In 1927, four gentlemen from Italy, Earl Aymo Maggi, Earl Franco Mazzotti, Lorenzo Castagneto, and Giovanni Canestrini, came up with an idea for a new kind of road race. This aristocrat, banker, driver, and journalist founded a 1000-mile motor race that would stretch from the historic city of Brescia to the capital of Rome and back. They named the race the Mille Miglia, or thousand mile race.

Automobile manufacturers from all over Europe manufactured sports cars to win Mille Miglia and the French Le Mans 24-hours race, with improvements in technology increasing the speed of the race improving over time. In 1955, a British driver, Sir Sterling Moss, ran the 1,000 mile race in 10 hours, setting a speed record for the race. As drivers pushed to break this record, the risk to drivers and spectators increased. In 1957, a number of people were killed when a Ferrari driver Count De Portago ran into roadside spectators watching the race. The Italian government suspended the Mille Miglia that same year. Thanks to citizens of Brescia who wanted to revive the race, the Mille Miglia was revived on the old course with speed limits in 1977. Today, the Mille Miglia is the world's most diverse classic car festival with drivers participating from over 35 countries.

In 1992, a classic car festival modelled after the original Mille Miglia began in Japan. La Festa Mille Miglia (Mille Miglia Festival) was established with help from the organizing committee from the Italian event. A resounding successes, the inaugural event attracted 50 cars from 25 countries. Commemorating the seventieth anniversary of the first Mille Miglia, La Festa Mille Miglia was recognized by the International Classic Car Federation as the sister event to the Italian Mille Miglia. This year, we will celebrate the twentieth year of the founding of the La Festa Mille Miglia.

Our event promotes the "treasuring of antiques", "remaining youthful at heart," and the "expansion of a feeling of friendship among participants". We also see the La Festa Mille Miglia as a means of promoting the proper maintenance and driving of classic cars for the roadside spectators that come to see the event. It is our hope that we that we can "spread joy" through the car culture of our event.