Mille Miglia Exhibition Opens in Stuttgart

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany is bringing to life the Mille Miglia, the legendary Italian 1,000-mile road race. The special exhibition, “Mille Miglia – Passion and Rivalry”, which opened on 10 October 2012, presents fascinating racing sports cars from Mercedes-Benz and competitor vehicles built by Italian manufacturers. A total of nine vehicles are on display.

The Mille Miglia once stood as one of the most famous road races in the world in the 20th century. Each of the 24 times the race was held between 1927 and 1957 was characterized by a fierce level of competition and a supreme challenge for men and machines, in which legendary rivalries marked the racing encounters. The focus of competition was frequently between racing cars from Mercedes-Benz and vehicles from Italian brands such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and OM. Additional excitement was provided by the test of strength between the often audacious drivers. The Mille Miglia was raced without any breaks or other interruptions over a route of 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from Brescia to Rome and back. Today, it survives as an endurance race.