Louis Vuitton is reviving its classic car run, from the Dolomites to the F1 grid at Monza
Old-world glamour, mountain passes and a finish on the F1 grid
Here is a wonderful blend of old-world glamour, breathtaking scenery and Formula 1. Louis Vuitton is reviving its classic car run this September, a four-day journey through northern Italy that ends on the grid at Monza, right before the F1 Italian Grand Prix. It is exactly the sort of tasteful, history-soaked motoring event we adore.
The route: Venice to Monza
Called the Dolomites Classic Run 2026, the event runs from 1 to 4 September and covers roughly 600 km. It sets off from the grand Villa Pisani in the Veneto region near Venice, threads through the Dolomites, a mountain range recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and finishes at Monza. As a regularity trial rather than a flat-out race, it is about precision, elegance and enjoying the drive, not lap times.
Twenty-five pre-1970 icons
Around 25 historic cars built between the 1930s and 1970 will take part, drawn from some of the world's most important collections, with marques including Bugatti, Maserati and Ferrari. It is the kind of priceless, rolling museum you normally only see at a top concours, in the spirit of the machinery that gathers at events like our own royal Bugatti heading to the Zoute Concours, except here the cars are actually driven hard through the Alps rather than parked on a lawn.
A finale on the Monza grid
The showpiece comes on 4 September, when the classic cars parade on the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza before the start of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. Pairing pre-war and post-war icons with the pinnacle of modern motorsport on the same hallowed asphalt is a lovely touch, bridging a century of car culture in a single weekend and connecting Louis Vuitton's classic run to the drama of F1, just as heritage meets the modern grid at events like the British Grand Prix.
Why Louis Vuitton, and the trophy trunk
This is not as random as it might sound. Louis Vuitton's ties to the car go back to 1897, when Georges Vuitton, son of the founder, created the first trunk designed specifically for automobiles, with a flat top so it could be stacked on early cars. That heritage now links directly to F1: since 2024 Louis Vuitton has been an official partner of Formula 1 and designs the Trophy Trunks that carry the winners' silverware. At Monza, the victor will receive a trophy created by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis and made by Murano glassmaker Venini, presented in a bespoke Louis Vuitton trophy trunk.
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We love this. Fashion-house motoring tie-ins can feel hollow, but Louis Vuitton actually has genuine automotive roots, and building a rally that celebrates them, through some of the most beautiful roads on earth and onto the Monza grid, is a class act. Seeing priceless Bugattis, Maseratis and Ferraris being driven as intended rather than hidden away is always a joy, and the F1 finale gives it a modern edge. It is unashamedly exclusive, of course, but as a celebration of the car as both art and adventure, it is hard to fault. We would give almost anything for a seat in one of those 25 cars.
