PARIS — Louis Vuitton is ready to hit the open road again.
The world’s biggest luxury brand will stage a 600-kilometer classic car run in Italy in September to coincide with the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, reviving a tradition that had been dormant since 2012.
Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, said one of the first events he took part in after joining the brand in 2006 as marketing and communications director was the Boheme Run between Budapest, Vienna and Prague.
Since 1993, Vuitton has showcased “the art of travel” with automobile excursions to destinations including the Malaysian jungle, the rice terraces of the Yunnan region in China, and the vineyards of Tuscany.
Ever since returning in 2023 to take the helm of the brand, following stints as CEO of Fendi and Christian Dior Couture, Beccari has dreamed of staging another classic car rally. Parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s 10-year sponsorship deal with Formula 1 provided the perfect foil.
“It’s very important to reiterate our link with the automobile world, which dates back to the birth of automobiles, because in fact Louis Vuitton trunks were the tool boxes and the spare tire boxes of the modern car at the time — so actually there is a link which is absolutely meaningful,” he told WWD.
“I thought that this was a good year to really insist on this message,” Beccari added.
The house is inviting the owners of 25 classic cars to take part in the Louis Vuitton Dolomites Classic Run. It will depart on Sept. 1 from Villa Pisani near Venice, and arrive on Sept. 4 in Monza, where the cars will parade on the Autodromo circuit during the opening of the Grand Prix.
Louis Vuitton will stage the 600-km Louis Vuitton Dolomites Classic Run from Sept. 1 to 4.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
They will spend two days crossing the Dolomites, taking in scenic vistas of alpine passes and lakes. The region, which returned to the global spotlight during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, means a lot to Beccari.
“I have a house in the Dolomites, and I love to go there whenever I can. It’s my place of heart,” he said, noting that a 2024 Vuitton campaign featuring Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was shot near the Aman Rosa Alpina hotel in San Cassiano, where the race participants will stop over.
“So there are many memories that tie me, not only personal, but also now workwise. It’s going to be fantastic and the Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not everybody knows them,” Beccari noted. “It’s going to be also the occasion to reinforce the visibility and awareness of this mythical place.”
Vuitton is collaborating with leading Italian heritage sites to add a cultural element to the proceedings.
The race will be the first event held at Villa Pisani in Stra, along the Riviera del Brenta, following the completion of its renovation works. Beccari has personally called on Massimo Osanna, the head of national museums at Italy’s culture ministry, to ensure the location is ready on time.
“Venice is very dear to our house,” he said, noting that Vuitton opened a shoe factory in Fiesso d’Artico, a stone’s throw from the villa, in 2008. “Fiesso d’Artico is a jewel of the Italian industry of shoemaking, and a symbol of our savoir-faire, and Villa Pisani is a great patrimony of the Venetian heritage.”
Guests and journalists will have an opportunity to visit both sites, as well as Milan’s Castello Sforzesco, where the prize-giving ceremony will be held, and the Villa Reale in Monza, where the cars will be on public display on Sept. 5 and 6.
Participants will have to stick to an average speed of below 50 kilometers an hour, on roads open to regular traffic, and will be submitted to time controls, passage checks, average speed trials and regularity trials.
The emblem for the Louis Vuitton Dolomites Classic Run.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The trophy, designed by Dutch artist and designer Sabine Marcelis, will be produced by Murano glassmaker Venini and will be presented in a Louis Vuitton trunk — epitomizing its “Victory travels in Louis Vuitton” slogan.
Beccari said Bugatti, Maserati and Ferrari will be among the featured car models, all of them manufactured up to 1970. While the race will be free to join this time around, going forward, collectors will be asked to contribute a participation fee, he said.
Vuitton, which is active in disciplines ranging from soccer to sailing, has been racking up high-profile sports deals, cementing its positioning as a “cultural” brand as consumers switch their focus from status-conferring luxury goods to once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Its link with the automobile world dates back to 1897, with the launch of Georges Vuitton’s pioneering Malle Auto car trunk made of durable Vuittonite canvas. Vuitton subsequently took part in competitions like the 1908 New York to Paris Race, and cemented its association with the sport by partnering with the Automobile Club de Monaco in 2021.
“I see a natural link of sharing codes and also a set of values with our clients,” said Beccari, noting that classic cars attract a passionate audience. “It’s like a club of initiates, but there is a following which is far beyond the people that can afford the cars.”
While he admires classic cars from afar, Beccari may honor Monza’s passionate Ferrari fan base by riding in one of its cars. “I will go on the safe side,” he quipped.
