CALIFORNIA MILLE 2011
San Francisco, California

After a full-day, free car show on Mason Street between Sacramento and California in front of the Fairmont Hotel on April 24, the Mille heads off on April 25 north to the first nights stop at Calistoga.

The 2011 California Mille is doing a change-up from the classic Italian Mille Miglia (thousand mile) open road race, which was last run in 1957, to a hub-and-spoke style route.

A new addition to the Run, are chances for the drivers to do a few laps of Sears Point (Infineon) Raceway, and Thunderhill Raceway.

The Mille's 'hub' will be Calistoga, California, and the days 2,3,and 4, will have runs out and back to the 'hub'.

The tour will have historic race cars that could have qualified for the original Italian event in 1927-1957.

All Car Central sees The California Mille is the season opener for events in the San Francisco Bay Area and I look forward to getting out meeting drivers, owners and seeing the cars.

The morning started out windy and damp. The arriving cars were wet and many were open-top Turing models. But the field did fill up and the sun came out just after noon to allow these shiny road race cars, examples of a past era show off their shine. The crowd of on-lookers did not reach the mass of past years, making it much easer to see the cars and generally move about. The Swig family men gave a car-by-car rundown for the crowd, sharing the historic bits of past road racing and the cars history.

This is a very fine way to spend a spring afternoon in San Francisco, looking at great old road cars as the sun reflects off the proud Fairmont Hotel on top of Nob Hill. After the workout of looking over the double line-up of cars my co-photographer and I moved into the Fairmont's lobby bar and enjoyed the magnificent settings and a fine California wine. Dinner and drinks await at our favorite spot in Union Square.

PRESS RELEASES

• California Mille 2011 - pdf

California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill
Clara Cunningham Photo 2011

California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill
Clara Cunningham Photo 2011

AC Ace Bristol Zagato 1957
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

AC Ace Bristol Zagato 1957
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Bentley Tourer 3L 1927
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Bentley Tourer 3L 1927
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Bentley Tourer 3L 1927
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Bentley Tourer 3L 1927
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Aston Martin DB2-4 Mk3 1959
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Aston Martin DB2-4 Mk3 1959
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

David Swig and Stan Bauer
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Martin Swig Looks On
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ford Phaeton 1934
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ford Phaeton 1934
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ford Phaeton 1934
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ferrari 250GT Europa 1955
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ferrari 250GT Europa 1955
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Ferrari 250GT Europa 1955
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Lancia Lambda 1925
California Mille 2011
The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

Clara Cunningham of AllCarCentral.com
California Mille 2011
In, lobby of The San Francisco Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill

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