AMSTERDAM/BRESCIA – Former touring car champion Ernst Berg (1947) drives his one-off Porsche Carrera GT Zagato from 15 to 18 May in in the Mille Miglia, generally regarded as the most beautiful car race in the world. With his participation he pays tribute to the famous Italian coachbuilding company Zagato, which is celebrating its centenary this year.
During the 1000 miles from Brescia to Rome and back, Berg is assisted by former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jarier (1946), who drove a total of 183 Grands Prix between 1971 and 1983.
This year, 430 exceptional cars from the period 1927-1957 are taking part in the historic race. The Mille Miglia has been held for 90 years, crossing local roads and villages in the heart of Italy. The race used to be on the world championships calendar, but that came to an end in 1957 when Formula 1 driver Alfonso de Portago and his racing partner Edmund Nelson rolled over an hour before the finish with their Ferrari and were killed. The race has been re-enacted for 37 years now, over the same route as before, with classic cars.
All major car makers participate and the classic cars - coming from car manufacturers, collectors and collections of car museums around the world - are driven by former racing drivers, Formula 1 champions, jet set, famous actors and other enthusiasts. Dutch drivers often also participate. The race attracts a lot of attention every year, especially before and during the start in Brescia.
Ernst Berg has been invited by Zagato to participate in the Mille Miglia during its anniversary year. The coachbuilding company from Milan has been designing lightweight structures for car manufacturers such as Lancia, Fiat and Alfa Romeo since 1919, after the Second World War also for Maserati, Abarth, Ferrari and Aston Martin and nowadays for Toyota and BMW, among others.
The one-off Zagato Porsche Carrera GT V10 was built for racing driver Ernst Berg, at his special request. Porsche built approx. 800 of these cars, but the modified Zagato version is the only one in the world. Although the cars in the Mille Miglia have to be built before 1957, an exception has been made for Berg’s Porsche. “Of course we do not run against those classics, that would not be fair. In addition to mine, about ten cars designed by Zagato are taking part in the race,” he says.
Jonkheer Ernst Joan Herbert Berg competed in national and international touring car races in the 60s and 70s. He became Dutch champion, won various European races and ended his career in 1980. In 2001 he and his son Rembert won the 500 kilometers of Zandvoort. Since 1995 he has been director and major shareholder of the Nemaco Group, developer of offices and buildings.