Alfa Romeo at the Mille Miglia 2014

The 32nd celebration of the historical Mille Miglia race will bring together 430 crews from 35 countries worldwide from 15 to 18 May.
Alfa Romeo will be taking part as Gold Sponsor with three official cars from the brand's Museum: a 1930 "6C 1750 Gran Sport", a 1928 "6C 1500 Super Sport" and a 1954 "2000 Sportiva".
A 1954 Giulietta Sprint, prototype no. 2, will also be at Mille Miglia 2014 on behalf of the iconic model which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
A selection of Alfa Romeo Giuliettas, the new recently refreshed car that preserves its image of sportiness and elegance, will be following the vintage models.
Alfa Romeo is planning a number of activities to create an exciting brand experience for Mille Miglia 2014.
In Brescia, Padua and Rome, Alfa Romeo stands will be celebrating Giulietta's anniversary with a display of vintage and current models, a work of art inspired by Giulietta and the ideas created in real time by promising young designers.
The first meeting of 4C and 8C supercar owners will be staged in Modena.

Alfa Romeo will be Gold Sponsor of Mille Miglia 2014 regularity race, celebrating the "finest race in the world" - as Enzo Ferrari famously dubbed it - which will be setting off on a round trip from Brescia on Thursday 15 May to Sunday 18 May stopping at some of Italy's most picturesque locations. The illustrious event brings together flocks of admiring, enthusiastic spectators every year. This is a clear indication that these vintage cars still arouse strong emotions even among the youngest in the crowd.

Alfa Romeo will be lining up three official cars picked from the Alfa Romeo Museum - two pre-war models, a 1930 "6C 1750 Gran Sport" and a 1928 "6C 1500 Super Sport," and a 1954 "2000 Sportiva". As required by the rules, these cars all took part in the Mille Miglia race, which was held in the years from 1927 to 1957. Interestingly, Alfa Romeo triumphed no less than eleven times - a record that can never been beaten.

As always a race and an adventure rolled into one, several important changes have been made to this year's programme. Firstly, the entire event will last for four days, instead of three. On Sunday 18, the parade that many consider the "world's most prestigious roadside museum" will be crossing Modena, Reggio Emilia and Mantua, to reach Brescia, where the prize-giving ceremony will be staged. Furthermore, the cities of Riccione, Loreto, Ascoli and Teramo will be joining the list of locations touched by Mille Miglia. The race will make a symbolic stop at the earthquake-ravished city of L'Aquila, and will climb the Futa and Raticosa mountain passes, as in 1947 and in 1948.

Of the participating 430 cars - the highest number ever - there will be three official Alfa Romeos which have written some of the most important pages in international motoring history. Like the 1928 "6C 1500 Super Sport" (body made by Stabilimenti Farina), the first touring model of the Jano era. The "1500" made its racing début by winning the 1927 Modena Circuit prize with the Enzo Ferrari-Giulio Ramponi crew. It won the first of eleven Alfa victories at the Mille Miglia the following year, with Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi, who clinched the win with a car similar to that of the Alfa Romeo Museum.

The spotlight will be trained upon the 1930 "6C 1750 Gran Sport" (body made by Zagato), a Mille Miglia legend. Tazio Nuvolari and Giovanni Battista Guidotti won the 1930 edition at the wheel of a 1750, the edition in which Nuvolari beat the 100 km/h average speed record over the entire course. The duel with Achille Varzi - also driving an Alfa Romeo 1750 - was the leitmotif of the race, which reached its climax with the legendary trick of overtaking with headlights off, to the detriment of Varzi.

The "2000 Sportiva", the beautifully styled, dynamic exclusive touring model, will complete the Alfa Romeo Museum line-up. The "Sportiva" was designed by Franco Scaglione, the same designer of the "Giulietta Sprint" and the "33 Stradale". From the mechanical viewpoint, the "2000 Sportiva" was derived from the "1900", with the sophistication of a De Dion rear axle, a solution that would be adopted on the "Alfetta" saloon 20 years later.

A 1954 Giulietta Sprint (prototype no. 2) will also be parading in Mille Miglia 2014 on behalf of the iconic model that will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The Giulietta Sprint was one of the first ever mass-produced cars to fit a 1.3 all-aluminium engine with dual camshaft: these solutions were reserved to racing cars at the time.

These priceless vintage models will be followed by some examples of the Giulietta, which was recently refreshed, preserving the model's clear position of sportiness and elegance. To keep playing a leading role in its segment, the Giulietta comes with a renewed style, new engines and more technological contents. The main features are a brand-new front grille, new chrome-plated fog light frame and a selection of 16", 17" and 18" rims. The colour range is more extensive, with the addition of three new body colours: Moonlight Pearl, Anodizzato Blue and Bronze. Inside there are changes to the steering wheel, seat upholstery and treatments for the dashboard, door panels and central tunnel.

The Giulietta is packed with innovative technology, such as the new Uconnect multimedia device with 5" or 6.5" touchscreen built into the dashboard. Both versions have Bluetooth interface, Aux-in connector, USB port and voice commands. What is more, the 6.5" device also implements a satellite navigation system with 3D bird's eye view maps, progressive route guidance and One Step Voice Entry Destination function. The 150 HP 2.0 JTDM 2 with second-generation MultiJet injection system débuted on the Giulietta. The Quadrifoglio Verde version will shortly be on the market. From the 4C supercar it inherits the 240 HP 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with direct injection and aluminium block, in combination with the Alfa TCT 6-speed twin dry clutch transmission.

Alfa Romeo activities for the Brescia, Riccione, Padua and Rome stops

Alfa Romeo has prepared an array of activities for the main locations where Mille Miglia will be stopping, all linked by a particularly important fil rouge: to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Giulietta, the iconic model that was first introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1954.

The first appointment is scheduled for Thursday 15 in Brescia at the Alfa Romeo stand in the Sponsor Village, in Piazza della Vittoria, to welcome motoring enthusiasts and invite them to live an exciting 'Brand Experience'. They can admire a midnight blue Giulietta Sprint - a special edition crafted by Bertone for the Turin and Paris Motor Shows in 1956 - and see the projects of a group of young designers who will sketch their concept of the "Alfa Romeo of the future" in real time inspired by the cars that made the brand's remarkable history and took part in the Mille Miglia. The drawings - on paper, computer and even one of the walls of the stand - will be emailed to whoever asks. The stand will also host a private collection of Alfa Romeo miniatures, from the pre-war period and after, which took part in the Mille Miglia race, on display to the public for the first time, and - thanks to collaboration with Mopar® - an Alfa Romeo merchandising corner selling official products from the exclusive Vintage range and the new 4C supercar range. Among the items on sale is the new Giulietta kit, a fine case - in a limited edition of 115 - containing reproductions of the Owner Handbooks and Spare Parts Catalogues for the historic model of the 1950s, as well as the contemporary advertising leaflets and style picture of the Giulietta Sprint.

The Alfa Romeo stand will also be set up at Padua, where on Thursday the 15th, artist Jonathan Carugi/Machas will make an "Art car" from a Giulietta MY 2014 Diesel 2.0 150 HP, which will be decorated from 6 p.m. until Friday evening. Subsequently, the artwork will be transferred to Piazza della Vittoria in Brescia, where it will be focus of the event organised by Radio Number One for the Mille Miglia special long-night event.

On Friday 16 too, Alfa Romeo will be involving the public with special initiatives along the route. The activities in Riccione will be organised by the Rimini Motor Village, while in Rome the Alfa Romeo stand in the Sponsor Village at Castel Sant'Angelo will be open from noon to midnight. In particular, two Giulietta Spider prototypes made by Pininfarina and Bertone in 1955 will be on show to the public in Rome in addition to an important collection of miniatures including special versions of the Giulietta and one-of-a-kind models like the 6C 3000 CM made by Boano for Juan Perón or the Alfa Romeo Museum's 2000 Sportiva. The public in Rome will also have the opportunity to admire the work of young designers sketching out future Alfa Romeo prototypes.

All the Alfa Romeo stands are designed to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Giulietta with pictures, vintage photographs and a celebratory logo drawn by the Style Centre for the event. Furthermore, all visitors to the stand will receive complimentary gadgets and be offered an exclusive, dedicated promotion for the new MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde and Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde.

All Italian Alfa Romeo Club collectors and Alfa Romeo Italian Register members have been officially invited to take part in the various stages of the event to highlight the brand's glorious history. Piazza Garzeria in Padua, Piazzale Ceccarini in Riccione and the parking areas of the Motor Village in Rome and of the local dealer in Brescia will be reserved for their historic cars.

The first official meeting of 4C and 8C supercar owners will be staged during Mille Miglia 2014 on May 17 and 18. They will all be meeting up in Modena at the brand-new Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari from where, after a guided tour, the cars will set off to Parma. From here, they will follow the special Roadbook specifically created by Miki Biasion to wind through the breathtaking, scenic routes of the Emilian hills.

They will then reach the Varano de' Melegari racing track where Gordon de Adamich and his staff will brief drivers on safety before they can start their laps. Those present for the occasion will be able to admire the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, the Alfa Romeo 75 IMSA from the Alfa Romeo Museum and a 4C SBK safety car for the SBK World Championship; a merchandising corner will be set up beside the cars, selling dedicated items. The ceremony marking the establishment of the new official Alfa Romeo 4C and 8C clubs is set to take place on Saturday evening and from there it's a trip to Brescia to watch the Mille Miglia competitors cross the finish line.

The Mille Miglia 2014 Alfa Romeo Museum line-up

Alfa Romeo will be lining up three official cars from the brand's Museum, all of which, as per regulations, took part in the Mille Miglia race which was staged in the years from 1927 to 1957. Some information and interesting facts on the priceless cars which will be engaged in this year's event is provided below.

Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport - 1928

The "6C 1500" was the car of Vittorio Jano's debut in Alfa Romeo touring models in the wake of the extraordinary racing success of the "P2 Gran Premio".

The cutting-edge concept of the "1500" was the expression of an effective balance of power, performance and weight: it fitted a medium-low displacement engine (1.5 litre), distributed across six straight cylinders, initially with a single camshaft (a dual camshaft version was developed later) and was naturally aspirated or supercharged with a Roots compressor.

With the high unitary power delivered by its brilliant engine, the "6C 1500" was light and handled well, in line with the performance that motorists expected from an Alfa Romeo.

Officially presented in April 1925 at the Milan Motor Show and then in 1926 in Paris and London, the "6C 1500" was first marketed in 1927. The following year, the "Super Sport" configuration driven by Campari and Ramponi would win the second edition of the "Coppa delle Mille Miglia". This was the first of eleven wins that Alfa Romeo would reap in this great classic race, a record that would remain unbeaten. Again in 1928, the "6C 1500" won many other international races, including the Belgian Touring Grand Prix (24 Hours) in Spa-Francorchamps driven by Ivanowsky-Marinoni, who finished the race with 232 km of advantage over the second crew, and the Essex 6 Hours on the Brooklands race track driven by Ramponi, a very popular driver among Alfa enthusiasts in Britain, who repeated himself on the same track in 1929.

The Alfa Romeo Museum's "6C 1500 Super Sport" (body made by Stabilimenti Farina) won the Mille Miglia regularity race in 2005, in 2007 and in 2008, which was incidentally the 80th anniversary of Alfa Romeo's first Mille Miglia win. In 2007, the car also rose to the occasion overseas and won the "Mille Millas Sport" in Argentina. More in detail, the car fits a 1487 cc six-cylinder engine which develops a peak power of 76 HP at 4800 rpm and reaches a top speed of 140 km/h. Thirty-one were made from 1928 to 1929.

Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport - 1930

The "6C 1750" was one of the most celebrated touring cars of the thirties. Light and brilliant, it was highly appreciated by sporty motorists, who also drove the car in races. For many, the image of the "6C 1750" is indissolubly bound to that of Tazio Nuvolari who won the Mille Miglia race at the wheel of one in 1930.

Mass-produced from 1929 to 1932, the many versions of the "6C 1750" are all a major development of the earlier "6C 1500": while maintaining identical structure and weight, performance increased considerably in the larger displacement engines, which delivered more power and torque.

The racing career of the "6C 1750" started with the 3rd edition of the "Coppa delle Mille Miglia" in 1929 and was driven by Campari and Ramponi to victory at an average speed of 89.688 km/h.

The "6C 1750 Gran Sport", a tuned-up version with a new compression for boosting power and further improving performance, was introduced the following year. The "GS" version also made its racing debut at the Mille Miglia. Four models were driven by Nuvolari, Campari, Varzi and Ghersi, and the model floored competition coming in first, second, third and fourth. Nuvolari-Giudotti were the first crew to cut the finish line in Brescia at a record-breaking average speed of 100.450 km/h after having battled relentlessly with Achille Varzi.

The "fixed head" "1750 Gran Sport" was the top of the range and won several major races: it came in first, second and third at the Tourist Trophy in 1930 (won by Nuvolari) and at the 24 Hour race in Spa-Francorchamps. In 1931, it shattered the 4000 Miles and 24 Hours records at Monthlery (at an astonishing average speed of 151.918 km/h!).

The "6C 1750" is one of Alfa Romeo head engineer Vittorio Jano's masterpieces. The lightweight car handled well and was fast and reliable. From a technological point of view, it was a world apart from the direct competition - all features that made it a sure race winner.

All the very best coach builders of the day took the opportunity to express their skills on a "6C 1750" chassis: the famous "Flying Star" touring, Zagato, Castagna, and abroad James Young. More in detail, the body of the Alfa Romeo Museum's "1750 GS" was made by Zagato in 1930. The car fits a 1752 cc six-cylinder engine which develops a peak power of 102 HP at 5000 rpm reaching a top speed of 170 km/h. 257 were built in the years from 1930 and 1933.

Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva - 1954

The "2000 Sportiva" was designed in 1954 with the goal set by Alfa Romeo engineers to make a small series of high-performance cars suited for both road use and "Sport" category races. The two-litre twin camshaft four-cylinder engine delivered a power of 138 HP and was closely derived from the engine of the "1900". It propelled the "Sportiva" to a top speed of 220 km/h, outstandingly fast for its day.

The "2000 Sportiva" is technically advanced: it fits a five-speed gearbox and a De Dion rear suspension. The aluminium body designed by Bertone and made by Franco Scaglione, "father" of the nearly contemporary "Giulietta Sprint", "Giulietta SS" and "33 Stradale", is streamlined and very elegant. The rear window, rear end and boot of the "2000 Sportiva" will be successfully carried over to the "Sprint", with the proportions obviously adapted.

The driveability and performance of the "2000 Sportiva" were top in class and the car is remarkably pleasant and safe to drive even today. At the end of the sixties, the De Dion rear suspension will be used to create similar solutions for the 1972 Alfetta.

Two units of the "2000 Sportiva" were made, one with metallic grey paintwork (owned by the Alfa Romeo Museum) and the other a super-classic red owned by a collector.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Prototype 1954

This is one of the very first prototypes in the history of the historic model, probably fitted on chassis 00002 at the start of 1954 with a body built internally by Alfa Romeo, when collaboration with Bertone had not yet begun. Shortly after the car was transferred to the workshop of the historic Torinese coach builder and transformed into one of the prototypes with a tailgate, a version which was still not final.

When the Giulietta Sprint went on sale, chassis 2 couldn't be sold due to differences with the definitive model, and consequently remained at Alfa Romeo for several years.

In 1958, the car is entrusted to the Bertone body shop once more, and rebuilt, to become a Sprint Veloce, which he sells to Fabbrica Italiana Carburatori Edoardo Weber.

After a few more changes of ownership within Italy, the car is exported. After its rediscovery and return to Italy, it is restored in such a way as to preserve to final set-up, though with some aesthetic touches inspired by the original prototype, like the chrome "whiskers".