A wonderfully diverse collection of Ferrari cars and their owners gathered from all over the world to pay tribute to the 1000 Miglia road race, the legendary thousand-mile Brescia-to-Rome-and-back circuit that once tested the mettle of fearless racing drivers, all determined to tackle the route in the fastest time possible.
With a cavalcade of Ferrari models showing up for this very special grand tour – cars on display ranged from a pair of 1972 Dino 246 GTs, a trio of Testarossas and a 1978 512BB to modern sportscars including five SF90 Spiders, four 812 Superfasts and a LaFerrari supercar – the great and the good of Maranello were truly out in force for the 2024 edition of the 1000 Miglia Ferrari Tribute.
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Thankfully a far more relaxed affair these days, this year’s event marked 97 years since the inaugural Mille Miglia took place. Covering a distance of 2,000 kms – twice the distance of the original race – the modern-day Mille Miglia is stretched out over five days, giving participants the opportunity to enjoy their Prancing Horses while experiencing some of the finest roads, and sights, that Northern Italy has to offer.
The first leg of the 2024 Ferrari Tribute saw the participating cars departing from Iseo to Turin. Taking in the charming cobblestoned streets of Bergamo, the route traversed the province of Novara, passing glassy lakes and weaving through beautiful hilltop villages. A late afternoon arrival in the industrial city of Turin signalled the end of a wonderful first day.
The second day of the tour started early the next morning, with cars leaving Turin en route to the historic Tuscan city of Lucca. Heading south, skimming the shimmering Ligurian coast, the procession of cars paused for a seafront lunch stop in Rapallo before continuing on with the glorious coastal drive south and arriving at dusk in Lucca for the second overnight stop, the symphony of Ferrari engines reverberating off the city’s beautifully preserved Renaissance walls.
Continuing in a southerly bent, day three’s destination was Rome. Taking in nearly 400km of coastal roads and winding inland byways, the Ferrari Tribute cars passed through the beautiful medieval coastal towns of Rosignano Marittimo and Bibbona before heading inland to the small fishing village of Marta, nestled on the shores of Lake Bolsena, and on to the Italian capital in time for a parade of the Ferrari Tribute cars in the city centre.
The fourth day saw the Ferrari Tribute cars starting on the return loop of the circuit, heading north from Rome and sprinting 400 kms to San Lazzaro di Savena, on the southern edge of Bologna.
Journeying through the magnificent Umbrian countryside, through the towns of Amelia, Orvieto and Passignano Sul Trasimeo, the day’s final destination was reached at 8.15pm, in time for a well-deserved dinner and an early night.
And that early night will have been well-advised, with an even earlier start for the fifth and final leg of the tour. Leaving Bologna as the sun came up, the Ferrari Tribute cars set out to Brescia – the ‘home’ of the Mille Miglia, and the place where the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi established the fabled road race way back in 1927.
Arriving in Brescia at just after midday, a grand parade of the Ferrari Tribute cars along the city’s grand Viale Venezia marked the end of the tour.
Five days of glorious driving, along a route taking in the finest roads, the best scenery and the purest Italianità. In Maranello’s finest cars, both old and new. Today’s Mille Miglia may be considerably less frantic than it was in its early days, but as an evocative way of experiencing the best of Italy – and the best of Ferrari – there’s really nothing better.
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