Aussie crew in 'priceless' Alfa for Mille Miglia

An Aussie duo with a shared interest in the Alfa Romeo marque are headed for Italy where they will run an extremely rare and valuable classic car in this year's Mille Miglia.

Paul Lawson, is the owner of the car, a 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C SS. His co-driver for the event is Graeme Sedgwick. Both men are committed Alfisti.

Lawson's father literally unearthed the car in 1979, buried under 10 tonnes of farm equipment. The car was little more than chassis and engine – and the supercharged powerplant had definitely seen better days, despite the odometer showing just than 8342km travelled.

The 6C SS was shipped to Australia, where it was painstakingly restored over a 10-year period. In its present state it's estimated to be worth $2 million.

Lawson, Sedgwick and the ancient Alfa will head off on the route from Brescia to Rome and back again from May 19. So far, this year's event has already attracted over 450 entrants

“This feels like we’re about to take the final step on a journey that my father began years ago, and I am honoured to be able to finish it for him,” said Lawson.

“Graeme and I met by chance as we are both keen Alfisti, and really bonded over our shared dream of competing in this incredible race. And so to finally be achieving that dream is just unbelievable.

“The car might be worth a couple of million dollars, but to us it’s priceless.”

Lawson and Sedgwick will be hoping for lightning to strike twice – albeit 87 years apart. The 1929 Mille Miglia was won by an Alfa 6C SS.

Named for the length of its route ('Thousand Miles'), the Mille Miglia was run 24 times between the years of 1924 and 1957. In 1977 the race was revived as a 'tribute event' for classic cars built prior to 1957. This modern incarnation is named 'Mille Miglia Storica' – acknowledging the legacy of the cars competing each year.