BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia 2006

The history of the Mille Miglia and the history of the BMW brand have been inseparably connected for decades. The roots of this relationship were formed during the classical road races between 1927 and 1957 and the tradition is still alive today in the annual races for historic vehicles. With the Mille Miglia 2006, the BMW Group Mobile Tradition, the Munich automobile manufacturer’s division for classics is also using a series of vehicles that set new standards in the art of engineering in their time and that are now considered milestones in the history of the development of automotive engineering. Furthermore, at the start and finish line in Brescia in northern Italy, BMW is presenting a unique specimen fabricated on the occasion of the Mille Miglia 2006, in which the enthusiasm for racing sports from days past is being united with the technical opportunities of today, along with pioneering design perspectives.

The BMW Concept Coupé Mille Miglia 2006 pays homage to the skills, successes and the visions of the motor sports pioneers of the past, created by its modern successors.

On the surface, the BMW Concept Coupé unmistakably bears the traits of a racing sports icon. Its bodywork design is oriented on the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé, that legendary two-seater with which Fritz Huschke von Hanstein and Walter Bäumer drove home the victory during the Mille Miglia in 1940. Their speed record – average speed: 166.7 km/h – has remained until today. No other Mille Miglia victor – neither before nor since – ever travelled as fast as the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Coupé with its touring body, which was driven by the legendary “racing baron”.

Homage to a racing sports icon and its creator.
Up until into the 50’s, the BMW 328 was still victorious in international racing sports. It was one of the most successful competitive vehicles in the long BMW motor sports history. On top of that, in 2004 it wrote Mille Miglia history for a second time. The BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé was the first automobile ever to win the historic remake of the Mille Miglia after winning the classical race.

With the BMW Concept Coupé, the automobile developers at the Munich manufacturer are erecting a monument to their predecessors. The study, both optically and technically fascinating, is a symbol of how much the values internalised by the creators of the BMW 328 still determine the work of the engineers today. Just like back then when enthusiasm, the will to win and the willingness to travel new paths led to convincing success during the Mille Miglia, these motives are also the prevailing drive for creating constantly improved automobiles today.
Automobile history comes to life: The Mille Miglia.

The Mille Miglia has lost none of its fascination, also as a bridge between the traditional and modern automobile age. The once toughest and up to today most legendary automobile road race in the world attracts umpteen thousands of motor sports fans to northern Italy year for year. In the towns and cities along the route between Brescia and Rome, they celebrate automobile history in its most exclusive form. That which began in 1927 as a long-distance race over 1,600 kilometres – or put better: 1,000 miles – has been being held since 1977 over the same distance as a consistency test for historic vehicles. Only those vehicle models are allowed to take part that were already at the start during the classical races. Thus, the Mille Miglia unifies past and present in a worldwide unique event for automobile enthusiasts. In 2006, classical motor sport meets up with practiced tradition at eye level for the first time. 24 long-distance races were driven in northern Italy between 1927 and 1957; the new version will be held for the 24th time. 375 vehicles have been approved to start in the Mille Miglia 2006; 22 of them bear the white-blue BMW logo.
Soul and memory: BMW Group Mobile Tradition.

Preserving the automobile tradition plays an important role at BMW. Successful models from back then continually deliver inspirations for modern vehicle concepts. Adhering to indispensable values such as sportiness, efficiency and shear driving pleasure yield an orientation for the path into a successful future. The Mobile Tradition in the BMW Group has therefore made its mission grooming, securing and keeping alive the history of the brand and the vehicles with which it is associated. Since 1994, all BMW Group activities are being coordinated with that which is associated with the history. The Mobile Tradition is the soul and memory of the enterprise and preserver of its history, its brands and its products.

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