If you have ever toured a lonely road in an open air vehicle, then you know the appeal of the Mille Miglia.

The French started town-to-town racing in the early 1900's, but the practice was soon outlawed by the French government. The Italians thought it was a good idea so they created races between their towns. These annual racing events were celebrated by the towns, like the Germans celebrate beer fests in towns all over Germany. The most famous Italian town race was the 1600 kilometer (993 mile) circuit from Brescia to Rome and back, which started on March 27, 1927.

The BMW 328 is a milestone in automobile history and was the most successful sports car of the 1930s. Following its competition debut at Nürburgring in June 1936, the BMW 328 demonstrated its prowess in international sportscar races in the two-liter class, including the famed Mille Miglia.

The BMW 328 Mille Miglia roadster featured the 328's powerful overhead valve six-cylinder engine and a streamlined body made of an ultra-light aluminum/magnesium alloy. It won the event twice, in 1938 (with a class win) and outright in 1940. In the 1940 race, 328's dominated the race, finishing first, third, fifth and sixth.

In the 1940 event, Baron Fritz Huschke von Kanstein, in the special-bodied BMW 328 coupe, had a record setting victory with an average speed of 103.4 mph. The top speed he achieved over the course was 139 mph, a remarkable figure for the time. Such startling speeds for a car from this era were the result of BMW engineer Rudolf Schleicher's innovative design featuring a power-to-weight ratio of only 5 kg/hp.

Baron von Kanstein's navigator was supposed to be an Italian nobleman, Giovanni Lurani. However, after a particularly intense practice session, Lurani vowed that never again would he ride alongside the apparently insane von Kanstein. Instead, Walter Baumer took his place as navigator. After having driven "like a madman" throughout the race, von Kanstein stopped the car a few kilometers from the finish line, got out of the car and walked around to the navigator's door. To Baumer's surprise, von Kanstein opened the door and invited Baumer to take the wheel and have the honor of driving across the finish line.

In the year 2000, Giuliano Cané won the event in a BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster sponsored by BMW Mobile Tradition.

The year 2002 represents the 75th Anniversary of the event.

"When I talk about the Mille Miglia, I feel quite moved, for it played such a big part in my life. I knew it as a driver, a team director and a constructor ... and was always an admirer of its champions. In fact, the Mille Miglia not only provided enormous technical advances during its three decades, it really did breed champions."
- Enzo Ferrari