Total Look Rallies prepares to live la Dolce Vita on three-day journey through the green heart of Italy

 Total Look Rallies prepares to live la Dolce Vita on three-day journey through the green heart of Italy
  • Latest edition in Total Look Rallies series transports enthusiasts back to the swinging sixties
  • Stunning vintage machinery set to join three-day event
  • Concours d’élégance, photo competition and sixties soirée form busy programme

A collection of vintage cars will assemble in Rome on Friday (6 May) to launch Dolce Vita 60, a three-day adventure from the Eternal City to the ancient green hills of Umbria.

The third edition in the Total Look Rallies series shares its name with the iconic Federico Fellini movie, La Dolce Vita, a masterpiece of Italian filmmaking that was shot around Rome and hit cinemas in 1960. The event follows Le Vendôme 80, which was staged in September 2021 and took participants from central Paris through idyllic French countryside at the wheel of stunning eighties machinery.

In contrast with those sharp lines and bold colours, Dolce Vita 60 returns to an era of sweeping automotive curves and understated sartorial elegance. Among the 34 cars that will depart Rome on Friday are several examples of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, a model that makes numerous appearances in Fellini's La Dolce Vita. There will be more Italian flair courtesy of a Ferrari 275 GTB as well as three examples of the Fiat 124 Spider – each in a different colour.

The sixties was a golden age for British sports cars and several will be among the contingent that sets off from Rome. Five models carrying the Jaguar marque are joined by an MG B Roadster, Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and a Morgan Plus Four. There is also an example of the Aston Martin DB5, the first of the British marque's cars to appear on-screen alongside James Bond. 

Vintage models from Porsche, DS Citroen, Mercedes, Iso Rivolta and Facel Vega will also join the rally. It's not just sports cars – an example of the 1954 Fiat 600 Multipla will take part – and nor is this an exclusively European affair. Indeed, U.S. engineering is represented by the Shelby Cobra 289, Corvette C1, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad, the latter a quintessential example of the big American station wagon. 

The event will begin on Friday with an exhibition of participating cars in Rome before the rally sets off at 10:30. Lunch will be taken at Castello Ruspoli in Vignanello, after which participants will embark upon the second stage, ending their day on the road at Borgo dei Conti Resort near Perugia. 

That evening they will don sixties attire and participate in a concours d'élégance, where a celebrity jury will assess the best cars, outfits, music, and accessories on display. Emmanuel de Brantes will chair the panel alongside Chiara Lungarotti, the CEO of Umbria’s historic Lungarotti Winery, and the actress Mādālina Guenea, who recently portrayed Sophia Loren in the Ridley Scott film House of Gucci.

On Saturday morning participants will set off from Hotel Borgo dei Conti at 09:00 for the first stage on the roads of Umbria, arriving at Tenuta Castelbueno for lunch and a private tour of the cellars. There will be two routes to choose from on the afternoon stage, both of which lead back to the hotel. From there it's onwards to Villa di Montefreddo for dinner and the concours d’élégance awards ceremony.

The return journey to Rome begins on Sunday morning, with the rally arriving in the Eternal City shortly after noon for lunch at Casina Valadier, followed by the general competition prizegiving and finally a 45-minute tour of the city. 

The event has been made possible by several important partners. Pirelli continues its association, which began with the inaugural Total Look Rallies, while Rebellion joins as official timekeeper. Further support for Dolce Vita 60 comes from Caffetone, G for Gems, Kneed, Lungarotti, Marc Ninguetto, Nhomade Paris, Nomad Jewels and Spark Models. As with Le Vendôme 80, a portion of the entry fee will be donated to the Alzheimer research foundation. What’s more, the carbon footprint of each car will be compensated to ensure carbon-neutral participation.

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group, the Total Look Rallies concept encompasses a series of events that celebrate the exceptional automobiles produced during the second half of the 20th century. Each dives headfirst into a chosen decade, embracing the era’s music, fashion and machinery in all their glory.

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