The maison has revived its classic-car rally after over a decade.
©Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s Dolomites Classic Run returned this month after a 13-year hiatus, bringing together 22 vintage cars for a 600km journey from Venice through the Dolomites to Monza, and timed to coincide with the Italian Grand Prix.
Held from September 1-4, the invite-only race began at Villa Pisani in Stra before heading north through the mountains and will conclude today with a closing gala at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. The cars will then take their place on display throughout the weekend at Monza’s 18th-century Royal Villa.
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The route links several northern Italian hotspots, moving from Veneto to the mountain roads of the Dolomites before arriving at one of motorsport’s most historic circuits, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza which was made in 1922. It also passes near Fiesso d’Artico, home to Louis Vuitton’s footwear workshop, where the production of a single pair of shoes can involve almost 200 individual operations.
Instead of a conventional race, the Classic Run is a regularity rally, with crews judged on their ability to maintain timings and navigate the route accurately, meaning that the quickest car is not necessarily the winner. It is a format particularly suited to historic automobiles. The 22 entries have been drawn from leading private collections, bringing together some of the more notable and desirable cars from the history of motoring.
22 vintage cars took part in the race ©Louis Vuitton
The race winner will receive a trophy in a special monogrammed trunk ©Louis Vuitton
The House staged its first classic-car rally in 1993, taking participants through Malaysia, and has since developed a series of events that connect historic cars with the culture of travel. The Classic Serenissima Run in 2012 was the last edition of the format before this year’s return, bringing the event to Venice.
“The Louis Vuitton Classic Run stands as a unique form of competition with rules and requirements that extend far beyond the mere pursuit of speed,” Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton says. “These iconic automobiles stand as witnesses to passions and values that run deeper than the mileage covered, echoing Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire and pursuit of excellence.”
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The race winner will receive a trophy designed by Sabine Marcelis and produced by Venini, which has been transported to the event in a bespoke Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunk, made at the House’s Asnières workshops in the maison’s monogrammed canvas design. The trophy joins a growing collection of Vuitton trunks created for major sporting occasions, including the FIFA World Cup, Ballon d’Or, Monaco Grand Prix, NBA, and Roland Garros.