’s become today.
Of course, not all competitors are car manufacturers. A significant percentage are self funded individuals with a point to prove. And while it may to be the open road-race that it used to be, there’s still a strong competitive element to covering the distance in the time required.
British interest in the event has always been strong, so here’s a few details on just some of the runners, more to follow later this week.
Jaguar Heritage Racing & JD Classics
Jaguar have become masters at using their racing history and with a heritage fleet and race team prepared in collaboration with JD Classics, expect to see them in force.
In the true tradition of fifties motrosport, the JD Classics team celebrated their wins at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix at the weekend, before packing everything away and heading directly to Italy, where they’re supporting Jaguar Heritage. The ex-Fangio Jaguar C Type that won at the weekend in the hands of Alex Buncombe will be driven by successful Belgian singer and songwriter Milow, and Jaguar Land Rover Regional Director for Europe Bernard Kuhnt. American TV chat show host, Jaguar collector and classic car enthusiast Jay Leno will be sharing the ex-Sir James Scott-Douglas Ecurie Ecosse 1951 Jaguar XK 120 roadster with Jaguar’s Design Director, Ian Callum.
Ian Callum and Jay Leno
Husband and wife team Elliot and Erin Gleave will share another well-known 1951 XK 120, as will author David Blakeley and TV presenter and model Jodie Kidd while Richard Frankel has driven his family C Type racer to Brescia from Monaco after brother and motorsport author Andrew Frankel raced it at the weekend.
Andy Wallace and Richard Frankel
Jaguar Heritage Racing also has a C-type being driven by AC/DC lead singer and car enthusiast Brian Johnson, with two professional racers Martin Brundle and Bruno Senna sharing the famous ‘Long Nose’ Jaguar D-type. Expect that car to be worked hard.
AC/DC singer Brian Johnson and Co-Pilot
Bentley Boys
It wouldn’t be Brescia without the Bentley Boys. They’re entering two of the company’s famous 4 ½ Litre supercharged ‘Blowers’ including the 1930 Le Mans ‘Team Car’ once owned by Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, one of the most celebrated members of a group of British gentlemen racers of the era. This will be joined by will be joined by the former company demonstrator Blower with its original Vanden Plas Open, Sports Four Seater body for the race. Nine decades of competition later, this second Blower continues to turn heads in it’s classic dark green livery and rumbling exhaust
Other Brits include Craig Calder and Tony Shooshani in a 1921 Alfa Romeo. Raymond Jennings co-driving for Swiss based Luigi Carlini driving a 1925 Bugatti T35A and Willi Netuschil and Hanne Luebbehuesen in a 1927 Bugatti.
Octane writer Robert Coucher will be co-driving a Bugatti T27 driven by German Stefan Brungs and yet another Buggati is the T37A Grand Prix car of Frederica Kirkpatrick with Simon Kirkpatrick co-driving.
The field is truly spectacular and international and it will be interesting to follow events over the coming days. Full details on the event website here or check back for more
