On March 26, 1927 in the small village of Brescia, 77 rally cars embarked on a 1005-mile race across the Italian countryside. Only 55 would cross the finish line in Rome the next day. This was the first in an annual race which came to be known as the “Mille Miglia” or Thousand Mile. Although the race was closed in 1957 (due to an unfortunate rise in race-related fatalities), the tradition continues today.