Enzo Ferrari and the Mille Miglia: Where a Legend Found His Road

Before the red cars of Maranello became the ultimate symbol of speed and style, there was a man, Enzo Ferrari, chasing dreams behind the wheel and along the roadside of the Mille Miglia.
Many know Ferrari as the founder of the most famous car brand in the world. Fewer know that his journey started not in a factory, but on the open roads of Italy, racing under the banner of Alfa Romeo in the early editions of the Mille Miglia.
In 1927, the inaugural Mille Miglia thundered through the Italian countryside. Just two years later, in 1929, Enzo Ferrari entered the race as a driver, finishing 9th overall — a respectable result, but for Ferrari, the Mille Miglia became something greater than a competition. It became a proving ground, a place where the marriage of machinery, human will, and Italian roads gave birth to the ideals that would shape Scuderia Ferrari.
Though he retired from racing in 1932, Ferrari returned with a different mission: to build cars that would not only compete, but dominate. And dominate they did.
Between 1947 and 1957, Ferrari cars became a dominant force in the Mille Miglia, winning 8 out of the last 11 editions of the race. Names like Ascari, Castellotti, and Taruffi piloted his creations to victory, often in grueling conditions. Each win wasn’t just a trophy, it was a statement: Ferrari was born for the road, shaped by the Mille Miglia.
Enzo Ferrari famously once said:
“The Mille Miglia created our cars, it taught us everything.”
At 1000 Miglia Experience Greece, we honor that tradition. Every participant, every turn, and every stop under the Greek sun carries forward the same spirit that shaped Enzo’s vision: a love for design, challenge, and the open road.
Because while Ferrari built machines, the Mille Miglia built dreams.