Few races are as emblematic of a bygone era as the Mille Miglia. The epic thousand-mile race across the Italian countryside brought out millions of spectators along its route when it was held between 1927 and 1957. The Mille Miglia was dominated by Italian marques like Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, but with two wins under its belt from 1931 and 1955, Mercedes-Benz won it more times than any foreign automaker. So it's only fitting that the German marque should return to the revival this year with its own trove of classic racers.

When the classic road rally kicks off on May 16, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be on hand with the iconic 1928 SSK, a pair of 300 SLs from the early '20s, the 1955 300 SLR (like the one with which Mercedes won the race half a century ago) and a '54 220. Driving the cars will be former F1 driver and brand ambassador David Coulthard, F1 safety car driver Bernd Maylander and old-timey racers Jochen Mass and Karl Wendlinger.