British TV Presenter Jodie Kidd and war hero-turned-author David Blakeley produced a memorable driving performance in their Mille Miglia ‘race’ debut this year, earning the highest final placing of any Jaguar Heritage Racing entry. This remarkable result - in a team which included Formula 1 legends and several experienced racing professionals - was achieved following a challenging yet inspiring 1,000 mile drive over four days from Brescia, through Padova, Rome, Siena, Pisa and Bologna, before returning to cross the finish line in some style back in Brescia.
In a field of 450 of the world’s most coveted classic sports and luxury cars from marques including Bugatti, Ferrari and Porsche, Jodie and David drove their stunning Jaguar XK 120 - nicknamed ‘Betsey’ by the driver duo during the event, to a credible 130th place in the final standings.
Jodie Kidd said: “David and I are absolutely exhausted but are taking away the most incredible memories from this special event. ‘Betsey’ was a joy to drive. She was fast, smooth and a brilliant way to experience the glorious Italian countryside. David and I feel privileged to have been at the wheel of one of the most beautiful cars in the entire event. We will be back next year!”
Successful British musician and singer Elliot Gleave, known more famously as ‘example’, was left glowing by the Mille Miglia experience. Elliot said: “I am absolutely buzzing after the best four days of driving I have ever known. The response to live updates from Italy from followers on my Twitter, Instagram and Facebook profiles was overwhelming. My wife Erin and I are thankful to the Jaguar team for this opportunity, which is one we’ll never forget.”
Fans of the Jaguar Heritage Racing drivers in this year’s event showed support for their personal favourites by engaging with their idols on the world’s most popular social media channels. Analysis by Jaguar digital media strategists We Are Social shows the #JaguarMille campaign created for the Mille Miglia this year was hugely popular with fans of the Jaguar brand, and also the diverse group of personalities in the 2014 team.
From 28 April through to 19 May, #JaguarMille achieved more than 4,000 mentions on Twitter, with an estimated reach of 39.9 million impressions. On Instagram, 164 unique contributors used the #JaguarMille hashtag, achieving a total of 181,400 ‘Likes’ and 1,749 comments from the followers of driver profiles.
Don’t forget to check out all photos from the Mille Miglia on our Flickr page!
