If you want to get a taste of where the Gulf region’s collector car world is headed, the 1000 Miglia Experience, UAE; is an event that you want to watch closely. The fourth edition is currently underway (November 30, 2025 - December 4, 2025) in the United Arab Emirates. The energy had been building since the opening day of the rally, held this past weekend in Dubai, on the lawns of the Emirates Golf Course. On display were a spectacular array of participating vintage and classic cars, besides one-offs, several historically significant automobiles and more modern metal.
But to understand why this event carries weight, you need to know where it began. The original Mille Miglia is one of the all time great road races, right up there with the likes of the Targa Floria, and La Carrera Pan Americana. The original race ran through northern Italy between 1927 to 1957, leaving Brescia, onto Rome, and a 1,000 mile dash, returning back to Brescia across public roads.
It became a defining test of endurance, engineering, and bravery, attracting both professional drivers and manufacturers who wanted to prove performance outside controlled racetracks. The event was put on hold after 1957 owing to safety concerns. The modern format was revived in 1977 as a regularity rally to preserve that heritage without the risks of unrestricted speed. The UAE edition builds on that legacy and began in 2021, expanding that glorious chapter into a region with a fast evolving collector car scene.
Looking back, one of the most noteworthy moments for the Mille Miglia is the historic run by Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR. Starting at precisely 7:22 am, on May 1st, 1955, the duo managed to cover 1,000 miles in 10 hours and seven minutes, averaging more than 98 miles per hour on open public roads. Remember, this was long before the days of modern safety. Their record is one that stands to this day.
Mercedes had a massive presence at the event with SLs and SLRs on display spanning several eras. The showstopper of the event, without a doubt was the 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, now valued in the millions. For some context, the 300 SLR Ulhenhaut is the most expensive car to cross the auction block at $142 million. Other noteworthy cars to wear the three-pointed star were Pagodas and several 300 SL Gullwings SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, the extremely rare Mercedes AMG PureSpeed, AMGs from the Hammer-era i.e. 1990s. The Koenigsegg CC prototype made its presence felt, fresh off its win at The Quail in California.
There was no shortage of even more machinery from Stuttgart. Think Porsche 356 coupes and Speedsters, air-cooled 911s from several generations. Elsewhere, you had pre-war beauties like a Blower Bentley finished in British racing green and a vintage Bugatti racer. From the 1960s, a bright red Ferrari 275 GTB Shortnose, a C2 Chevy Corvette, a Jaguar E Type, and several classic American muscle cars and pickups. We also saw some 1980s side-strake action in the form of a stunning red pairing: a Lamborghini Countach sitting alongside a Ferrari Testarossa. It wouldn’t be a classic car show without Alfa Romeos, and BMWs.
The Poonawalla Rolls-Royce lineup from India, made up of all eight generations of the Phantom, a model celebrating its centenary in 2025, made a statement. Supercar Majlis is also present with a curated selection of hypercar royalty, including a McLaren P1. The legendary Dubai Police renowned for their supercar fleet presented a couple of high-performance cars from their active duty, including a Mansory G-Wagen. Staying with Mercedes, there were not one, but two stately S600 Mercedes Pullman limousines, both belonging to the Royal families of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, respectively.
Duccio Lopresto, Managing Director MENA, RM Sotheby's, explained the shift happening within the GCC’s collector ecosystems, while also outlining the scale of the upcoming RM Sotheby’s auction in Abu Dhabi this weekend, at the inaugural Collector Week. With an estimated $80 million to $90 million lineup, Valuations are comparable to Monterey.
As for the rally, the first leg is now moving from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah, climbing toward the twists and turns of Jebel Jais. The route continues into the Sultanate of Oman and back to Ras Al Khaimah, then across to the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, before returning to Dubai. Total race distance is roughly 1,600 kilometers, just shy of 1,000 miles. Watch out for our exclusive coverage of the 1000 Miglia Experience, UAE on Petrolicious soon.
Images: Khris Bharath
