Maserati revives its racing soul at the 1000 Miglia 2026

The 44th edition of the 1000 Miglia kicks off June 9 in Brescia, and this year's field is stacked. Over 400 historic cars from 29 countries will tackle the classic Brescia-Rome-Brescia loop, roughly 1,900 kilometers of Italian countryside, mountain passes, and UNESCO-listed towns, with nearly 140 timed sections scattered along the way. It's a regularity race at heart, open only to cars that either ran in the original speed race or rolled out of the factory somewhere between 1927 and 1957. The event wraps up June 13.

For this year’s Mille Miglia, Maserati is bringing out a 1953 A6 GCS/53, chassis number 2043, a car with arguably the most extensive 1000 Miglia history of any Maserati in existence. It ran five consecutive editions of the original speed race, from 1953 right through to the final 1957 running, and counted Luigi Musso among the drivers who took it to the limit. Known in period as the Sport 2000, it's the kind of car that doesn't just sit in a museum and look pretty. It still works, still competes, and still gets people going.

The car is currently going through Maserati Classiche's Certification of Authenticity process and will receive official support from the program throughout the event. Owner Igor Zanisi will be behind the wheel, joined by his daughter Lara as co-driver. Zanisi is no stranger to the Trident; his connection to the brand runs deep, and his stewardship of the A6 GCS/53 reflects that. 

Lara's presence adds another dimension to the whole thing. The Zanisi family is using this run as a tribute to Maria Teresa de Filippis, the Italian racing driver who was born a hundred years ago in 1926 and who passed away in 2016. De Filippis was a close friend of Igor and a genuine piece of Maserati history. She became the first woman to qualify for and start a Formula 1 Grand Prix, lining up for the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix in a Maserati 250F. 

The A6 GCS/53 won’t be attending alone, Maserati is also sending four current production cars along the route as support vehicles. A GranTurismo Modena, GranTurismo Trofeo, GranCabrio Modena, and GranCabrio Trofeo will follow the event carrying European journalists and content creators, rotating crews telling the story of the race from a more contemporary angle. Each car gets an exclusive livery pulled from Maserati's back catalogue, referencing four historic models: the Tipo 26, the A6 1500, the 250F, and the 3500 GT, each wearing the period-correct Trident logo that came with them. It's a clean way to link what Maserati builds today with where it all started.

The route this year follows the figure-eight layout that traces back to the first twelve speed editions of the race. Crews will pass through art cities, over mountain roads, and through some of the more scenic stretches of the Italian peninsula. One stop carrying particular importance is Modena, scheduled for the second day, June 10. For Maserati, it's home ground in every sense.

The 1000 Miglia appearance also fits into a broader calendar Maserati has been building around what it's calling the Year of the Trident, a centenary celebration of its iconic logo and its first-ever race win. That victory came on April 25, 1926, when Alfieri Maserati drove the Tipo 26 to first in class and eighth overall. It was the debut of the Trident badge in competition, and in many ways, the moment the brand's identity was set. A hundred years on, that same identity is still out there on the road, doing what it was built to do.