Objectives

Due to the unprecedented earthquake and tsunami that hit eastern Japan on 11 March 2011, it has become difficult for us to come back to the traditional route as previous years. We have also reached a judgment that supportive actions will be needed to the affected areas for years to come. For those two reasons, we will significantly change our event outline and route.

At the time of Le Festa Mille Miglia’s conception, there had been no previous examples of classic car rallies in Japan covering 1,000 miles of public road. Hence, we had required a five-year preparation period from the drafting of the plan to the opening day of the first rally.

Since its first rally in 1997, La Festa Mille Miglia has become increasingly widely recognized. Today, it is an annual tradition that is embraced by the inhabitants of cities, towns, and villages along its route, and the circle of friendship surrounding the event is steadily growing.

The participants who have been a part of the event since the first rally have grown old, now wearing more wrinkles, white hair, and reading glasses. However, the passion among these senior participants has only grown stronger with age. “Always young at heart”, they are an inspiration to spectators and the younger generations.

The world has changed drastically since the first rally; with digitalization, life has become significantly more convenient. At the same time, however, conversations among people have dwindled and life has become busier and more stressful. The vehicles participating in La Festa Mille Miglia are full of analog devices and require all five senses to drive, making it quite the antithesis of the modern car. However, the sight of these cars crossing the finish line after 1,000 miles fills participants, mechanics, spectators, and members of the staff with emotion and respect for these historic vehicles.

As for the fund raising for environmental protection and the education of children who have lost their parents in automobile accidents, it will be conducted again this year with the subtitle "Ganbarou Nippon!" (Let's do our best, Japan!), and done as a part of the activity to raise monetary donations to those being afflicted by the recent Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition to changes mentioned above, we will renew our event title logo from “Mille Miglia”, which we have used since 1992, to the new one that emphasizes “La Festa”, in order to put it forward as something original to Japan.

Today, we are in our 15th year of La Festa Mille Miglia. We vow to carry on preserving these unique historic vehicles built by our predecessors and to continue the rally further into the future.

The Organizing Committee of La Festa Mille Miglia 2011