Pan-Emirates 1,000 mile Mille Miglia classic car race postponed until February

Grand tour will start from Dubai Expo on February 18 to mark the country's 50th anniversary

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A thousand-mile classic car parade across the UAE to mark the nation’s 50th anniversary has been postponed until February.

The five-day grand tour based on the famous Mille Miglia Italian classic car race was scheduled to start on December 5 and would cover all seven Emirates, starting out from Yas Marina, home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Cars will now line up for the pan-Emirate celebration of motoring on Friday, February 18, with the first leg taking place from Dubai to Al Ain.

The 1,600 kilometre tour was announced at a glittering event in Sharjah in May, with a line-up of classic cars and speeches from drivers scheduled to take part.

While no official announcement for the delay to the tour has been for made, new dates and a revised route have been added to the organiser’s website.

The 1,000 Miglia Experience “UAE Jubilee Edition” is expected to attract 100 participants from around the world.

Three classes of vehicles can take part in the event.

It is open to cars manufactured between 1927 and 1957 that competed at least once in the original Italian race from Brescia to Rome; UAE jubilee cars that date from 1971 or before; and "contemporary icons", for distinctive or historic vehicles.

The second leg will take drivers from Al Ain to Fujairah on February 19, followed by Fujairah to Ras Al Khaimah a day later, then Ras Al Khaimah back to Dubai on day four before a final leg to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, February 22.

The Mille Miglia is described by motorsport aficionados as the most beautiful race in the world.

For the first time, the lush green of Brescia will be replaced by the sandy deserts of the UAE as the endurance event hits the nation's roads.

The original race took place 24 times between 1927 and 1957, cementing its place in motor racing folklore.

The grand tour attracted some of the fastest vehicles in production, piloted by courageous drivers.

At its pomp, the race attracted about five million spectators across the country.

For five years from 1953, the Mille Miglia achieved global status in the World Sportscar Championship, making famous now-established names in the annals of motorsport, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Mercedes Benz.

The race made famous names of racing heroes such as Britain's Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio from Argentina and German driver Hans Herrmann.

Updated: December 01, 2021, 5:29 PM