Austrian Alps Mille Miglia Warm-Up

Story and photos by Bob Cullinan

September 26-28 2024 Italy’s Mille Miglia…“the most beautiful race in the world”…is expanding, growing the base of the motoring classic into new parts of the world to attract more interest and entries, and visiting some spectacular sites along the way.

The roots of the Mille Miglia date back to 1927, when it was an all-out, all-Italy event, organized by two Italian counts, dominated by Italian cars, run entirely on Italian roads, and rewarding speed over precision.

But ever since the Mille Miglia changed format, from a fast Brescia to Roma round trip to a “regularity race” focusing on time, speed, and distance, the scenery has become nearly as important as the sport.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more spectacular setting than the Austrian Alps, in and around the storybook city of Salzburg. The three-day Warm Up Austria began with timing sessions on the infield and laps on the track of the Salzburgring. 40 cars…roadsters, coupes, new cars, and classics…all learning the intricacies of the way the Mille Miglia is staged and scored.

The driver teams were reminded that this was a race all about precision, not pace…but it was clear that many of the pilots were doing all they could to constrain their need for speed on the Salzburgring pista.

As dusk fell on the Salzburgring, this would be Warm Up Austria’s last look at mild weather and wide-open roads.

On the second day of the Warm Up, the weather turned cold and the road turned up. And up. The cars left the cozy confines of Salzburg city and ventured out into the Alps that dominate the federal state of Salzburg.

The Großglockner Hochalpenstraße…”Grossglockner High Alpine Road”…is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. With climbs and descents that go up and down from 8,000-foot alpine summits, the elevation was constantly changing…and so was the weather. In a matter of minutes, the daring driver teams faced sunny skies, complete cloud cover, wind, rain, and light snow. And it kept changing, over and over again.

It’s challenging enough to try and conquer these roads in a closed-cockpit car. It’s another to try and survive the elements in a vintage open-top roadster.

To add insult to injury…as if trying to deal with the weather wasn’t enough…at a few curves on the course there were other obstacles in the road. Like these sheep. Flock after flock of mountain sheep, some not much smaller than the Isetta.

Even the lunch break was spectacular. Near the top of the Grossglockner, the driver teams and support staff all stopped at the Gletscherrestaurant Freiwandeck (“Open-Wall Corner Glacier Restaurant”), 2,370 meters (7,775 feet) above sea level. Everyone had a chance to dry off, relax at lunch, check their timing, and stop to take in the majestic scenery of Austria’s Tyrolean Alps.

The weather was more cooperative on the post-lunch route along the Grossglockner High Road. The road is remarkably well-maintained, and the views were spectacular in every direction. But after leaving the elevations of the Grossglockner, on the way to Mittersill, there was a reminder that vintage racing on open roads is still a test of caution and concentration.

The 1958 Jaguar XK120 of Giuseppe Cerbone and Nicolo Bottini Bongrani suffered major damage in a close encounter of the worst kind with a distracted driver who was on her cell phone and not watching the road. The Jag drivers suffered minor injuries, but their classic car was badly damaged and will need extensive, expensive reconstruction.

Before the unfortunate incident, we spotted the nearly perfect XK120 at the Salzburgring. Here’s hoping the car can return to its original form.

The Warm Up Austria ended with a joyous celebration in Salzburg. One by one the cars rolled into the historic Mozartplatz, with the sound of music replaced by the roar of motors.

When all the time controls and penalties were calculated, the team of John and Chelly Houtkamp, in their 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Zagatto, were declared the winner of the 2024 Warm Up Austria. This victory is more than just symbolic. It guarantees Hautkamp an automatic entry into the 2025 Mille Miglia. But it won’t be John’s first participation in the race. He and his son Rutger have competed in 15 previous editions of the most beautiful race in the world.

The 2025 Mille Miglia is set to roll out of Brescia on June 17, arrive in Rome the following day, and finish back in Brescia on June 21.