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Mille Miglia Wheels |
Nearly 75 years ago a legendary road race,
the Mille Miglia (mee-lay meel-yah) was run for the first time in
Brescia, Italy. Italian for one thous& miles, the Mille Miglia covered
a 1,009-mile loop through the middle of Italy’s "boot" with average
speeds of just 48 mph. By 1957 speeds reached almost 98 mph & Stirling
Moss drove the winning Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to victory. Deemed too
dangerous for Italy’s open roads, the Mille Miglia was discontinued
after its 1957 running. Today, though, the race lives on in a more
reserved fashion. Collector’s cars run much the same route & follow
the same historical Red Arrow that marked the first road course in an
annual event that brings millions of spectators to Italy’s roadsides.
The process begins in Mille Miglia’s design studios where engineers
utilizing the latest CAD/CAM techniques create styles that are not only
complementary to modern automobile design but maintain structural
integrity & optimum weight. They remain involved in the development of
prototype wheels for testing as well as the development of production
molds. During development, complete x-ray & full, tri-dimension
computerized inspections are performed to analyze fatigue levels,
bending strength, impact resistance & more. Test results are also used
to ensure reliability once the wheel is at the production stage. Once
approved for production, Mille Miglia wheels begin their path through
the factory where highly automated die casting techniques are employed.
First, pure "primary" aluminum enhanced by Mille Miglia’s metallurgists
with various ingredients specifically created for automotive use are
poured into wheel molds by robotic arms to ensure consistency. The
castings are then machine finished with computerized lathes capable of
the highest degrees of dimensional accuracy. Wheels are then degreased,
cleaned & rinsed in the surface treatment tunnel preparing them for
painting & final finishing utilizing sophisticated preparation &
painting techniques. Final testing further ensures wheel strength &
dimensional accuracy. Used as Original Equipment on many vehicles &
sold throughout the world, The Tire Rack offers a wide selection of
Mille Miglia wheels for the ideal combination of innovative design &
first class quality. |
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