The Mille Miglia, once the most spectacular road race in the world, has long since developed into a vintage car event that attracts spectators far beyond Italy. Of the many international partner events, the Mille Miglia in the United Arab Emirates is perhaps the most impressive.
There are few places in the world where car culture is as feverish as the United Arab Emirates. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman have a concentration of luxury cars that cannot be found anywhere else. More important than the historic Mille Miglia machines from the period 1927-1957 are modern sports cars and hypercars, and the more exclusive and expensive they are, the better. So it’s no wonder that the organizers of the Italian event have managed to transport the spectacle to the Gulf for the fifth time with the Mille Miglia Experience UAE. “Every year we welcome an exceptional group of collectors and passionate drivers who share a love of historic automobiles and the appeal of the open road,” explains organizer Martin Halder. “This event is about more than just the rally. It’s about camaraderie, discovery and the celebration of timeless automotive heritage.”
The Tour itself has little in common with the original race or today’s uniformity-based Italian Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome and back. One hundred and twenty teams started from the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai in three categories: Mille Miglia (1927–57), Classic Icons (until 1980) and Contemporary Icons (from 1980). The 1,600 kilometer route across the Arabian Peninsula focuses less on endless time stages and more on spectacular landscapes, dramatic roads and the region’s vibrant cities. Over four days the stops will be Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Oman and Abu Dhabi.
In addition to modern sports cars, European classics also caused great enthusiasm among participants and spectators. Where else would you see rare, multi-million euro machines like the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, OM 665 Superba Sport Zagato, Bentley R-Type SS, Ferrari 275 GTB Shortnose or Jaguar XKs in the wild? “It was a highlight of the year for Mercedes-Benz Classic to present such an important car as the 300 SLR in action at the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE,” says Marcus Breit Schwert, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Classic. The Stuttgart brand showed the Mercedes 300 SLR W 196 S racing sports car for the first time in the Emirates.
Outstanding cars: Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (combined consumption: 13.7 l/100 km | combined CO₂ emissions: 312 g/km | CO₂ class: G) and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss (rear) near Hotel Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi.
