Fiat Chrysler Automobiles : FCA Heritage at the Mille Miglia 2017

• The 35th historic re-enactment of the most famous road race of all time will take place from May 18 to 21.
• Alfa Romeo, 'Automotive Sponsor' of the event, and Lancia will be taking part with several rare classic cars.
• The Alfa Romeo Historic Museum will be sending three of its crown jewels: the 6C 1750 Gran Sport (1930), the 6C 2300 Mille Miglia (1938) and the 1900 Super Sprint (1955).
• They will be joined on the start line by a Lancia Aprilia (1937) and a Lancia Aurelia B24 (1955).
• The public will also be able to admire Stelvio and Giulia, the latest additions to the Alfa Romeo line-up which define a new paradigm of the brand.
• Two examples of the Lancia Ypsilon Unyca, the new glamorous and affordable special series, will parade along the route.
• More information on FCA Heritage vehicles and crew members will be available from May 18 on thewww.fcaheritage.com website and on the official social media channels of Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

The historical re-enactment of the Mille Miglia - the race famously defined by Enzo Ferrari as 'the most beautiful travelling museum in the world' - will be held from 18 to 21 May. Now in its 35th edition, the event will welcome several rare classic Alfa Romeo and Lancia cars from the FCA Heritage collection, the structure that coordinates all the company's activities in the world of classic motoring. In line with tradition, this old-fashioned race - of which Alfa Romeo is the 'Automotive Sponsor' for the third year running - will start and end in Brescia, having crossed some of the most striking locations in Italy, with the turning point in Rome.
The rare classic cars will be flanked by the latest additions to the Alfa Romeo line-up. Stelvio, the first SUV in the history of brand, guarantees peerless performance and outstanding driving pleasure as a result of its excellent mechanics and engineering. The public will also be able to admire the alluring Giulia, the sporty sedan that represents the new paradigm of the brand with its revolutionary precepts of style, sportiness and technology. Not by chance, Giulia embodies all the elements that made Alfa Romeo one of the most desirable brands: quintessentially Italian design, high-performance engines, perfect weight distribution, unique engineering solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio in its category.
Two examples of the Lancia Ypsilon Unyca, the new, special, glamorous and affordable special series, which strikes the perfect balance between causal sophistication and dynamism, will parade along the route.

Alfa Romeo

6C 1750 Gran Sport (1930)

The 6C 1750 Gran Sport (1930), the 6C 2300 Mille Miglia (1938) and the 1900 Super Sprint (1956) are returning to the legendary roads of the race marked by the red arrow. Three superb cars from the Alfa Romeo Museum, dubbed the 'Time Machine', will be travelling the roads where the Mille Miglia was staged from 1927 to 1957. The race was won by Alfa Romeo no less than eleven times: a record that can never be beaten. All eyes will especially be on the 6C 1750 Gran Sport, the legendary model in which Tazio Nuvolari and Giovanni Battista Guidotti won the Brescia-based race in 1930. That was the race of the legendary 'overtaking in the dark' episode when Nuvolari achieved the unprecedented feat of averaging 100 km/h over the entire course. The bodywork was created by Milan atelier Zagato, and still draws gasps of admiration from those lucky enough to see it today.

6C 2300 Coupé Mille Miglia (1938)

The 6C 2300 Coupé Mille Miglia with body made by Touring will be on the start platform in Viale Venezia. The car is similar to the one that came first in its category in the 1937 and fourth in the general ranking following in the steps of the 6C 2300 Pescara first series. The name 'Mille Miglia' pays homage to the excellent performance of 1937: first in its category and fourth in the general ranking. Under the bonnet is a 2309 cm straight-six capable of delivering 95 HP at 4500 rpm and propelling the vehicle at 170 km/h. The car will be driven by a crew of excellence: Arturo Merzario and Jean-Pierre Jarier. The competitive duo represents the glorious history of Alfa Romeo in motorsports. They took the sport prototypes world championship in 1977 winning all the races on the calendar in their category in an Alfa Romeo 33 SC 12.

1900 Super Sprint (1956)

According to the consolidated 1900 family tradition, the Sprint was replaced by the Super Sprint in 1955: it was similar to the previous model but with a new snappier five-speed gearbox. It had the same mechanics as the Berlina T. I. Super, namely 1975 cm displacement, double-barrel inverted carburettor and double rear CV joint. The second version of 1956 which competed in the Mille Miglia delivered 115 HP at 5500 rpm and reached a remarkable top speed of 190 km/h.

Lancia

Aprilia (1937)

The Aprilia, introduced in 1936, was the spiritual legacy of Vincenzo Lancia, who had passed away a few months before the commercial launch of the car. Provided with a unitised body integrated with the chassis without B-pillar, the appearance of the car was truly innovative. It stood out among the sedans of its day for its particularly aerodynamic line and light-weight securing a top speed of about 130 km/h and good fuel efficiency at the same time. The narrow-V4 with hemispherical combustion chambers contributed to this result. In addition to telescopic independent front suspensions, by now traditional on Lancia, the car fitted independent suspensions also on the rear axle.

Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider (1955)

Designed by Pinin Farina and considered by many to be the most beautiful spider in the world , the B24 was presented at the Brussels Motor Show on January 15, 1955. Two-hundred and forty units were made until October 1955. The car had distinctive design details, such as the 'wing-shaped' bumpers, doors without handles and panoramic windows and windscreen with American-style retracted pillars. The engine was the legendary V6 designed by Francesco De Virgilio. It had a displacement of 2451 cm and developed 118 HP driving it to a top speed of 180 km/h. The later 'Convertible America' version which debuted at the Turin Motor Show in January 1956 appeared much more classic and comfortable: the engine was slightly less powerful and the doors were fitted with handles and winding windows. The production continued until the end of 1958. The Aurelia will be driven by Helio Ascari, descendant of the legendary Alberto who triumphed at the Mille Miglia in 1954 behind the wheel of the Lancia D24.

The route of the Mille Miglia presents some variants again this year. Each edition of the Mille Miglia is part race, part adventure and part wonder for the 'the most beautiful travelling museum in the world', and certainly never the same as the year before. This is precisely the secret of the event which every year brings together admiring, enthusiastic spectators: a sign for all to see that these cars still arouse strong emotions even among the youngest in the crowd. The presence of FCA Heritage is confirmation of the special dedication of FCA for the classic car world and events that highlight its racing traditions of its brands. More information on FCA Heritage vehicles and crew members will be available from May 18 and regularly updated during the event on the www.fcaheritage.com website and on the official social media channels of Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

Turin, 12 May 2017