Swiss Roland Hotz and Italian Giordano Mozzi driving a 2017 Porsche 911 GTStreet R claimed victory in the 2024 1000 Miglia Experience UAE. For Mozzi it meant a remarkable hat-trick of wins on the event that treats 120 cars to magnificent driving from the peaks of Jebel Jais to the canyons of the Hatta Hills.
An impressive second overall on the rally dubbed The Most Beautiful Race in the Middle East were Saudis Adnan Nouh and and Zyad Al Arfaj in their 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera MFI. The podium for the overall places was filled out by event first-timers, Americans Jeff Gault and Rafaele Conti who competed in a 1955 Jaguar XK140.
In snatching third place Gault and Conti also took the honours in the category for 1000 Miglia-eligible vehicles built from 1927 to 1957. They pipped Polish duo Marian Stoch and Bartosz Balicki driving a 1928 Chrysler 75 Sport Roadster with Ukrainian Yevgen Sokolovskyy third in his 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.
The Hero of the Rally Trophy went to Indian collector Yohan Poonawalla who overcame mechanical challenges with both his 1975 Jaguar E-Type and his 1964 Lincoln Continental to finish the event. Spaniard Miguel Llorente also earned a special award, this time for donating a key part to another crew in need.
The most hotly contested categories include Classic Icons (cars built from 1927 to 1976), which Noah and Al Arfaj won from Germans Thomas Fischer and Swiss Andre Emil Ehrbar in a 1928 Bentley 4.5 Le Mans. Third were Poles Marius Juszczyk and Artur Moscicki driving to a well deserved podium place in their 1974 BMW 3.0CS.
Younger cars, 46 of them this year, compete in the Contemporary Icons class and that was obviously won by Hotz and Mozzi, from Moroccan Hanan Sobati and Brit Charlotte O’Brien in their 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia, the first all-female team to place in the three runnings of the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE. Third were Anar Rzaev and Azeri Aysel Rzayeva in a 2024 Morgan Plus Six.
RM Sotheby’s again held a successful auction in conjunction with the event, including an astonishing result for a Pagani Zonda LM Roadster. Full story here.
Octane’s Robert Coucher took part in the 2023 UAE Mille Miglia Experience in a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9. His article was in Octane 251.
Results
Overall
2 Adnan Nouh (KSA) / Zyad Al Arfaj (KSA) (1975 Porsche 911 Carrera MFI)
1 Roland Hotz (CHE) / Giordano Mozzi (ITA) (2017 Porsche 911 GTStreet R)
3 Jeff Gault (USA) / Raffaele Conti (USA) (1955 Jaguar XK140)
1000 Miglia Class
1. Jeff Gault (USA) / Raffaele Conti (USA) (1955 Jaguar XK140)
2. Marian Stoch (POL) / Bartosz Balicki (POL) (1928 Chrysler 75 Sport Roadster)
3. Yevgen Sokolovskyy (UKR) (1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing)
Classic Icons
1. Adnan Nouh (KSA) / Zyad Al Arfaj (KSA) (1975 Porsche 911 Carrera MFI)
2. Thomas Fischer (DEU) / Andre Emil Ehrbar (CHE) (1928 Bentley 4.5 Le Mans)
3. Marius Juszczyk (POL) / Artur Moscicki (POL) (1974 BMW 3.0CS)
Contemporary Icons
1. Roland Hotz (CHE) / Giordano Mozzi (ITA) (2017 Porsche 911 GTStreet R)
2. Hanan Sobati (DZA) / Charlotte O’Brien (GBR) (2020 Alfa Romeo Guilia)
3. Anar Rzaev (GBR) / Aysel Rzayeva (AZE) (2024 Morgan Plus Six)
Hero of the Rally
Yohan Poonawalla (IND) / Mohammed Luqman Ali Khan (IND) (1975 Jaguar E-Type)
Kindness Award
Miguel Llorrente (ESP) / Eduoard Berthier (FRA) (2010 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione)
