Taking a modern car on a 1,000-mile journey is not exactly a quick trip.

You need to get the car ready by making sure everything is in proper working order, the tires are at the right pressure, and all fluids are filled to their appropriate levels.

Now imagine that the 1,000 miles you cover are part of a twisting road race that traverses Italy.

Sounds like a tough task, right? Try replacing the modern car with a vintage machine and you'll understand why the Mille Miglia is an amazing event. Bentley agree and the automaker brought out two classic (and classically priceless) Blower Bentleys to run the race.

Blower signifies that the car bears a supercharger, and that means the 4 and 1/2-liter engine gets an extra dose of air and power. These old cars can hit speeds well into the triple digits while the driver at the time would wear nothing more than a racing suit, goggles, and some driving gloves.

One of the vehicles was owned by famed "Bentley Boy" Tim Birkin. Mr. Birkin captained the Bentley effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1930. The other Bentley vehicle is a demonstrator car that's been in service for over nine decades. Both recently made the 1,000-mile trip, and both did it with plenty of old-school British panache and style.

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