The Hagerty Maple Mille is my favorite car event of the year. It’s a roughly 1,000-km classic car rally/cruise/tour that is open to all pre-1980 cars. This is my fourth year doing the Mille and the fourth car I have done it in. Previous cars I’ve used have been a 1969 SS 396 Camaro, Alex’s ‘68 Datsun Roadster, and my own 1970 Corvette. This year I borrowed a friend’s 1974 MGB. And it was awesome.
Why didn’t I take my own car? Well it still runs and drives perfectly well (or as well as that thing can) but after driving it 1,500-miles to Kentucky and back I was just kinda tired of road tripping it. It’s a brutal car to road trip. The MGB is owned by my friend Ben and he’s had it just a few years now. It’s a ‘74 backdated to earlier parts which is a pretty sensible mod.
My neighbour also has an MGB, a 1967 model and I had driven it before I drove Ben’s. Interestingly, the two cars drive very differently. The 74 had firmer controls and heavier steering. The difference of pre and post emissions motor is also something you can feel pretty easily. That said, it was a WAY better road trip car than my Corvette. It was quiet, comfortable, and had plenty of room for storage. I dunno if I’d buy one, but I like them.
One cool thing about the Mille is the breadth and variety of the participating cars. Pretty much any classic is allowed! Here we have a Lada, a Mini, a massive Buick, and a Peugeot 504 cabrio. There was also a Skoda present.
If you have a classic car and can get near Toronto, Ontario then I highly recommend that you give it a try! I wonder what car I should take next year...