Alfa Romeo will be participating in the Milan-Sanremo Cup, a historical revival of the race held from 1906 to 1973 which attracted all the most famous carmakers and the best drivers of the day. This year marks the centenary of this extraordinary event, and it would be impossible not to be a part of it; as the slogan created for the occasion says: ‘You missed it one hundred years ago… Be there this time!’ Alfa Romeo accepted the invitation with enthusiasm because the Milan-Sanremo Cup has become the opening event of the season for historical cars and is part of the calendar of classic international events. But also because the second Alfa Romeo Trophy will be run at the same time: the best demonstration of the strong bond between the carmaker, the city of Milan and the racing world.

The Milan-Sanremo Cup will be held from March 10 to 12, with 14 regularity trials on a beautiful route 400 kilometres long that winds through some of the loveliest places in Italy: from the Monza race track to Piazza del Duomo in Milan, from Piazza Ducale in Vigevano through the Lomellina area to the Golfo del Tigullio, and finally all along the coast to San Remo, the City of Flowers. The race will start officially at 8.30 on Saturday March 11 in Piazza del Duomo, terminating in Lungomare Italo Calvino in San Remo at 5 the following afternoon. Apart from the competitive side of the race, it will represent a return to the past for the more than 200 cars entering, from Europe, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States. They will include a large group of Alfa Romeo models, entered officially and privately, which have written some of the most glorious pages in international motoring.

Alfa Romeo will be competing with the official ‘Alfa Romeo Historic Motoring’ team, and with seven precious cars loaned by the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum. There will be a splendid Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport of 1928, driven by Luciano Viaro and Michaela Mair; the couple from Friuli won the last two editions of the Nuvolari 2005 Grand Prix, in the car which won the ‘1000 Miglia’ in 1928 with Campari-Ramponi. Other teams will be Mazzuoli – Axel in a 750 Competizione of 1955, Massino Tammaro leader of the ‘Frecce tricolori’ aerobatic display team, in a 2000 Sportiva of 1954 with journalist Sandro Chiaramonti, and journalists Francesca Grimaldi and Rossella Labate in the 6C 1750 Gran Sport with which Nuvolari and Guidotti won the Mille Miglia in 1930.
 

Alongside the official Alfa Romeo Historic Motoring vehicles will be two teams from the Alfa Romeo Italian Register, driving a 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet Touring of 1943 (Rotundo-Riva), and a Giulietta Sprint Speciale of 1961 (Gilardi-Gilardi). There will also be a Giulietta Sprint Veloce, driven by Macrì-Ferrecchi for the Portello Stable, which has also competed in the Carrera Panamericana and won its class.

The Milan-Sanremo Cup is a festival of engines and sport, a good opportunity to celebrate Alfa Romeo’s glorious history, the same human and technological heritage that was underlined recently at the Geneva Motor Show, where the Alfa 159 Sportwagon and the Alfa Spider made their debut (the Spider was voted ‘Cabrio of the Year 2006’ by the ‘Cabriolet Committee’, a jury of 23 specialist journalists from 12 countries).

The Milan-Sanremo Cup is still capable of attracting the admiration and warmth of the public. Every edition of this event is part race, part adventure, but no two editions are the same: this is the secret that arouses strong emotions even in the youngest spectators who crowd the squares every year. And this year numerous celebrities from the worlds of politics, entertainment and sport will also be part of the ‘prestigious caravan’.