The Delightful Mille Miglia Gathering in Ancient Olympia

Cars with a history, people with a shared passion, and a gathering of beauty on Drouva Hill.

The event returned to Olympia for the second consecutive year. The crews arrived on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, having set off from Athens and passed through Tripoli. The “Leonardo 500” precision trial took place in the area before the overnight stay and the next stage of the journey. It was a gathering in which concentration and cooperation between driver and co-driver played an essential role. Announcement by the Municipality of Ancient Olympia

On Drouva Hill, the Arty Grand Hotel, overlooking the Alpheios valley, provided a distinctive setting for this delightful gathering. The open landscape and the greenery of the Olympian countryside framed the cars, as captured in the photo album. For a while, the hotel grounds took on the character of an open-air exhibition of design history.

The sight of them in Olympia naturally invites a comparison. In its museum galleries, visitors admire ancient Greek creations in which knowledge of materials, precision of proportion and the skill of the maker have taken on a timeless form. Looking at some of these cars, one recognises kindred qualities: the refinement of a curve, the balance of volumes, the care devoted to a metal component, and the meeting of utility and beauty.

The comparison is aesthetic. A handcrafted body can be read as a sculptural composition; a wire wheel, a finely worked radiator or a carefully finished mechanism can inspire the admiration evoked by an outstanding metal artefact. In many of these vehicles, the pursuit of perfection is evident both in the overall form and in the smallest detail. Their historical character adds another layer: they carry the technical capabilities, needs and dreams of the age that created them.

Among the distinctive cars in the album, the black Alfa Romeo 6C 1750, with its red headlamp covers, stands out. The blue Bugatti and the racing Delahaye draw the eye back to pre-war motoring, while the silver Veritas RS adds a rarer name. Here, the construction remains visible: the wings, ventilation louvres, wheels and narrow cockpits reveal how form served movement.

Among the post-war creations, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, in Gullwing and Roadster versions, meets the elegance of the 190 SL, the curves of the Porsche 356 and the long, low silhouette of the Jaguar E-Type. The Chevrolet Corvettes and Ford Mustang Fastbacks bring the American vision of the sports car, while the Volvo P1800 adds its own distinctive design presence.

Alongside them, modern Ferraris, the latest-generation Maserati GranCabrio and the Alpine A110 continue the journey towards the present. This coexistence is a feature of the Greek event, which includes historic cars, more recent classics, and modern GTs and supercars. Official presentation of the 1000 Miglia Experience Greece 2026

Yet some of the most interesting photographs capture simple moments: an open bonnet, people leaning over an engine, attention to a mechanical detail. This is where the human side of the gathering reveals itself. Keeping an old car on the road requires knowledge, patience and care. Every such journey is also a practical act of preserving technical heritage.

On 1 October, the itinerary took the crews towards Kalamata and Mystras. Olympia had added its own image to the journey: light on the bodywork, the valley below Drouva, and a brief encounter between creations from different eras. In a place where human craftsmanship continues to inspire admiration after centuries, these moving works of design found a particularly fitting setting. Official event programme

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Appendix — Cars identified in the photo album

The list was compiled through visual examination of the photographs and cross-checking of available information. It is an indicative record, rather than an official entry list or certification of identity and authenticity. Dates generally refer to the production period of the model or probable variant, rather than the verified year of manufacture of the photographed car. Different cars of the same type are grouped together.

Make	Model / type	Date or reference period	Note
Alfa Romeo	6C 1750 Super Sport Spider Zagato	1929	Strong identification based on visible features and cross-checking.
Alpine	A110, current generation	From 2017	The specific variant is not confirmed.
Aston Martin	DB2 / DB2/4 family	1950s	The exact variant remains uncertain.
Bugatti	Pre-war racing car, possibly from the Type 35 family	1920s–early 1930s	The exact type requires confirmation.
Chevrolet	Master De Luxe	Possibly 1937–1938	The exact year remains an estimate.
Chevrolet	Corvette C1, early form	1953–1955	White car with a red interior.
Chevrolet	Corvette C1, later form	1956–1957	Black car.
Delahaye	Racing configuration, possibly from the 135/138 family	1930s	The make is identifiable; the exact type requires documentation.
Ferrari	296, probably GTB	From 2021	Yellow car; GTB/GTS identification remains uncertain.
Ferrari	GTC4Lusso	2016–2020	Distinctive shooting-brake bodywork.
Ferrari	812 GTS	Introduced in 2019, production from 2020	Identified in more than one photographed example.
Ford	Mustang Fastback	1965–1966	A special Shelby variant is not substantiated.
Ford	Mustang Fastback	1967–1968	Different body style from the preceding entry.
Jaguar	E-Type Roadster	Possibly 1961–1968	Uncertain whether Series 1 or the transitional Series 1½.
Jaguar	XJS Convertible	1988–1996	The engine or exact year is not confirmed.
Lamborghini	Gallardo	2003–2013	Probably an early variant from 2003–2008.
Lexus	LC 500 Convertible	From 2020	Tentative identification in the background of a photograph.
Maserati	Possibly 200S	Mid-1950s	White racing car with a gold stripe; confirmation is needed.
Maserati	GranCabrio, latest generation	From 2024	The exact variant is not documented.
Mercedes-Benz	300 SL Gullwing, W198	1954–1957	Closed bodywork with its distinctive doors.
Mercedes-Benz	300 SL Roadster, W198	1957–1963	Open-top version.
Mercedes-Benz	190 SL, W121	1955–1963	Identifiable two-seat roadster.
Mercedes-Benz	SL “Pagoda”, W113	1963–1971	It is not possible to distinguish whether it is a 230, 250 or 280 SL.
Mercedes-Benz	SL, R107	1971–1989	The engine variant is not confirmed.
Porsche	356 Coupé, possibly Pre-A	Possibly 1950–1955	The sub-series remains uncertain.
Porsche	356 Speedster	1954–1958	Type identification, without certification of authenticity.
Porsche	356 Cabriolet, possibly 356 A	Possibly 1955–1959	The series requires confirmation.
Porsche	550 Spyder type	Historic model, 1953–1956	It has not been established whether this is an original car or a reconstruction.
Porsche	911, early form	1964–1973	The specific variant is not confirmed.
Porsche	911 Targa, early form	1967–1973	Distinctive roll bar and removable roof.
Porsche	911 Turbo, 997 generation	Approximately 2006–2013	It is not confirmed whether this is a Turbo or Turbo S.
Veritas	RS	Late 1940s	Possibly 1949, with uncertainty regarding this particular vehicle.
Volvo	P1800 / 1800 S Coupé	1961–1972	The exact variant and date are not confirmed.