A THOUSAND MILES OF MEMORIES

This weekend sees the running of the 2015 Mille Miglia, from Brescia to Rome and back again.

My good friend Stirling Moss won the event in 1955, with co-driver Denis Jenkinson, in a Mercedes-Benz recording an average speed in excess of 98 mph!

These days the event is more of a Regularity Trial, with timed sections, and overnight stops in Rimini, Roma and Parma.

It may have a more relaxed pace than when Stirling drove to an historic victory, but it is still an event which stirs emotions and allows entrants to relive fabulous memories of one of the world's most famous road races.

Richard Charlesworth MVO, Director of Royal and VIP Relations at Bentley Motors, will be piloting one of the company's priceless (try 8 million pounds!) Blowers in this year's event.

The instigator of the Blower Project, Henry 'Tim' Birkin failed to win the Mille Miglia in 1930, driving with the company chairman, Woolf Barnato.

Sir Henry Birkin (L) and Bentley Motors Chairman, Woolf Barnato

However, my friend Richard, says that this year the Blower has been beautifully prepared by master mechanic Frank Meakin, and he's hoping for an improvement on their best result to date, in the 2014 running.

With Richard Charlesworth at Pebble Beach

This is the car's fifth appearance, and despite the disappointment at the 1930 race, Richard says Bentley's appearance is always accorded ceremony and status due to the famous British carmaker's revered reputation.

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