The Mercedes-Benz Classic division has made an unusual offer to all fans of iconic German cars and European motorsports events. The company has booked three slots in the 2024 Mille Miglia race and will let anyone with a spare €150,000 participate in it behind the wheel of a genuine 300 SL. You can buy a new S-Class starting from €112,000 in Germany, but that’s obviously not the point.
The Mille Miglia had run annually from 1927 until 1957. The participants raced down a roughly 1,600-kilometer-long route from Brescia to Rome. The race received a historical status in 1977, meaning that you can still take part in it, but only as long as you drive the same car model as one of the earlier participants.
€150,000 gets you a 300 SL for the duration of the race, access to the route, organizational and technical support, assistance from a pro racing co-driver, and a test drive in Stuttgart. Those who would rather bring their own 300 SL to the race may request €15,000 or more worth of technical assistance services.
Mercedes reckons that there will be more willing participants than the available starting slots. As such, the company will only be taking applications from January 18 until February 15, 2024. A lottery will then determine the winners. The race itself will take place on June 11–15, 2024.
