The calendar turns a page and we move into May, a month particularly full of appointments for all classic car and style enthusiasts. As the sun returns to shine again on European skies, the urge to return to drive or glance at wonderful collector cars becomes uncontrollable. We have created a list of events that we would never miss. Do you want to know what they are?
1000 Miglia • May 18th-21st • Brescia, IT
Mille Miglia prepares itself for the 35th edition of the re-evocation: the one of its 90th anniversary! In 2017 there will be 440 cars coming from 41 different countries, all built between 1927 and 1957. A good number of guests for the birthday party of an event that Enzo Ferrari called “a unique travelling museum”, capable of bringing together a rare concentration of design and mechanical masterpieces on the most evocative routes in Italy.
For the 2017 edition of the “Freccia Rossa”, organizers have studied a route of about 1700 km through more than 200 municipalities, 7 Italian regions and the Republic of San Marino. Among the novelties, worthy of mention are the “showcase trials” to be held in the historic squares of Verona, Castelfranco Veneto, Ferrara, Pistoia, Busseto and Canneto sull'Oglio and the locations of the last time trials: the runways of the 6th Squadron Tornadoes at Ghedi Military Airport. The event will be made even more fascinating by the presence of 150 cars - produced after 1958 - participating in the “Ferrari Tribute to Mille Miglia” and the “Mercedes-Benz Mille Miglia Challenge”.
Spa Classic • May 19th-21st • Spa, BE
Considered by many the Belgian number 1 event for classic cars, Spa Classic comes this year to its 5th edition on the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit. Participating cars will return to compete on the fascinating track between the cities of Spa, Malmedy and Stavelot, inspired but altered compared to the original circuit that was designed by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem in 1929 and later abandoned due to several fatalities.
The current Spa-Francorchamps Circuit still runs through the spectacular Ardennes woods, a characteristic that makes it one of the most exciting for drivers, who can have fun on a hilly path that combines speed and sudden slope changes. It’s also among the most spectacular circuits for spectators, as they can easily recognize on the track the names of battles and heroes that went down in history right over those lands filled with secular trees and tales.
The program features competitions divided into nine categories and important events such as the prestigious Bonhams auction, which will be held on Sunday, May 21st after two days of car display in the paddock area.
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este • May 26th-28th • Cernobbio, IT
Refinement, exclusivity and exceptional collectible cars. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este returns to Cernobbio, on the shores of Lake Como, with all the qualities that you would expect from an event with such a long and illustrious tradition. The gardens of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este and Villa Erba will welcome in 2017 a selection of about 50 classic cars built between the 1920s and the 1980s, divided into several categories.
The motto “Around the World in 80 Days – Voyage through an Era of Records” is an expression of the will of maintaining alive the bond between present and past - from the origins of automotive construction to the present - with a look at the future embodied by the two categories “Concept Cars” and “Prototypes”.
An exclusive jury will be tasked with awarding the Best of Show, Trofeo BMW Group which will be given to the car that will express the qualities of beauty, passion and uniqueness with greater intensity.
Spa Classic photo credits: Peter Auto
