By Staff
There’s still time for a few more cars on the legendary Le Mitiche to be held 21-23 of June, but you must sign up now. Mitiche Website For questions contact Dino Brunori at (dbrunori@gmail.com).
There are events, and there are EVENTS. VeloceToday covers the gamut, from the huge such as Concorso Italiano, Retro, Mille Miglia and Goodwood, to obscure, smaller affairs like Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano, which every year caters to barchettas particularly of the etceterini kind. It has got to be one of the most delightful affairs of all; a warm, friendly gathering of truly knowledgeable car enthusiasts who are just as happy with an OSCA as an Ortolani.
The mountains are the Dolomites, located in the Veneto region of Italy, which extends from Venice on the Adriatic to the Austrian border to the north. But all the action takes place between the charming medieval town of Bassano and the famed ski resort area of Cortina. The scenery and roads don’t come any better. In his 2011 report for VeloceToday, Chuck Schoendorf wrote, “This was my third year and it still excites! Sunscreen applied, we left Bassano in full sunshine to drive across the hillside vineyards of Valdobbiadene, the home of Prosecco, that sparkling aperitif wine now popular everywhere. Between two brief time trials, gift bottles and a tray of chilled Prosecco in flutes appeared for drivers and navigators, sure, why not?
A now traditional scene of the entrants parked at the charming castle at Marostica.
“On the second day we faced 175 miles and eleven passes, including all the highest of the Dolomites, the acid test for cars and crew. But first the road entered a long, narrow and deep, deep canyon called Serrai di Sottoguda, where we drove along the canyon floor for a mile or so, beside a small, roaring river with cascades and wooden bridges from one side to the other, feeling more like a scene out of Indiana Jones.
The deep canyon called Serrai di Sottoguda, where we drove along the canyon floor for a mile or so, beside a small, roaring river with cascades and wooden bridges.
Day three was remembered for the “killer of all Italian lunches, held at a medieval castle perched atop a steep hill in the next town over, Marostica. Imagine the best of Italian antipasti and wine served on a private, shaded lawn in the side yard of a castle, then indoors to be served pasta, risotto, four roasted meats, real vegetables and more wine, and you would have the lunch.”
All of that plus the most fascinating group of cars one will ever run with. Every year we have to ask event organizer Dino Brunori (and author of Nardi, A Fast Life), to help us identify the wonderful variety of typically small displacement cars which show up at Bassano.
A wonderland of Italian toys surrounds the Nardi of Dino Brunori, number 72.
Giannini from 1937, also during the 2010 event.
Conrero Alfa at the 2010 event.
2010 also hosted this Lancia Pasqualin.
Coachbuilder Colli built this special sport in 1951, entered by Vincenzo and Lorenzo Bricchetti.
Alfa factory Disco Volante enjoys the 2011 event.
Over the mountains and through the towns while everyone cheers.
According to Schoendorlf, “Le Mitiche Sport is, in a nutshell: great organization, rare and special vintage cars, roads, scenery, food, wine and people. If you have a vintage barchetta, there’s no better thing you can do. If you don’t have one, find one or a friend with one.”
Try it once and you'll return.
Here is a PDF for entry information, forms, etc. Note that the last day of registration is listed as May 15th, but according to Brunori there are still some openings available if you act now.
Mitichie is the type of event that is REAL classic car motoring; i.e., relatively small and not heavily commercialized by Mille Miglia standards. And don’t miss the Bonfanti Museo in Bassano del Grappa.