Alfa Romeo will be taking part in the “Mille Miglia 2010” parade as Joint Presenting Sponsor. The “most beautiful road race in the world” - as it was famously dubbed by Enzo Ferrari - will be starting off from Brescia on 6 May where will be finishing on the 9th, after stopping in some of Italy’s most picturesque cities.

Fascinating and challenging, 375 crews will be competing in the 1600 kilometre long regularity race driving the extraordinary cars which, as required by rules, took part in one of the 30 editions of the historical Mille Miglia race from 1927 to 1957. Alfa Romeo couldn’t miss out on the "Freccia Rossa" (or "Red Arrow" in Italian, as the event is also named), which this year coincides with the brand's centenary. The Official “Automobilismo Storico Alfa Romeo” team has made five remarkable museum cars available: a 6C 1500 Super Sport (1928), a 6C 1750 Gran Sport (1930), an 8C 2300 Le Mans (1931), a 6C 2300 B (1937) and a 1900 Super Sprint (1956). Three cars from private collectors will also be part of the official team: a 6C 1750 Gran Sport (1932), a 6C 2500 Cabriolet (1951) and a Giulietta Sprint (1955).

The brand-new Giulietta will also be featuring in the “Mille Miglia 2010” by the side of the vintage cars of inestimable value which have made international motoring history. The result of Alfa Romeo’s new direction in style and technology, beginning with the 8C Competizione super car and highlighted by the re-use of Italian names, the Giulietta marks a return to the brand's glorious past and projects the car maker's traditional values of technology and emotion into the future. Spectators can admire the new car at the Mille Miglia Villages in Brescia and Rome and along the route: the fleet made available to organisers will include 18 Giuliettas, and seven other Alfas, namely 159s and MiTos. Last but not least, five Alfa Romeo Giuliettas (equipped with powerful 1.4 TB MultiAir and 2.0 JTDM engines, both delivering 170 HP) will be driven by foreign journalists who will be taking the wheel in turns along the entire route of the “Mille Miglia 2010”.



In detail, the oldest model lined up by “Automobilismo Storico Alfa Romeo” for “Mille Miglia 2010” will be the 6C 1500 Super Sport, driven by the Moceri-Labate crew. This car is identical to the one which with Campari and Ramponi started the Alfa Romeo winning streak of eleven victories from 1928 to 1947 (an undefeated record to the present day). Interestingly, this car - usually exhibited at the Alfa Romeo Museum - won three editions of the Mille Miglia revival parade (in 2005, 2007 and 2008). Also creating quite a stir is the second car lined up for Freccia Rossa 2010: a 1930 6C 1750 Gran Sport, a legendary model which made motoring history precisely in the Mille Miglia race, will be driven by Salvinelli-Rizzo. A similar car was driven to victory by Nuvolari and Guidotti in 1930, a race which remains famous for the average speed of 100 km/h along the entire route and for the ranking, which saw three Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sports coming in first, second and third, driven, in order, by Tazio Nuvolari, Achille Varzi and Giuseppe Campari.

A 8C 2300 Le Mans (1931) will be driven this year by Prince Bernhard of Holland, Alfa Romeo Team guest of honour, joined by the famous Dutch architect Roberto Meyer. Henry “Tim” Birkin, the car's first owner, won the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1931 behind its wheel. A genuine racing car icon of the 1930s, this model is equipped with a eight cylinder in line engine with compressor: it is one of the engineering masterpieces made by Vittorio Jano, who also created the “6C” of the 1500 and of the 1750.

The spotlights are also on the fourth car: a 6C 2300 B driven by the all-women crew Grimaldi-Confalonieri. This very elegant touring saloon was the first to sport the "Superleggera" ("superlight") emblem and was driven to a Mille Miglia class win in 1937 by Boratto and Sanesi. Finally, a 1956 1900 Super Sprint closes the team of official cars at “Mille Miglia 2010”: the French Guegan-Jongerlinck crew will be driving the touring coupé version of the 1900, “the sporty saloon that wins races”.

Finally, once again this year, the “Mille Miglia” route - considered by many as “the most prestigious travelling museum in the world” - will be presenting some variations. For example, as before World War II, the parade will be crossing the city of Bologna with test drives on the racing tracks at Imola and Fiorano. Each edition of the “Mille Miglia” is a race and an adventure all rolled into one, never the same as before. This is precisely the secret of the event which every year brings together admiring, enthusiastic spectators: a sign for all to see that these cars still arouse strong emotions even among the youngest in the crowd.

Turin, 27 April 2010