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When I was younger, the Mille Miglia event lasted for me only a few hours, or the time to dine in a hurry and run to Porta Venezia to enjoy the departure on Thursday evening, with the parade of big headlights old cars rushing into the dark and unknown night to achieve Ferrara and then, in the following long days, Rome and then again Brescia on Saturday evening. Now the times have changed, the Mille Miglia has changed and I have changed a lot myself; the fleeting passion of Thursday night is now my professional life and the whole Mille Miglia race is a wonderful week. We start on Monday with the first checks and the first meeting friends, customers and partners who share the same love for the race. Then we lose ourselves in the festive crowd of the Piazza Vittoria halls, to get on the road on Wednesday afternoon and cross Italy, spending fantastic days in the midst of the most beautiful cars in the world. Passing enchanting evenings in Rome and Parma, to satisfy their motoring spirit in the track of the historic Monza racetrack. Then back to Brescia, on the arrivals platform, to greet winners and survivors of the “CORSA” par excellence. It’s an intense and wonderful week and now I'm here to think about it, while I enjoy the lights of Cidneo in the evening of the awards. And I still believe to be a lucky man at least as thirty-five years ago, when, surpassing the hurdles with cunning of Viale Rebuffone, I could enjoy the motoring roar of the departing cars!

Now… a Sportscar!

During the recent Mille Miglia, it was quite easy to understand that, travelling all around our wonderful Italy, a new hot summer is finally arrived. Now days a hot sun is shining every day and the temperature invites us to enjoy our cars “en plein air”, driving the right vehicle for this season. Now … a Sportscar!   

After ninety years from its first edition and just a few days before the start of the next Mille Miglia, I am still wondering why this marvelous event is so important in my everyday life. Maybe just because I am always in love with my town, maybe because of my passion for vintage motoring or even for the strong respect of the history of this country, or maybe just because I had the chance to decide that all the above matters could be combined with my professional attitude into the Motorstorica business? Believe me or not, it’s not really easy today to try to give a positive and rational answer, but I am very proud to know and let you know how many friends coming from South America, Japan, or Holland, Germany and Switzerland are driving our cars to Brescia on May 18^th to celebrate love, passion, history and joy of life!  

On Thursday afternoon, after a quick lunch with my friend and classic car writer Massimo, just between two usual short afternoon storms, we have been to our restoration workshop to take a look to my latest Triumph TR2 I bought a couple of weeks ago from a Scottish fellow. The air was fresh, but we immediately decided to take the car out of the garage and have a fast road test in the surrounding routes, of course with no hood and side screens. The test has been quite positive, the car was marvelous and the wet June climate after half an hour of summer rain predicted a warm and serene sunset. You can read a whole technical description of this car and something about its history into the “cars for sale” section, but the most important fact is that, after this short and amusing journey, both Massimo and I agree that there’s nothing better than an English convertible sports car in an Italian afternoon of June!

For quite every gentleman driver and for many vintage car collectors, May is the best period of the year, because the beginning of the season is strongly characterized by three important events, such as the Historic Gran Prix in Monaco, the Mille Miglia and, last but not least, the Villa d’ Este Concourse d’Elegance.  I just had the chance to be in Montecarlo in the week end between May 13^th and 15^th to attend the auctions of Bonhams, Coys and RM-Sotheby’s and then to spend four days between Brescia, Rome, Parma and Monza to follow the oldest and most important race in the world. Both cases were really exciting and interesting, putting myself in the condition to meet up a lot of connoisseurs and many of my beloved customers, deeply touching their emotions and passion for our world. It has been a fast succession of meetings, debates, and appointments convincing me that this activity is still one of the best jobs in the world!  

Starting from today, entries for the 2016 Event are now open at www.1000miglia.it. I wish you to take a careful look to the list of the eligible models, just to put in evidence the new race coefficient of some sports cars of the fifties, now changed and strongly improved. Just for example, with this new regulation, some race cars like the Italian barchettas and our wonderful Lotus Eleven (1,55) can definitely compete with most of the pre-war eligible cars!

Motorstorica thanked Mr. Tony Rochford ....... continue