The name says it all, and it has a legendary resonance: Mille Miglia. From its inception, this road trial covering 1,000 miles was considered the ultimate challenge for drivers and cars alike. Those who stayed the course in the Mille Miglia proved not only their competitiveness in motor sports but also their automotive engineering prowess.

Between 1927 and 1957, the Mille Miglia was staged 24 times in northern Italy. It was a spectacular event for many thousands of motor sport fans and a perfect stage for race drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari, Stirling Moss, Rudolf Caracciola, Juan Manuel Fangio and Fritz Huschke von Hanstein. But the Mille Miglia was also a crucial trial of strength for car manufacturers. It celebrated its revival in 1977 and has kept alive the spirit of classic car racing ever since. In 1925 four young men from Brescia, as wealthy as they were enthusiastic about motor racing, had resolved to turn their home town into a hub of motor sports. Two years later they saw their plans come to fruition. Henceforth, the start and finish line in Brescia would take on a carnival atmosphere, with the drivers and their automobiles enthusiastically celebrated by the numerous spectators who flocked there.

Each year racing fever spread throughout the land and not only because the cars that dominated the event were initially of Italian manufacture.

For fans of classic automobiles, todays Mille Miglia enjoys an importance on a par with the significance of the original races for the motor sport scene of the time. Nowhere other than between Brescia and Rome is the history of motor sport and automotive engineering celebrated so intensely and impressively. The Mille Miglia storica pays homage to the design engineers and their creations, which continue to inspire professionals and aficionados to this day.

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Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Jarno Trulli made an emotional visit to the Abruzzo region on Italy this week as part of his efforts to help those affected by last month’s earthquake there.

As a native of the Abruzzo region, having been born and raised in Pescara, Jarno is raising money for the victims of the April 6 earthquake through his ‘Abruzzo nel Cuore’ (Abruzzo in the Heart) appeal.

On Wednesday Jarno paid a personal visit to Abruzzo, visiting first the small village of Onna, which lost 39 out of its 250 inhabitants when the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck, where he met survivors who are now camping in tents alongside the ruins of their homes.

“I was shocked to see the devastation firsthand; so many buildings have been destroyed and the effect on the people’s lives is really terrible. I am doing my best to help in any way I can and everyone in Formula 1 has been very supportive. Hopefully we can raise a lot of money to help with reconstruction so the people of Abruzzo can return to a normal situation soon. They are in our hearts.”

The ‘Abruzzo nel Curoe’ appeal has already raised more than €23,000 while several items of Formula 1 memorabilia have been donated by fellow drivers and these will be auctioned to raise further funds.

If you wish to contribute to the Abruzzo nel Cuore you can do so via http://www.abruzzonelcuore.org.

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British car manufacturer Bentley has taken another step in delivering its class-leading environmental strategy. Bentley now guarantees 85 % recyclability and is becoming one of the first carmakers in the luxury vehicle bracket to take such a step as well as providing environmental friendly recycling or recovery at the end of the car’s life.

This recycling achievement has now received official recognition from the German Motor Transport Authority (KBA). KBA’s President Ekhard Zinke presented European-wide certificates in a ceremony in Berlin to Dr. The head of Whole Vehicle Development at Bentley Motors.

By meeting such stringent recycling standards, Bentley guarantees that other industries will be able to reutilise or otherwise reprocess the vast majority of materials used in the construction of its cars. Consistent use of these types of resources has coincided with improvements in manufacturing processes. Use of gas, water and electricity consumption has declined by around a quarter over the last nine years, although the number of cars produced has increased by up to ten times over the same period.

Dr. Homburg elaborated on the company’s long-term objectives: “Bentley is remaining true to its unique combination of performance, craftsmanship and comfort, but we still want to play our part in saving resources at the luxury end of the carmaking industry.”

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At the 37th edition of the Nürburgring 24 hour race on 23/24 May, Porsche is again one of the most popular manufacturers for the competitors. A total of 29 Porsche vehicles are expected to compete at Germany’s largest motorsport event. 

Taking up the race as title defenders with starting number 1 are Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany), Marc Lieb (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) as well as Manthey pilot Marcel Tiemann (Monaco). They drive a 480 hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Manthey Racing. In 2008, the squad under team boss Olaf Manthey secured a hat-trick by winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the third straight time. Timo Bernhard is not planning to leave it at that: “It would be a dream to win four times in succession. But, changes to the technical regulations have braked in our 911 GT3 RSR considerably. Particularly on the uphill sections, the straights and when lapping cars, you notice a substantial power loss compared to last year. To match the pace of some of the much more powerful opponents could be difficult.” 

Another three Porsche factory drivers man the second Manthey Racing vehicle, a 445 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S. The cockpit of the #2 car with professional racer Dirk Werner (Germany) is shared with Emmanuel Collard (France), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). “While Emmanuel and Dirk have already gained a lot of experience on the Nordschleife, Richard and I are newcomers to this fantastic circuit. We’ve only contested one race in the Long Distance Championship,” explains Wolf Henzler. “Still, apart from the length of the track, some of the Nordschleife corners resemble several circuits in the American Le Mans Series. I’m sure that I will quickly become familiar with the special features of the ‘Ring.”

The 37th edition of the Nürburgring 24 hour race takes off on 23 May at 16.00 hrs. The flag drops on 24th May at 16.00 hours.

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A one-of-a-kind 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300(serial no. 2311237) will make its North American Debut at the 30^th Anniversary Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance on August 2, 2009. This exciting performance car is a one-off alloy Boattail Speedster formerly owned by Angela Cherrett− noted authority and author on Alfa 8Cs, and will be presented in unrestored condition.

“We’re thrilled that the owner of this thorough-bred vintage race car has chosen the Meadow Brook Concours as the venue for its North American debut,” said Matthew de Larcinese, Executive Director – Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance. “This addition to the show field is certain to be a crowd pleaser!”

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 (serial no. 2311237) began life as a factory show car in 1934 before being imported to Britain by London Bentley Dealer Jack Barclay in 1935. The new owner promptly ordered a new two-seat touring body designed and constructed for the race chassis. Many of these automobiles were supplied to custom coachbuilders such as Pinninfarina, Zagato, Figoni, Castagna and Touring as was customary.

It remained in the U.K. where it was raced and then driven until its purchase last year by a noted American collector. 

Tickets for the 2009 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance are now on sale by calling 248.643.8645. Sales Online at http://www.mbhconcours.org/tickets.htm. 

Ticket prices

Adults (in advance): $25

Children 12 years and under: Free

Groups of 10 or more: $20 each

About Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance:

Held annually during the first week of August on the historic grounds of Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Michigan, the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance is considered one of the most prestigious classic automobile exhibitions in the world.  In 2009 the Meadow Brook Concours is celebrating its 30^th anniversary. For more information about the 2009 Meadow Brook Concours, visit www.mbconcours.org. 

About Meadow Brook Hall:

Located on the grounds of Oakland University, Meadow Brook Hall is the fourth largest historic house museum in the United States and is renowned for its superb craftsmanship, architectural detailing and grand scale. Built between 1926 and 1929 as the residence of Matilda Dodge Wilson (widow of auto pioneer John Dodge) and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson, the 110-room, 88,000-square-foot, Tudor-revival style mansion is complete with vast collections of original art and furnishings.

iCar is an independent webzine for the car enthusiast and brings a daily fresh automotive news. When your are interested in classic cars then we could recommend Auto Motor Klassiek, thousands of classic cars for sale when you click on Classic Cars for Sale Auto Motor Klassiek is a magazine for Classic Cars.

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