1000 Miglia Experience UAE to take place from December 4 to 8

Known as the most beautiful race in the world, the 1000 Miglia will be held from December 4 to 8, 2022 in the UAE, organised by the Italian company 1000 Miglia Srl and Octanium Experiences LLC. The event is set to become the largest classic car regularity rally ever held in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with 100 teams participating from around the globe. Entries for the event are expected from as far afield as the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Italy, India, Switzerland and Lebanon.

1. Extraordinary line-up of 100 teams from around the globe
2. Historic range of automobiles from 1927 to the present day
3. 1,600km route traverses all seven Emirates of the UAE
4. Jacky Ickx to participate with a 1968 Porsche 911 Bahama Mama

The India line-up will include Yohan Poonawalla in his Lincoln Continental (that was used by the then Pope for his India tour in 1964), Amal Tanna in his Ford V8, Ishtiyaq Nagree in his Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R107), Amir Jetha in his Fiat Millecento, Xerxes Master in his Fiat Millecento and Jimmy Tata in a Ferrari. 

Autocar India’s classic car aficionado Perseus Bandrawalla and Chinmay Bafna from Mumbai will also be participating in a Mercedes-Benz 560SL (R107).

A wide range of automobiles are expected to participate in the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE Jubilee Edition and will be on display for the public to view at the Dubai Creek Golf Club on December 4. The event, supported by the UAE Ministry of Interior and the UAE Government Media Office, will be attended by a number of high-profile VIPs, influencers and international guests enjoying this new chapter in the illustrious history of the 1000 Miglia.

Highlights from an outstanding line-up of classics include:

1. 1927 OM 665 “Superba”– a similar model won the first 1000 Miglia in 1927.

2. 1952 Porsche 356 – competed in the famously gruelling South American 1953 Panamericana rally, with Guatemalan coffee mogul Manfredo Lippmann at the wheel.

3. 1964 Lincoln Continental – bought by the then-Pope for his tour of India in 1964. It was then presented to Mother Teresa to be auctioned off for charity and remains in India to this day.

4. 1958 Messerschmitt FMR TG500 Roadster – the smallest and boldest vehicle in the event.

5. Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings – the highest number ever seen in the UAE of the car that was widely considered the fastest in the world in the 1950s; 10 owners set to attend.

6. 1958 Ferrari 250GT California LWB Spyder – one of the rarest and most valuable Ferraris ever made.

7. 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopo’ – the first version of the legendary Countach supercar.

About 1000 Miglia 

Conceived by Giovanni Canestrini, Franco Mazzotti, Aymo Maggi and Renzo Castagneto on December 2, 1926 as a speed race on open public roads, the 1000 Miglia took place over a route of 1,600km (equal to 1,000 miles) from Brescia to Rome and back. The initial race began on March 26, 1927; 21 hours, 4 minutes and 48 seconds later, it was won by Ferdinando Minoja and Giuseppe Morandi in a Brescia-built OM 665 Superba.

In 1955, Mercedes-Benz factory driver Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson won the historic race in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. They completed the 992-mile distance in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds – an average speed of 99mph (158km/h). The two Englishmen finished 32 minutes in front of their second-placed teammate, Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio. 

Octanium CEO Martin Halder said: “This historic first fully booked event is the culmination of 18 months of tireless effort in concert with the UAE Government and our partners to bring the 1000 Miglia to the United Arab Emirates. With participants from all over the world, an overall vehicle line-up in excess of $150 million, including some absolutely blue-chip classics on display on December 4, and tremendous excitement from our local participants, we are confident in saying that the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE will be without parallel in the Arabian Peninsula. I wish our honoured participants the very best of luck in what is shaping up to be a truly grand automotive adventure.”

2022 1000 Miglia Experience UAE Rally Route

Also See:

Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally presents a sparkling array of automotive gems

Mercedes Benz Classic Car Rally 2022 image gallery