The new Mille Miglia

Mille Miglia: highlights

Brescia, 16th October 2013: time to officially present the thirtysecond commemorative edition of what Enzo Ferrari aptly described as “the world’s most beautiful race”.

The event will take place from the 15th to the 18th May 2014. Many surprises, with new roads and places for the competitors to see and one more day during which to enjoy the sights in some of Italy’s most enchanting places.

“Officina Mille Miglia”: a new project to support innovative ideas in an automotive context.

Brescia’s Palazzo della Loggia sets the scene for the 2014 edition of the Mille Miglia. Today’s presentation of the thirtysecond commemorative event marks the start of preparations for what Enzo ferrari aptly described as “the world’s most beautiful race“. 1000 Miglia S.r.l. shall again stage the event, a huge task in terms of financial and logistic effort – thanks to which the city of Brescia shall welcome a throng of enthusiasts from all over the world on Thursday 15th May, and celebrate the roar of ancient engines on Viale Venezia for the traditional start of the race to Rome and back again.

As in 2013, the 2014 race aims to maintain intact the spirit of the Red Arrow and to pay even more attention to the history and tradition of the race as well as to the safety of participants and bystanders alike. At the same time, innovation will play an important rôle. Presenting the race were Roberto Gaburri, President of 1000 Miglia S.r.l. and Marco Makaus plus Andrea Dalledonne, Joint CEOs of 1000 Miglia S.r.l. – the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Brescia Automobile Club which holds the rights and title to the Red Arrow.

The main changes compared with the 2013 event regard the route and programme of the event. The first item of news is that the next Mille Miglia will last one day longer, with the last leg of the journey back to Brescia on Sunday morning.

On Thursday evening, the cars will leave as usual and make their way to Vicenza. From there, they will head North to Marostica and Bassano del Grappa, then on to Padova and Thermae Abano Montegrotto for a night’s rest.. “The Veneto region – said Marco Makaus, who explained the details of the route – was always enthusiastic about the Mille Miglia. In 2014 we will pay homage to these enchanting places and to the pre-1933 races which partly took place on these roads. It was high time to return and reward the local administrations who unceasingly asked for the Mille Miglia to come back to their territory.

On the morning of Friday, 16th May they will head south to San Marino and then, unlike in previous years, not head inland but continue to Riccione and follow the Adriatic highway south to Loreto. Then on to L’Aquila, a city badly hit by an earthquake in 2009, in a gesture of solidarity with the local population which still suffers from the effects of this catastrophe. In 1997 the Red Arrow crossed Umbria, which had suffered a similar fate, whilst in 2013 the route passed through Emilia Romagna in a gesture of solidarity with the people of another region hit by a heavy earthquake. “More than 400 oldtimers – said Makaus – will drive through the historic city centre and attract intensive Media attention, to themselves but also to the state of repair of the city and to the needs of its inhabitants, helping to ensure that they receive the help they need to get back to normal.“.

The second day on the road will come to a close in the heart of Rome. On Saturday, 17th May the cars will take the traditional route northwards to Ronciglione, Viterbo, Radicofani and Siena – places inextricably linked with the Mille Miglia and beloved of participants and spectators alike. Then eastwards to Volterra, Lucca and Pisa before heading over the Futa Pass and Raticosa Pass and down to Bologna, where the crews will take a well-earned rest in the city centre.

On the morning of Sunday, 18th May the cars will leave on an unprecedented fourth leg of the journey. Driving through Modena, Reggio Emilia and then on to Mantova, the birthplace of Tazio Nuvolari, they will cross the finishing line in Brescia just before lunch and receive their awards in the afternoon.

As far as the technical aspects go, the number of time trials goes up to 74. Furthermore, after more than ten years, the average-speed navigation trials return to the Mille Miglia. Six such trials – requiring the compatitor to cruise at a constant speed – will be a feature of the race in 2014. This exercise is common outside Italy and, according to Makaus, “aims to allow teams from other parts of Europe to score a higher number of points as a contribution to fostering the climate of healthy competition and international sporting friendship which was always a distinctive hallmark of the Mille Miglia“.

In the words of Roberto Gaburri, President of Mille Miglia S.r.l., “the same positive values move participants and spectators alike”. The Mille Miglia brand continues to represent a strong pole of attraction for household names, companies of worldwide repute who regard the Mille Miglia as a valuable communication platform.

“Although the economy has seen better times – added Gaburri – the Red Arrow has lost none of its appeal and continues to attract sponsors, licensees, business partners, participants and enthusiasts in high numbers. To us it’s therefore no surprise that our balance sheet, presented last week, is indeed a healthy one.

Andrea Dalledonne – Joint CEO of 1000 Miglia S.r.l. – explained the numbers and stated that “turnover amounted to six million Euro, with a gross margin (EBIT) of over one and half million Euro and a net margin after tax of more than 60.000 Euro“. This takes into consideration the payment to Automobile Club di Brescia of a royalty fee amounting to 1.200.000,00 Euro, over 150.000,00 Euro more than the yearly fee paid for the past five events. “I am proud to say that, in financial terms, this is a truly outstanding result – said Dalledonne – expressed in financial terms our EBIT, the relationship between profit and turnover, is at benchmark level”.

This achievement made us reflect upon the nature of the Mille Miglia, its traditions and the relevance of its values in a modern context. “The world’s most beautiful race always stood for technical innovation and human daring” as Dalledonne pointed out. In keeping with this tradition, 1000 Miglia S.r.l. therefore decided to launch the “Officina Mille Miglia” project in order to support young people endeavouring to enter the automotive world with innovative projects. “To this end – said Dalledonne – we shall set up a trust in order to finance and support start-ups involving gifted people and new ideas in the world of automotive technology. This project – he added – will be launched within the next few months but we’re laying the foundations now by allocating funds within the 2012-2013 balance sheet”.

The next step on the path of the Mille Miglia 2014 will be the opening of registrations online under www.1000Miglia.it.

Contact:

1000 Miglia S.r.l.

Media relations & PR

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Tel. +39.030.2318211