The revival of the Coppa Milano–Sanremo is one of those events that reconcile you with classic motorsport racing. It is the re-issue of a competition for gentlemen’s drivers that was very popular during the early 20th century and joined, back then, the likes of legendary races like the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio, and gorgeous events like the Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este.
In times where car enthusiasts and entrepreneurs alike try and revive events that marked our history, the Coppa Milano–Sanremo was a not-to-be-missed opportunity, given its pedigree; it was first launched in 1906, a decade that was marked by a fast advance in mass motorization.
Mercedes–Benz and IWC sponsor the event and bring every year on an Italian racetrack, no other than the legendary Autodromo of Monza, the whole range of Mercedes-AMG cars and the latest collection of IWC Pilot’s Watches, along with vintage and highly-sought after vehicles, like the Mercedes–Benz 300SL or the Mercedes–Benz 190SL.
The race, developed over the course of three days, started from the Autodromo‘s grid on Thursday 28 March and finished two days later in Sanremo. The racetrack’s paddock was crammed with plenty of collectors’ cars, that included not only Mercedes‘, but sports cars that made history, including a 1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C, a 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster and a 1972 BMW 2002 Turbo, to name a few.
The Coppa Milano–Sanremo gathers gentlemen drivers coming from around the globe that make up a starting grid comprised of 95 racing crews (most of which are Italian) this year, whose cars fully summarize a period where pure mechanics and roaring engines reigned over electronics.
IWC is one of the partners of the Coppa Milano–Sanremo, and its current offering is in keeping with the spirit of the competition. The Spitfire collection, whose timepieces are a nod to historical military aviation, is a perfect match to a Mercedes 300SL whereas a modern IWC Big Pilot’s Watch can be naturally associated to a current AMG sports sedan as we did last year in Cernobbio. The two guys who were driving the official car of the brand, a stunning 190SL, had an IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire and an IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire wrapped around their wrists, respectively.
Mercedes–Benz is, however, a visionary brand whose Mercedes-AMG range of cars represents the best in terms of technology and pure performance; I was lucky enough to test drive some of their vehicles on more than an occasion, on and off the track. The German brand has the most extensive offering of high-performance cars on the market that includes a Mercedes-AMG variant of its off-road G–Class, the G 63, too and most of them were available for a test drive on Thursday morning.
Above all, I would mention the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+, that replaced the Giulia Quadrifoglio as the fastest four-door sedan at the Nürburgring, and the Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic, the hot hatch that allows you to access the Mercedes-AMG world.
During such events, you’re usually allowed to take a more in-depth look at the IWC product novelties. I got once again my hands on timepieces like the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire Bronze that I covered already upon my return from SIHH 2019, along with the IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium®. The latter well summarizes the brand’s expertise in crafting innovative materials: the Ceratanium® is a proprietary alloy that combines the scratch-resistance of ceramics with the sturdiness and hypoallergenic properties guaranteed by titanium.
However, it is not time here for any product review or technical data-sheet, but good vibes and re-enactments instead. So please enjoy our extensive image gallery and pick the car (or the watch) you prefer.
(Photo credit: Horbiter®’s proprietary photo-shooting by Simona Bertogliatti)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
