The return of the leggendary Coppa Milano Sanremo
The legendary Coppa Milano-Sanremo open-road endurance rally returns to re-ignite the enthusiasm of classic and vintage automobile lovers. 112 years have passed since the first edition in 1906, and seven since the last historic revival in 2011, but soon—from March 22 to March 24, 2018—a brand new chapter will be written in the annals of regularity rally history about this “grande dame” of open-road rallies, which has always had “seductive” power over Italian and foreign teams—both male and female alike. Now, thanks to a group of passionate Milanese entrepreneurs—who are motivated by the same spirit that inspired those pioneering gentlemen-drivers from another era to give life to the Coppa Milano-Sanremo over a hundred years ago—have set themselves the ambitious goal of bringing this historic time-speed-distance rally back to life once again in all of its glorious splendour.
The new course will be over 600 kilometres of the most challenging roads in Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria. Participation will be limited to 100 automobiles built between 1906 and 1973 with a F.I.V.A. Passport, or a F.I.A. Heritage certificate, or A.S.I. approval, or an A.C.I. Sport certificate, or if they belong to a Brand Historical Register. The “Coppa delle Dame”—the sought-after prize that is reserved only for female teams—will also make its return to the Coppa Milano-Sanremo.
The event gets underway early on Thursday, March 22, 2018 with a meeting of the teams at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza for accreditation, technical and pre-rally checks, and a few warm-up laps around the legendary Formula 1 racetrack before the start of the inaugural parade of the historic automobiles through the centre of Monza and on to Milan. After a proper defilé through the heart of Milan’s fashion district, the parade will go down the world-famous via Monte Napoleone, continue on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and on to its final destination at the Sforzesco Castle where the cars will be officially presented to the public.
On Friday morning, March 23rd, the drivers will queue their automobiles behind the starting line in Piazza Castello to begin the first leg of the planned 300 kilometre open-road rally in which they will confront each other in a total of 70 timed trials that are at the heart of the real challenge of the one the oldest open-road automotive events.
During the first day the teams will leave behind the metropolis of Milan and head out over the back roads that snake through the evocative landscapes of the Lombard, Piedmontese and Ligurian hinterlands—places that have always been the favourite of regularity rally classic and vintage car buffs and of those who prefer tourism at a slower pace. The first leg of the rally will end in Rapallo—one of the most beautiful destinations in Liguria—with a gala diner on the shores of the enchanting Gulf of Tigullio.
Saturday, March 24th will be the decisive day for the teams as they face the last time trials during their rush from Rapallo to the finish line at Sanremo, where they should arrive around 6:00 – 7:00 in the evening.
The City of Flowers will once again have the privilege of hosting the grand finale of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo at which the winner of the 2018 edition will be declared.
A new page will be written in the history of this glorious race, which was born as an opportunity for a few wealthy automobile drivers to test their skills during an excursion that was, in those days, considered to be an “intrepid expedition” to the sea and the spring colours of the Ligurian Riviera. The memoir of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo already contains a long list of motorsport champions and famous personalities from the international jet set—Prince Adalberto of Savoy, the unforgettable winner of the 1933 rally, for example—as testimony to the fact that this event has always been a unique—and somewhat original—expert blending of sporting competition with the elegance and exclusive charm of a one-of-a-kind open-road rally.
The “Coppa delle Dame”—another particularity of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo—is a special prize for female teams only, which were a rarity in the early days, though the 1929 edition saw five members of the fairer sex cross the finish line in the City of Flowers after a gruelling 300-plus-kilometre race. The cars were yet another. The first among them was the Alfa Romeo, which holds the record for wins thanks to the unbeatable 6C and various configurations of the beautiful 8C. Then there were the extraordinary Lancia Lambda, the Aurelia and the very rare Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé (customised by some of the most famous coachbuilders of the era like Touring Superleggera or Castagna), followed by numerous Fiat Balillas and Topolinos.
A treasure trove of elements of the past from which to draw to create an exclusive, unique event that is able to once again give the teams an opportunity to measure their skills behind the wheel of their own cars, both on the track—as is the tradition—at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and on the open-road with timed trials. All of this, together with the evocative departure from Piazza Castello in Milan and the defilés through the beautiful coastal-towns of Rapallo and Sanremo, will be a fitting celebration of the timeless charm of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo.
Registration for the Coppa Milan-Sanremo is open.
For more information, contact the organisation secretariat of Equipe International:
Tel. +39 0236752950 / race.office@milano-sanremo.it
VEHICLES ADMITTED
Cars built between 1906 and 1973 will be admitted if they have a F.I.V.A. Passport, or a F.I.A. Heritage certificate, or A.S.I. approval, or an A.C.I. Sport certificate, or belong to a Brand Historical Register.
PRESS OFFICE COPPA MILANO-SANREMO
Equipe International – Tel. +39 0236752951
Maria Grazia Vernuccio – mariagrazia.vernuccio@equipemilano.com
Marta Canali – marta.canali@equipemilano.com