Brescia

Brescia-Roma and back again. A route that is all-too-common to fans of the Mille Miglia has been beautifully captured in this drawing exclusively brought to you by Ferdasco Gallery. The Mille Miglia is one of the oldest, and most popular, open road endurance races founded in 1927. It is the race that brands like Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have to thank for their popularity. It is a staple of Italian culture and one that played host to numerous legendary racers of yore like Tazio Nuvolari, Giuseppe Campari, and Alberto Ascari. It is estimated that 5 million Italians came to watch the race, highlighting the social impact the race held on the lives of Italian citizens.

This composition showcases a Ferrari 750 Monza Spider racing at night. One of the Mille Miglia's most dangerous and equally famous feature was the fact that racers largely raced through the night. Most competitors started racing before midnight and usually arrived sometime after dusk. The 750 Monza earned its name when Mike Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli piloted the car to victory on its first race at Monza. The car used a three-liter version of the 500 Mondial's engine that gave it around 260 HP at a lightweight 1,675 lb. The racers in the illustration sport unique, visor-equipped helmets, unusual for a time when most wore leather helmets and goggles if they wore a helmet at all. 

The illustration was first drawn on paper on location at The Gallery Aaldering in Brummen, the biggest classic car dealer in Europe before being digitally illustrated and printed on luxurious museum-quality paper. We put many hours into revisions to ensure that all the details are historically accurate and properly convey the feelings of those who participated in and watched the Mille Miglia.

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