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created, my father stepped back from
the board and, in 2016, Bonomi invited
me to join it to help him boost
internationalisation and explore new
boundaries for the historic race. Of
course, I accepted immediately and,
two years later, I was appointed
president. I can no longer participate
but I remain involved, following the
race in beautiful cars provided by the
key sponsors Alfa Romeo and
Mercedes. As a spectator, I am able to
sit back and admire the awe-inspiring
rally just as I did as a young boy, and to
fully appreciate the incredible
enthusiasm and warmth of the public
along the entire route.
The mastermind behind the race
route is Giuseppe Cherubini. Every
year, he manages to maintain key
elements of the original route while
including exciting new angles of Italy,
including the verdant Parco Giardino
Sigurtà near Brescia; the charming old
town of Pietrasanta in Tuscany; and the
famous Piazza del Duomo in Milan.
This year it was the turn of Vinci,
Tuscany, homeland of the great
Renaissance master, Leonardo. In
Brescia, we displayed a life-size model
of the self-propelled cart designed by
the Maestro, an ancestor of the
stunning automobiles we gather to race
and admire every year.Sleeping for just a fewhours throughout therace, one is drivenpurely by adrenalineit as a nice excuse for driving
extraordinary cars and touring through
Italy’s beautiful countryside; a quiet,
elegant occasion for motoring fans and
older generations.
What I experienced was far more
challenging than I ever expected—and I
was in a late 50s Mercedes, by all
accounts one of the more
comfortable rides in the race.
Sleeping for just a few hours
throughout the event, one is
driven purely by adrenaline.
Competitors get to drive
through Italy’s most
magnificent scenery, yet
there are also stints of
driving on regular, traffic-
filled roads and much
climbing and descending of
the Apennine Mountains. Despite the
unexpected challenges involved, after
my first race I fully appreciated the
value of the gift my father had given me
and understood precisely what Enzo
Ferrari meant when he famously
declared the 1000 Miglia to be “the
most beautiful race in the world”.
Approaching my 30s, I got married
and, as a gift, my father invited me to
race in the 1000 Miglia Classic once
again, along with my wife Umberta.
Although it was not quite the quiet tour
of Italy she had imagined, Umbertafound the race as incredible
as she did tiring, marvelling
at both the scenery and the
sense of competition, just as
I had. I have now raced the
1000 Miglia in the Gullwing
five times and it has always
been a great experience,
both for the race itself and
for the valuable time I have
spent with my father and my
wife. One day soon, I hope to share it
with my son Carlo, who has, of course,
inherited the family passion for driving.
The 1000 Miglia holds a special place
in my father’s heart, both as a car
enthusiast and as a citizen of Brescia.
Sensing clouds on the horizon in 2009,
he and his long-term friend Aldo
Bonomi decided to create the 1000
Miglia srl, established as an in-house
company of the ACB. This organisation
guarantees the future of the race, along
with its special relationship with Brescia
and its citizens. A few years after it wasClockwise from top left: Frecce Tricolori flypast at the 2019 Mille
Miglia; Maseratis in Piazza Vittoria before the 1955 Mille Miglia; Ugo
Gussalli Beretta in Mercedes 300 SL during his last Mille Miglia in 2008.
Below: cover of Autosport magazine (May 6, 1955) showing Stirling
Moss and Denis Jenkinson taking part in the race in a Mercedes 300 SLRSEPTEMBER 2019 VANITY FAIR EN ROUTE
09-19Essay-Beretta-Miglia.indd 37 17/07/2019 08:14