MILAN MILANO ITALY | VIA MONTENAPOLEONE PEOPLE & EVENTS | PEOPLE & EVENTS IN VIA MONTENAPOLEONE

After the success of the Centennial event in 2006, the Coppa Milano-Sanremo rally is ready to tackle its second century throughout which it aims to continue to evoke passion and strong feelings. In fact, starting tomorrow almost one century of motoring history will wind its way along a 460-km route from the Lombard plains and over mountain passes to the Ligurian Riviera.

Thanks to its original format, the rally, presented to the public by Simon Kidston and Savina Confaloni is also a great international showcase, a blend of motoring history, sportsmanship, an enjoyable outing, elegance and an exciting spectacle for the public. Celebrities from the world of show business, music, sport, elegance and fashion paraded in the splendid cars of today and yesteryear. Irene Grandi in a 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider called Duetto Osso di Seppia and TV newscaster, Francesca Grimaldi, in the 1952 Disco Volante Spider will be part of the Vintage Car Team. Together with the superb sports cars from the past, today's range of splendid Alfa Romeo sports cars with on board, testimonials from the cinema world, Alessandro Haber and Rocco Papaleo; the world of sport, Juri Chechi and Maurizia Cacciatori; the world of elegance, Franz Botré; and from the fashion world, models Camilla Sjoberg and Natalia Dolgova.

The event confirms the validity of the rally/touring formula that gives people at the start a chance to see sports and elegance cars. Cars enrolled date from years in which the historic editions were run – from 1906 to 1973.

In this edition Alfa Romeo,title sponsor of this event, focused on its vocation for the pleasure of driving in open-top cars, and so for this fifth revival it has chosen one of its masterpieces of creativity and technology – the 1952 Disco Volante Spider – as its icon. Alongside this fantastic car some of the most beautiful open-top cars will leave the brand's museum in Arese, driven by the Automobilismo Storico Car Team. Supporter of many historic editions of the rally, Alfa Romeo has backed this event right from the start of the revival and will award its third trophy in Sanremo to the top three-ranked Alfa Romeo teams in the final standings. Three magnificent prizes offered by prestigious "Made in Italy" brands to emphasise how elegance, beauty and sportsmanship can form a perfect combination.
More than 40 vintage Alfa Romeos are entered for this event, many of them from far-off countries, testifying to the passion for this brand beyond the confines of Italy.

The event has attracted an overwhelming number of foreign entries, with teams from 3 continents and 15 different countries: France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Principality of Monaco, Turkey, United States, Japan, the Russian Federation (with 11 teams!) and Greece. And, of course, teams from all over Italy. Forty car brands will be present; 170 teams of which 135 entered for the regularity rally and 35 in the touring category. More than 60 cars produced by Alfa Romeo will accompany the event along the route: 45 cars, including sports models, Brera, 159, 147, GTs, cars made available for the organisation and as support for participants, and around fifteen Alfa sports models for the VIP guests.

CURIOSITIES: a first-time entry for this event, the 1944 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Coloniale belonging to the Military Motoring Museum. Produced on the request of Italy's Defence Ministry, it was assigned to Governor of Libya. It was equipped with several accessories to ensure autonomy in desert regions: 2 spare tyres, 4 tanks for water, oil and petrol, double windscreen, shovel, etc. Winner in its category in the Tripoli Mille Miglia, when the famous race was held in Africa during the war years, the car was restored in 2003 by the Museum and has since participated in several vintage car events with repeats of the brilliant performances for which it was once so famous. Yet another gem in this edition will be the Lancia Aurelia B20 awarded to Fausto Coppi by Lancia dealers after he won the World Cycling Championship in 1953. This was the only car to leave the factory with a grey livery, different from all other cars of the same model. Coppi used it in several rallies, sometimes teamed with his girl-friend. Always much applauded is Marshall Armando Spatafora's legendary "Panther", a black Ferrari 250 GTE from 1962, and the only one of its kind to be used by a police force in the world. Trained at Maranello by Ferrari test drivers, in the '60s Spatafora sped through the streets of Rome chasing after bands of thieves, who unfortunately had faster cars than those normally used by Italy's police. This was what prompted the police to come up with the idea of giving chase in a 240 bhp thunderbolt that could reach 240 kmh! The famous Ferrari with registration number Polizia 29444 that, as legend has it, once even descended the Spanish Steps with its policeman-driver at the wheel.

MUSEUMS IN MOTION: in addition to the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, there will be the traditional presence of the Police Force Museum with the Ferrari 250 GTE and Alfa Romeo 1900, for the first time, the Military Motoring Museum with the 1944 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Coloniale, the Mille Miglia Museum with the 1928 OM 665 Superba.

CHANGES TO THE ROUTE. This year the route from Milan to Rapallo will also pass through the city of Alessandria, which will be happy to give participants a very warm welcome to its historic centre. From the Bay of Tigullio to Genoa it will be possible to admire the sea from the slopes of Mount Fasce, along the coast road dominating Genoa. Here, after a time check in Corso Italia, participants will enjoy lunch in the splendid Upper and Lower Chamber rooms of Palazzo Ducale. Then on towards Sanremo, and the Manie heights that offer some breathtaking views as the road winds down to the sea and promenade at Finale Ligure. Then on to Piazza Colombo in Sanremo, the last leg and backdrop for the final act.