California Mille

The California Mille is an annual 1,000-mile tour of Northern California for cars eligible for the original Mille Miglia. Its motto, per the official site, is “important cars, little roads and wonderful friends.” Hagerty has run it since 2020.

History

The story page says Martin Swig first imagined a California version of the Mille Miglia while attending the 1982 event in Brescia, Italy. After his death in 2012, his sons David and Howard led the event alongside long-time organizer Dan Radowicz. In 2020 it joined Hagerty’s events. The site does not state the year of the first California Mille.

The cause

The impact page says the California Mille has raised more than $90,000 for the San Francisco Chronicle’s Season of Sharing fund since 2013, and that each year it also supports a local nonprofit with hands-on activities, education and a financial contribution.

The next edition

The 2026 edition ran 19 to 23 April. For 2027 the official site gives 25 to 29 April and invites drivers to join the waitlist. Hagerty’s own events page lists the 2027 California Mille as 20 to 25 April. The two Hagerty sources disagree, so confirm the dates with the organizer. The start location for 2027 has not been published.

What a tour week is like

The organizer describes 1,000 miles of driving with stays at hotels and resorts, a planned dining itinerary, and daily hand-picked experiences such as track time, private car collections and local stops, which participants call Strudel Moments. Each year honors a Celebrated Marque and an Honored Race Car: for 2026 those were Carrozzeria Zagato and the Porsche 550 and 550A Spyder and 718.

Who it is for and how selection works

Per the eligibility page, the tour is open to any car that could have run in the original Mille Miglia, foreign or domestic, built before 1 January 1958. The field is limited to about 65 to 70 cars by hotel space, and the organizer chooses cars from each year’s applicants. Every car must be road legal, registered and insured, with proof of insurance carried in the car. The organizer advises checking that a policy does not exclude road rallies or cars parked outside a secured garage.

The organizer does not publish the entry fee on its public pages. Applications for 2026 closed on 23 January 2026; the 2027 application date is not yet published.