While some anniversaries get a cake, there are some that deserve a little more fanfare, hitting milestones that are truly once in a lifetime. In 2027 the Mille Miglia turns 100, and the celebration is heading all the way to Japan, where the Concorso d’Eleganza Japan has joined forces with the world’s most iconic classic car race for an official centenary event, and it’s as momentous as it sounds.
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The Mille Miglia needs little introduction, but we’ll give it one anyway. For generations, it’s been the stuff of legend: a thousand miles of public road, flat-out heroics and cars that went on to define motor racing history. Now, on Sunday 11 April 2027, the Japanese concours will hand over to a regularity run from Nara to Kyoto. Entrants will drive from Yakushiji Temple to Ninnaji Temple, two World Heritage sites, before gathering under blooming cherry blossoms for a gala to toast the race’s 100th birthday. Spring in Japan, a centenary and a gala dinner among the petals is hard to beat and having been a part of previous editions of the event, the array of cars is one that only Japan could bring together.
This isn’t just a chance to surround yourself in the very best of Japanese hospitality, rarer-than-rare classic and collector cars, but to also unite enthusiasts from around the globe with cars that made history, all set in some of the world’s greatest backdrops and vistas, as well as travelling on roads even life-long Japanese residents aren’t able to experience.
And it’s open to you. Participation in the centenary run is optional, but cars exhibited at the 2027 concours on 10 and 11 April get priority. Owners can apply to exhibit through the official entrant’s page, with vehicles chosen by a selection committee after careful screening. Once the celebrations are over, the Tour d’Eleganza Japan runs from 12 to 17 April, so you can turn a weekend into a full-blown road trip of a lifetime. European and American owners are especially encouraged to apply. Shipping your pride and joy to Japan may feel like a leap, but few road trips will ever offer this combination of history, scenery and company.
If you’ve ever dreamed of driving your car somewhere unforgettable, register your interest now and start planning. A hundred years of Mille Miglia only comes around once.
