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This was effectively the first use of pace notes in the sport, and Moss and Jenkinson knew it would be the only way to beat the Italians in their Maseratis and Ferraris with their local knowledge. Afterwards Jenkinson wrote it all up in Motor Sport, and there are people who still call that the greatest piece of motoring journalism ever.

And the pair had Mercedes-Benz behind them, too, the mightiest, most thorough, most impeccable team in motor racing in that era.

Which is why we're back on the Mille Miglia course five decades later. Mercedes-Benz and McLaren cars are to build 150 of an even faster version of the mighty SLR called 722. Given that they're mining this seam of history, it seemed the least we could do was to photograph it in that context.

But I have questions. Firstly, is the SLR, in many ways one of the more sybaritic of the modern hypercar generation, really a car that deserves to wear those epic and historic numerals?

Secondly, given a modern SLR and the same roads, can we gain any kind of inkling of Moss's heroism? The 722 edition being a prototype I can't drive it and must take instead a 'regular' SLR, if £317,610 and 626bhp can fit anybody's definition of 'regular'. So it comes to pass that two trucks converge across the Alps on a night-time Italian car park. And both of them have SLRs inside.

The 722 edition has been designed to work better at really big track speeds; the aero gives more downforce, and the lowered, stiffened chassis set-up cuts roll for even more ultimate grip. You can see the wind-tunnel work as a giant, jutting front splitter.

The rear spoiler is recalibrated, to poke higher into the airstream when activated into a 'high downforce' position. As with the standard car, it also flips up almost vertically when you brake hard, so the rear tyres can take more of the braking load. The 722's special 19-inch wheels are crammed with an even bigger pair of front discs.

Its 5.5-litre AMG supercharged V8's output is up from 626 horsepower to 650. Small in percentage terms, admittedly, but given the weight has been cut 44kg to 1724kg (still a lot), the 0-62 time has gone down from 3.8 to 3.6 seconds.

Top speed is 211mph. This is a shatteringly fast car in every way. The weight cut comes because a few of the remaining non-carbon pieces in the body have been replaced in that material, and the damper bodies, oil tank and wheels are lighter too.

The SLR's structure is almost entirely of carbon fibre yet you don't see much of the material, except for the seat shells and if you poke about under the boot carpet. The dashboard garnish is aluminium and unforgivable plastic fake aluminium.

Now the 722 edition gets carbon dash trim and suede for the seat and steering wheel, stitched in red thread. The only functional difference is the addition of a lap-timing computer.

Grievous though it is to be leaving the 722 behind with the photo crew, for the job in hand the standard car won't be at a great disadvantage. I wouldn't fancy the 722's front splitter's chances on some of the rough roads coming up, and I suspect the slightly softer suspension of the regular car - hey, it's hardly soggy - will allow the tyres to work better given we're not on a smooth racetrack.

Aerodynamics tuned for 200mph aren't vital on single carriageways either. At least not for me. Moss in '55 could doubtless have made good use of them.

Fruitless to do his whole thousand miles today. The northern part through Ferrara and Padua is hopelessly busy, strip development having crept along most of those old highways. So it's by turns impossible or colossally irresponsible to try to match Moss's velocities on open roads.

The coastal bit from Ravenna is likewise too built-up, and the section from Pescara inland is more empty but so full of blind bends your speed is limited by what might be coming the other way - especially as you've got to stick to one side of the road not use both like Moss could.