Have you ever watched someone try to put up the soft top of a vintage car, especially as a storm looms? There’s always a bit of charming awkwardness, especially compared to today’s effortless push-button convenience. It reminds me of something racing legend Jacky Ickx once said before a race: “A vintage car is like a well-aged lady—you must treat her with care.” Perhaps this delicate complexity is precisely what makes vintage cars so alluring.
At the 2025 1000 Miglia, Andrea Vesco—the five-time defending champion at that moment—sat comfortably on the back of his 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 as we began our conversation. Born and raised in Brescia, the historic starting point of the race, Vesco was steeped in vintage car culture from an early age thanks to his father. Competing since he was just 11, he’s now one of the most seasoned drivers in the race. Before setting off, he seemed entirely at ease, chatting with family and friends while calmly noting, “We leave for the starting line in exactly 45 minutes and 30 seconds.”
The philosopher Theodor Adorno once wrote: “Technology subjects human gesture to a precise but brutal discipline. It expels from movements all hesitation, deliberation, civility.” In our age dominated by artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and endlessly scrolling short videos, human behavior and perceptions are continually reshaped. People scarcely notice their constant exposure to a world filled with objects, affecting even their most private sensory experiences.
Yet, at the 1000 Miglia, time seems turned back to before 1957. Only cars that originally participated in the race between 1927 and 1957 are eligible to return to this legendary route. In the small town of Brescia during race days, everything around you—from the sounds of engines and the shine of car paint to the smell of leather—emanates from another era. Human interaction, both between driver and machine, and between individuals themselves, feels warmer and more genuine. The camaraderie among drivers, teammates, and spectators seems to transport you to a purer, simpler time.
During Milan Fashion Week, I learned that Andrea Vesco and his co-driver Fabio Salvinelli had claimed victory once again, achieving an unprecedented sixth consecutive 1000 Miglia title. I recalled Andrea telling me before the race that the key to sustained success lay firstly in the vehicle’s condition and secondly in unwavering mental focus.
