The 2019 edition of this iconic 1000-mile race brought 430 classic and vintage cars to Italy, with support from Deutsche Bank Wealth Management as Global Lead Partner.
The 1000 Miglia is a unique celebration of both motor racing and the Italian landscape. Each year, it sees hundreds of classic and vintage cars – all built before 1957 – racing from Brescia in Lombardy to Rome and back via seven regions of northern Italy.
This year’s event, which took place on May 15–18, 2019, was as remarkable as ever, with its rich variety of vehicles, stunning settings and cheering crowds lining much of the route. It also saw Deutsche Bank Wealth Management become Global Lead Partner of the event, with support from our Art, Culture & Sports department.
Race participants have their car signed by Mark Webber, former professional racing driver and nine-time Formula One Grand Prix winner. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone
Car 350 parades through the Parco Giardino Sigurtà on the first day of the race. Credit: LAT Images – Steven Tee
Car 355, a Mercedes Benz 300 SL (W198), drives through Senigallia with ‘Mika’ the bear strapped to the bonnet. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone
In the two days building up to the race, participants were welcomed to a new hospitality area at the paddock in Brescia, created and hosted by the Deutsche Bank Wealth Management events team. Here the drivers and their crews could relax, network and check out the other cars in the race, while their cars were scrutinized to meet the race’s strict entry criteria.
A number of drivers were also entered into the race as our guests, once it had been verified that their cars met the necessary standards.
“This is a partnership we have committed to until 2021,” says Roberto Parazzini, Head of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management for Southern and Western Europe. “We are pleased to extend our support of an event that shares our values of innovation, excellence and tradition.”
Spectators enjoy watching the cars as they pass through Senigallia’s main square on the second day of the race. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone
Siena’s Piazza del Campo hosts the 1000 Miglia for the first time on Day Three – including car 351, an MG A built in 1955, and its British drivers. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone.
Highlights of the 1000 Miglia 2019
The 1000 Miglia has always attracted racers and cars from around the world and this year was no exception. Over half the participants were from outside Italy – many from other countries in Europe but some from as far away as the US and Japan. And there were 75 car-makers represented among the 430 vehicles in the race, including British and German marques such as Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz alongside Italian giants such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia.
This year’s race began with typical fanfare in Brescia’s Piazza della Vittoria, with marching bands and an air display painting il Tricolore across the sky, and ended four days later with Giovanni Moceri and Daniele Bonetti crossing the finish line in first place in their 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS, owned by the Alfa Romeo Museum of Arese.
Darkness begins to fall as the teams and their cars arrive in Bologna at the end of the third day, having set off from Rome in the morning. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone
The team driving car 11 celebrate as they cross the finish line in Brescia, four days after setting off from the same spot. Credit: LAT Images – Andy Hone
In between, the drivers and co-drivers spent over forty hours behind the wheel, dealing with changeable weather conditions as well as the performance challenges to be expected when your car is at least 62 years old. But, as ever, they also got the chance to experience some historic moments. The 1000 Miglia has been called a “travelling museum” because its cars cannot have any modifications that were not available at the time of their manufacture, and this was brought to life in spectacular fashion on Day Three when the whole convoy parked in Siena’s Piazzo Il Campo for the first time in the history of the race.
“The 1000 Miglia is one of the most prestigious events in Italian motoring and our partnership supports the internationalization of its brand,” says Nicola West, Global Head of Events, Partnerships & Sponsorships. “Not only is the race a test of endurance, it connects people from across the world through a shared passion for motor racing, whilst providing the opportunity for participants to enjoy their own personal journey.”
Deutsche Bank Wealth Management was the Trophy Race Sponsor in 2018 and is now the Global Lead Partner of 1000 Miglia until 2021.
Suzie Bliss is an editor in the global content team at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management.
