Munich/Brescia. BMW Group Classic is about to enter the 2013 Mille Miglia suffused with memories of a glorious premier. It was 75 years ago that the BMW 328 sports car first lined up amongst the starters for this legendary long-distance event. Now BMW Group Classic is sending nine such models to compete in the latest edition of this historic race. The group of BMW 328 models will delight classic car enthusiasts, while once again paying tribute to the tradition-steeped association between BMW and the Mille Miglia. Back in 1938, the teams competing in the BMW 328 secured a majestic sweep of the top places in the 2.0-liter category. Two years later, overall victory would come courtesy of the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé.

The winning car of 1940 is also be fielded in this year’s edition of the Mille Miglia, which since 1977 has been held as a time and reliability trial. Behind the wheel will be Hanns Werner Wirth, a seasoned vintage rally driver from Fürth in Bavaria, who will make up a commanding team with Germany’s best-known and most successful co-driver, Christian Geistdörfer. The BMW Group Classic fleet will also feature further historic race cars, including the 1937 BMW 328 Berlin-Rome Touring Roadster and a BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster dating back to 1939. Also lining up will be the BMW 328 Kamm Coupé. The epitome of historic engineering prowess in terms of aerodynamics and lightweight design, this model has been making regular appearances in the road trial around the nothern half of Italy since 2010.

The Mille Miglia was first staged in 1927 as an endurance race and today is the world’s most famous reliability run for classic sports cars. From its traditional start point in the north Italian city of Brescia, this year’s route again covers some 1,000 miles that take in Ferrara and San Marino before heading to Rome, then returning to Brescia via Siena, Florence and Bologna. The first cars set off in the early evening of 16 May and are expected to arrive at the finish during the night of Saturday, 18 May 2013.