The 31st Mille Miglia took place on May 16 – 19 in 2013 and there was a 1957 Saab 93 participating in that year’s event. 1.800 applications were submitted and only 375 teams were selected. This was the only Saab in the 2013 race.
Brothers Rik en Reint Jan van Lochem from the Netherlands are the owners and drivers of this Saab 93. It was purchased in Sweden in 2010 and was restored to factory specifications over 2 years. One of the requirements for cars participating in the Mille Miglia is that the cars have to be in original condition just as they rolled off the assembly line.
This Saab 93 was at the 10-year anniversary meeting of the Dutch Saab forum and was transported on a Saab car transporter made by Lasse Thaung from Växjö.
The Dutch car magazine AutoVisie sent a reporter to Italy and he drove along in the Saab 9-5 support vehicle. An album with 24 pictures: link
Many of these old cars participating in this event need repairs along the way. This Saab 93 had a some issues with the waterpump, as well as a problem with the alternator and battery.
At the finish of the 2013 Mille Miglia.
More information can be found on the Dutch Saab forum: link
Want to see more of the Mille Miglia? This is a video from 2006.
That must be an experience you will never forget. Most of us can only dream about this, even though it may not always be easy to race several days in a row.