Days like these you wish they would never end. The story that we have all told together today has an emotion as its protagonist, a way of understanding the visceral love for these metal and petrol objects that elevate the concept of freedom to the status of an emotional instrument. It is a love story that transforms petrol into good mood, the chapter that we all should write in our personal diary of memories called life.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Giorgia Rossi

Today I want to tell you a story. One of those characterized by unmistakable scents and flavors, emotions of other times that emerge only with the perfect fit of certain elements that true enthusiasts cannot give up. You can feel that early September breeze caressing your skin under a shining sun above the Langhe, leading the thirty crews along a hundred of some of the most scenic kilometers you could ever travel in the heart of Piedmont. The Gentlemen’s Run has changed its name, becoming Classic Run, but has kept intact the ability to combine driving pleasure with the rediscovery of an area of absolute reference and rightly declared UNESCO heritage site.

The day starts early on September, 3^rd as we head towards Piozzo with the top of our Morgan Plus Four – kindly granted by Romeo Ferraris – folded over our heads. Before sunrise it is also necessary to wear a jacket, in order to defeat the cold air creeping into the passenger compartment at the most sustained motorway speeds. Once we reach the starting location, we place the car in front of the gigantic “beer box” and set up the welcome desk waiting for the participants. As the sun calmly enters the scene, the cars begin to arrive and park in several rows, showing how the format that since last year has allowed the possibility of taking part in our classic escape even with younger cars is widely appreciated.

The variety of the cars attending this year’s edition is surprising and it is impossible not to get lost in the fantastic display of models, while the crews go through the accreditation and breakfast phase. The Open Garden Baladin also opens its doors thanks to a (necessarily compressed) guided tour useful for discovering the history of an avant-garde company known far beyond national borders. It’s time to leave and get to the heart of the Classic Run, because as anyone who has taken part in one of our events knows pretty well, the quintessence of these driving tours are the moments spent behind the wheel. Everything is designed to offer an unprecedented driving experience: from the choice of the most panoramic itinerary, to that of roads in only optimal condition and obviously full of curves. The first stamp is placed on the roadbook and the equipes leave Baladin one after the other, with the knowledge that the pace will be more easy than usual due to the simple fact that there are cars with a few decades on their back and that the mission of the event itself is to immerse in the incredible beauty of the Langhe region, ready to welcome us a few turns after the start.

We get ahead of the group and while the photographer stands in front of the Castello della Volta (Barolo) we begin to savor that unique sensation that the orderly vineyards are able to give. There is not a sound in the air, the sun supports top-down driving and a few minutes later here is the snake of Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Morgan, Jaguar, Ferrari, Caterham, BMW, Mercedes and other cars that, between classic and modern ones, give new colors and sounds to a valley capable of surprising at every turn. We pass one of the many giant benches (La Morra) and descend towards Barolo – this time crossing the center of the town – repeating with the beautiful village of Monforte d’Alba, thus reaching a panoramic terrace literally overlooking the greenest basin of the region.

First checkpoint and those who until a few hours ago had never even met exchange words and laughs, demonstrating how cars are a connector capable of giving moments of human value that are impossible to experience in the virtual world that is now too present in the frenetic life of each of us. Today we unplugged, we stamp another checkpoint and set off towards Benevello. The “Classica Escape” proceeds and everyone keeps the pace that they consider best suited to their car, their driving style and their desire to make a splendid landscape their own exploiting the most beautiful period of the year. The icing on the cake is not only a suitable temperature and weather, but also a substantial absence of traffic of any kind. In short, the Langhe are all for us today.

Treiso, Barbaresco, Castagnito and then Guarene, just before crossing Piobesi d’Alba and Corneliano d’Alba, then reaching Pollenzo and crossing the gates to the sumptuous location we picked for the end of the event: the Albergo dell’Agenzia. The cars are thus placed in the reserved area in front of the palace and after having turned off the engine one last time it is time to sit at the table and enjoy a delicious lunch based on local excellences and with a selection of wines capable of raising the taste factor, another aspect that is always very careful looked at for this particular event. It is time to chat, relax and enjoy the view of the cars a stone’s throw from our tables, rewarding the teams attending with the oldest cars (a ’72 VW Karmann Ghia and a ’74 Lancia Fulvia and the one who traveled the most road – 2,333 km, from Sweden – at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 164. A prize that we will give a few days later goes to the unfortunate crew on the Alfa Romeo Alfetta, stopped by a brake failure after just a few kilometers from the start: they deserve recognition for being the first car to confirm registration and above all for having taken part at every edition of the Classic Run to date. They win a hand-made design by artist Wallace Design, also author of the official poster of the event and of the logo applied on the t-shirts.

Walking among the parked cars is like enjoying an open-air exhibition. Mario Ferraris and Michela Cerruti of Romeo Ferraris participated with a Caterham and a Morgan Plus Six, while a very rare Morgan Aero SuperSports joined us from Switzerland. And then again Jaguar F-Type and XKR, Alfa Romeo 4C, Ferrari 488 GTB and 360 Modena Spider, without forgetting the BMW M3 Cabrio and Z4 M, Porsche 911 964, FIAT Barchetta, a 1983 Mercedes 380 SEC, a one-off specifically built by Café Racer customizer Mr Martini, two Lancia Fulvias, including a very special Zagato, Lancia Beta Montecarlo, Delta Integrale and an Alfa Romeo Duetto that surely had great fun between the curves after Barbaresco. And then many others, all undisputed queens of a day sewn for proper enthusiasts.

The moment the engines are resting and you can hear the ticking of the still hot mechanical parts, you think back to how much these objects play a special role in people’s lives. They obviously are vehicles for moving from one point on the map to another, but above all they are a way of giving life to new experiences and adventures which, if shared with those who make this passion a lifestyle, take on a completely different flavor. Days like these you wish they would never end. The story that we have all told together today has an emotion as its protagonist, a way of understanding the visceral love for these metal and petrol objects that elevate the concept of freedom to the status of an emotional instrument. It is a love story that unites cars that have made history with others that represent the best of current production, all ready to play the leading role in a story – ours – called life. And since there is nothing more precious than this, I believe that enjoying it clutching a steering wheel that has the merit of chasing away bad thoughts and stress, transforming petrol into good mood, is the chapter that we all should write in our personal diary of memories. Until next time.