70 years after its victory in the 1940 Mille Miglia, the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé has once again emerged as the winner of this tradition-steeped Italian event. Giuliano Cané and Lucia Galliani authoritatively steered the Coupé through the numerous trials and clocked up the 1,000 miles through Italy without a single technical hitch.
Enzo Ciravolo and Maria Leitner rounded off the BMW triumph by coming third in a series-production BMW 328, clinching another parallel to the Mille Miglia of 70 years ago when a BMW likewise finished in third place. “Victory by Giuliano Cané and Lucia Galliani along with third place achieved by Enzo Ciravolo and Maria Leitner are a marvellous example of teamwork,” commented Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Classic. “Both the blind understanding between the crews inside the cars and the cooperation with the mechanics along the way worked out perfectly. And for that I would like to say thank you to all those involved,” Baumer added.
The journey to the Italian race venue itself proved just how well the cars of 1940 have kept up their prowess. They made their way from Munich to Brescia not on the back of race transporters but under their steam, just as they had done 70 years ago. “It was the perfect dress rehearsal for the race,” noted Baumer. Nor were the drivers bothered by the inclement weather during their crossing of the Alps, wrapped up as they were in weatherproof BMW Motorrad gear. During the Mille Miglia itself, the weather was also up to its tricks.
From 27 degrees Celsius on the Adriatic to near-freezing in snow and fog on Monte Terminillo, the teams were put through the whole gamut of the Italian climate. “But the trials and tribulations are quickly forgotten once all the participants – teams and cars – have made it safely across the finish line,” summed up Karl Baumer. “And our great result is the icing on the cake.”
[Photos: BMW Group Classic]
