Mini Mille Miglia

Slot-car racers line up for charity re-run of Italian classic

An amazing recreation of the classic Mille Miglia is taking place near Perugia in Italy this weekend, on a painstakingly fashioned slot-car track that replicates the roads and scenery of the original event.

An Allard passes the cemetary

The Mini Mille Miglia is modelled on the 1000-mile Mille Miglia road race, which took place between 1927 and 1957 and boasted Sir Stirling Moss as one of its winners. In recent times, the race has been reintroduced as a tour entered by 400 classic cars, many of which feature world-famous racing drivers and celebrities behind the wheel.

The slot car re-enactment is as strict on entry as the life-sized tour, and eligible models must hark back to the legendary marques that made up the original field, including livery. The replica track, stretching over 30 metres, has been painstakingly modelled on the Italian countryside and features cyprus-lined hairpins, castles, bridges, a village, valleys and forests. More than 80 cars have entered into the re-enactment, sent by enthusiasts from around the world.

Bugatti and Ferrari through the village

Sir Stirling himself has got in on the act as a supporter of the event, which is a charity fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. "Alzheimer’s has, very sadly, touched all our families. The idea is so different and so much fun, I have to say, I am delighted to be a patron of the Mini Mille Miglia," he says.

Sir Stirling won the Mille Miglia in 1955 in record time at the wheel of a Mercedes 300SLR.