I not too long ago had the possibility to see one in all my car-related goals being partially fulfilled; experiencing the Mille Miglia! It was a last-minute association for me so I sadly couldn’t get behind the wheel of a classic sports activities or racing automobile, nevertheless it was a scintillating expertise nonetheless. Spending a day-and-a-half within the rolling hills of northern Italy, in between a few of the most fascinating classic vehicles and surrounded by superb folks, and sure, watches too, it was a head-spinning journey. And within the midst of all of it, I had the possibility to sit down down with Mr Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-owner of Chopard, a real automobile fanatic and Mille Miglia common! The subject at hand? The legendary street race, after all, in addition to his fascination for vehicles and the way it all ties in with Chopard.
The Mille Miglia
For these not aware of the Mille Miglia, it was a timed 1000-mile (roughly) lengthy racing occasion held on public roads in Italy between 1927 and 1957. It was established by Counts Aymo Maggi and Franco Mazzotti, together with sports activities supervisor Renzo Castagneto and motorsport journalist Giovanni Canestrini. The thought was to race unmodified manufacturing vehicles from Brescia, within the north, all the way down to Rome (which is considerably central in Italy north-south-wise) and again as much as Brescia once more. The occasion would entice the largest names in racing, each by way of drivers and carmakers. The principles had been fairly easy; vehicles would set off at timed intervals, bearing a beginning quantity that corresponded to their departure time. He (or she) who can be again in Brescia within the quickest time, gained!
Again in these days, the occasion was a continuous endurance race, with driver Giuseppe Morandi and navigator Ferdinando Minoia successful the inaugural version in a time of simply shy 21 hours and 5 minutes in an OM 665 S. The report was set by the legendary duo of Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, who accomplished the 1955 version’s 992.332 mile-long (approx. 1.597km) course in a blistering 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Meaning they averaged a pace of 99mph, or 158kph. On public roads!
Sir Stirling Moss & Denis Jenkinson piloting the mighty Mercedes-Benz 300SLR to a record-breaking win in 1955 – HistoricRacingNews.com
Security considerations meant the top of the race, nevertheless it was resurrected in 1977 as a regularity occasion following commonplace site visitors laws, whereas solely eligible for vehicles that competed in any of the unique 24 editions. The vehicles nonetheless set off in Brescia, and drive throughout the nation on a route than differ from 12 months to 12 months. Penalty factors are given for groups being too quick or too sluggish, or utilizing ‘banned’ roads such because the freeway, and driving can take as much as 10 hours per day. This 12 months, greater than 400 groups lined up firstly, able to sort out Italy’s public street community and pleasing 1000’s of individuals alongside the way in which.
Chopard has been the official timing associate for the Mille Miglia since 1988, making it the longest steady partnership between a watchmaker and a motorsports occasion. Yearly, the model releases a particular version (or a number of) of its aptly named Mille Miglia assortment, in dedication to this extremely intoxicating celebration of vehicles!
Robin Nooij, MONOCHROME Watches: Mr. Scheufele, the place does your love of vehicles come from? What’s your earliest reminiscence of this?
Mr Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, co-owner of Chopard and Mille Miglia common: It began very early for me, and I’ve beloved vehicles so long as I can keep in mind. My father was truly a automobile fanatic and collector as nicely, in order that’s the way it all started. He had a Jaguar at one level, I consider it was a 3.8 MKII, the somewhat sporty limousine. And this automobile I truly discovered the way to drive in, which I suppose will not be a nasty begin!
It additionally was a little bit of a troublesome begin as a result of again then you definately didn’t have energy steering, energy breaks and that kind of factor. The gearbox was fairly difficult and difficult as nicely. However I simply beloved that automobile, and subsequently my father’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster too. That has all the time been one in all my favorite vehicles. There’s such historical past behind it, and the Roadster is now a part of my assortment, sitting subsequent to the Gullwing.
1937 Fiat 1100 Sport Speciale
1948 Ferrari 166 Spider Corsa
You’ve been repeatedly collaborating within the Mille Miglia, however has it all the time been with the Gullwing or have you ever pushed different vehicles as nicely?
I’ve truly competed with fairly a variety of totally different vehicles, and actually, fairly a couple of of them from the pre-war years. Thirty years in the past I participated with my spouse, or then my fiancé I ought to say, in a 1929 4.5 litre Bentley. It was truly a suggestion of my father to ask her alongside as a navigator, as we had been just some weeks away from the marriage. It was probably the most memorable Mille Miglia we did, and in addition one of many hardest.
We drove the Bentley all the way in which from Switzerland to the beginning of the Mille Miglia in Brescia, after which did the Mille Miglia itself and drove again to Switzerland once more. And throughout the race itself, we encountered fairly some challenges! The climate was dangerous, and the automobile was removed from straightforward to drive. The automobile had undergone restoration however some work had not been carried out correctly, which I solely came upon on the way in which to Italy. The steering was actually exhausting, a lot more durable than it ought to have been. The brakes within the rear weren’t working nicely as a result of oil from the axle leaked into the drums.
She didn’t wish to drive that automobile, as a result of it’s very difficult, and nobody from the household ever drove it besides me. The pedals are inversed, with the throttle within the center and the brake pedal in the fitting. However we loved it very a lot, it was fairly an expertise!
1950 Fiat 500 C Topolino
1953 Porsche 356 A 1500
What’s it about vehicles that you simply love a lot, and what’s so particular about collaborating in an occasion just like the Mille Miglia?
To me it’s the analogue expertise, which isn’t present in fashionable vehicles. That’s why I like basic vehicles such because the Mercedes. They take all of your focus to drive and don’t distract you with anything. You don’t have time to have a look at or do anything. Trendy vehicles have been perfected too far I feel. Due to this, I’ve little or no curiosity in truly driving them the way in which I do my classic vehicles. All the things is assisted, you possibly can’t even make them slide or do one thing the pc doesn’t need you to do. That doesn’t imply they’re dangerous and a few of them are nonetheless very attention-grabbing and good to have a look at, however to me they aren’t driver’s vehicles anymore.
That’s additionally what’s so particular in regards to the Mille Miglia and competing in such an occasion. You get to expertise some unimaginable vehicles that competed within the unique years (between 1927 and 1957) alongside the identical roads, with nothing else to deal with. When you’re gone, and also you’re driving, it’s all in regards to the roads, the nation, the surroundings, the spectators, you title it. I imply, it’s a mix of all these items that make it the right setting for an occasion like this. After which you possibly can solely think about what it most likely was to race within the Mille Miglia. The sensation is as shut because it will get to what it actually was to race these vehicles on public roads at the moment.
To me, it’s additionally about protecting the spirit of those vehicles alive and displaying them to the general public as nicely.
Completely, it’s a technique to share your ardour and the tales of those unimaginable vehicles with the folks. For this Italy is the right place, as another nations could not have the identical reception for an occasion like this. Quite the opposite even, as different nations won’t be open to this due to varied considerations about security and so forth. The Mille Miglia is admittedly an open-air museum for vehicles of that period.
1950 Fiat 1100 ES Berlinetta Pinin Farina
1954 Fiat 1100 Berlinetta Zagato
What’s it prefer to drive the Mille Miglia with somebody like Jacky Ickx, your shut pal but in addition a former skilled racing driver?
It’s superb good enjoyable. I’ve identified Jacky for fairly some years now and we’re very shut. We’ve competed within the Mille Miglia a number of instances and I’m simply glad he trusts my driving. And regardless that he’s nonetheless fairly aggressive, we by no means enter with the purpose of successful. We do our greatest to get in consequence, however to us it’s extra in regards to the expertise itself. For the reason that Mille Miglia is a regularity problem as a substitute of a race for the quickest general time, it’s very difficult to be first.
It’s a must to be extraordinarily exact and even a single improper flip or mistake at a crossing can lose you plenty of time, and also you’re by no means going to recuperate from it. To be good at this kind of factor takes plenty of apply and the fitting timing tools. Some groups have actually superior stuff of their vehicles to be as exact as potential. Then there may be the possibility of technical breakdowns, that are very a lot a part of it. It’s all about regularity and averaging your tempo. I feel the most effective consequence I bought by way of regularity and penalty factors was with my spouse within the Bentley! For probably the most half, we tried to take it very critically collectively and I suppose we managed to be probably the greatest Swiss groups to compete within the Mille Miglia that 12 months and had a comparatively good general rating. Now, Jacky and I take it a bit simpler.
After I competed with my father as soon as, we bought right into a heated argument. I used to be driving, he was navigating and we took a improper flip someplace, went left as a substitute of proper and missed a checkpoint. It turned out he was on the improper web page of the roadbook. You actually have to pay attention, however afterwards, we had chuckle about all of it.
If ever there was a dream automobile to drive within the Mille Miglia? What would it not be, and why?
I contemplating myself very fortunate and I’ve pushed the Mille Miglia with fairly a couple of vehicles. I’ve pushed a Porsche Spider perhaps 6 or 7 instances, with Jacky Ickx. It doesn’t get a lot better than that. I did it twice with my Ferrari 750 Monza, which I feel is a bit load for the occasion. After a couple of hours, it turns into very tiring due to all of the noise it makes. And naturally my 300 SL Gullwing.
If there’s one automobile I might nonetheless prefer to strive is an SSK Mercedes, which is from the pre-war years. It’s a bit much like the Bentley perhaps, nevertheless it’s a really particular automobile! Within the early days, I feel Rudolph Carraciola established one of many data with it. It was additionally the primary non-Italian automobile to win the Mille Miglia. I’d additionally prefer to strive a pre-war Bugatti too, however I’ve seen a lot of them with technical issues, so I’m unsure that would be the finest thought.
1954 A.C. Ace
1950 Healey 2400 Silverstone
Chopard has been concerned with the Mille Miglia since 1988. How did that come about again then?
That happened due to an excellent pal of mine who participated in I consider 1984 or 1986 or so. The Mille Miglia was relaunched simply a few years earlier than as a regularity problem and held solely each two years. He got here again from the Mille Miglia and he stated “If there’s one factor you need to do, it’s this!”. I went there as a spectator and I used to be so thrilled that I contacted the organisers and I requested if they might be focused on a chronometer partnership or some type of sponsorship. It was a really small organisation, not like right now the place there are over nicely 400 collaborating groups and it’s an enormous enterprise.
In these early days, we related and it turned out to be a really attention-grabbing partnership, additionally commercially talking. We did a particular version watch for each single version, with the exceptions of two years, once we did a keychain and cufflinks. There are some collectors who’ve every particular mannequin, which is difficult to do as a result of some are very uncommon! It’s additionally difficult for us to remain inventive in what we provide you with yearly. It’s an important bond, the longest watchmaking partnership with a motorsports occasion within the trade. And now it’s one of many largest occasions in Europe or the world maybe, particularly with regards to vehicles.
Are you able to inform us a bit in regards to the watches you probably did for this 12 months?
We did mainly two totally different watches, a Mille Miglia Basic Chronograph and a Mille Miglia GTS Chrono. The GTS Chrono is the official 2024 version and is obtainable to Mille Miglia rivals in a stainless-steel case and with a particular engraving on the caseback. Every staff can come to the Chopard hospitality sales space and choose up their private watch to put on and revel in. It embodies the Mille Miglia spirit and has all types of racing-inspired parts within the crown, the pushers, the dial and so forth. We additionally provide it as a restricted version for the Italian market solely however in a titanium case as a substitute of metal (see above).
Then there’s the Mille Miglia Basic Chronograph, nicknamed ‘La Gara’, Italian for race, or competitors. This has a round brushed dial in silvery-white with a Panda-style chronograph structure and with a metal case. This isn’t tied to the occasion however merely launched concurrently, and it’s additionally not a restricted version. It’s simply our manner of celebrating vehicles and the Mille Miglia.
For extra data, please go to Chopard.com or 1000Miglia.it.
Editorial Observe: The pictures used on this article are our personal or offered by and used with permission of Chopard, until acknowledged in any other case.
