It is official: The Mille Miglia Storica now has new organizers. For the next five years, until 2012, the great vintage racecar spectacle will be staged by ATI, a consortium made up of Meet Communications, Mac Events and San Remo Rally, headed by Alessandro Casali, with offices in Milan and Rome.
The move brings an end to the 30-year reign of MARVA, the company that revived the old race and made it into one of the world’s finest gatherings and regularity events for vintage racecars. It also concludes a bitter struggle between MARVA and ATI to run the MMS, which included recourse to the Italian Regional Administrative Court of Law.
At the time of going to press, there was talk of MARVA, administered by Costantino Franchi, going into liquidation, an ignoble end for a company that had the foresight to bring back the defunct Mille Miglia and build it up to its present world status.
ATI revived another old Italian race from Milan to San Remo several years ago and the 2008 event, which will take place next March, will feature 200 vintage cars from 40 different countries.
Although yet to be announced, Casali promises a series of innovations to improve the Mille Miglia Storica, both for the competitors and the city of Brescia.
The change stems from the Automobile Club of Brescia, owners of the Mille Miglia name and the event’s famous red arrow, putting the organization of the MMS out to tender in April 2006. For 30 years, MARVA made the only bid—until last year. ATI offered $1,130,000 to MARVA’s $672,000.
By Robert Newman
