From Wednesday 15 May Darren Comber, Scott Brownrigg CEO and Quantem LLP Partner, John Barbour will for a second year compete together in the epic Mille Miglia Car Race.

Coined by Enzo Ferrari as the ‘most beautiful race in the world’, the original race took place from 1927 to 1957 and was won in 1955 by the Formula One British Grand Prix winner, Stirling Moss. Revived in 1977 as a regularity race for classic and vintage cars, participation is limited to cars produced no later than 1957, which have attended (or were registered to) the original race.

For the exhilarating race, the pair will join 430 exceptional vehicles that testify to the history of design and cars; competing in the four-day race in a 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, Series 1,750b classic motor car, acquired by Darren and loving restored by Scuderia Classiche Cars in Switzerland over the past 12 months.

And the story behind the 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint is remarkable in itself. Leaving the production line in 1956 it was sold in Germany before being exported to America where it remained in a barn, never being driven again since 1962. The car was left to decay in a shed in Georgia for 52 years before being discovered and sold to Darren for the restoration programme to commence in March 2018.

Back in 1954 Alfa Romeo introduced the Bertone-styled Giulietta Sprint, thereby establishing the ‘small car, big performance’ formula that would characterise the Milanese Marque’s finest offerings from then on. Alfa’s classic twin-cam four was downsized to 1,290cc for the 750-Series Giulietta, gaining an alloy cylinder block in the process. The Giulietta familiy’s success surprised even Alfa themselves, production targets were revised upwards. With a rev-happy engine, fine-handling, a responsive chassis and excellent brakes, the Giulietta Sprint is a driver’s car ‘par excellence’.

Fully restored to its stunning 1956 form and returned back to its original colour of Banana Beige, a colour that was only produced for one year, Darren and John will race the car 1,000 miles, passing through the cities of Brescia, Bologna, Cervia Milano Marittima and Rome, before returning to Brescia. The route takes in some of Italy’s most artistic and historical gems. It is these places, along with their architectural and natural beauty that have made the modern day Mille Miglia a symbol of Italian excellence all over the world, combining tradition with innovation, creativity with elegance, and beautiful scenery with the Italian way of life.

1,500 media correspondents from 87 different countries will attend the Mille Miglia, with the event covered in 150 different countries around the globe.

“Throughout our history Scott Brownrigg have enjoyed an affiliation with cars and motor racing. In 1961 following the success of Stirling Moss’s Mille Miglia win, he appointed us to design his newly purchased Mayfair home, which he still resides in today. More recently we have continued our association with motor racing through the creation of a concept design for the re-development of an HQ Campus for a Formula One motor racing team. We are honoured to be competing again in this incredible race”.

Darren Comber , CEO

Watch Scuderia Classiche Cars' video below of how the race fared, featuring Darren and John in car #417.