Hundreds flock to city rendezvous
The latest running of the Traversee de
Paris attracted more entries than ever on 6 January, topping 700
vehicles for the first time. Organized by the Vincennes en Anciennes car club,
it featured everything from veteran Renaults to vintage motorbikes and classic
cars.
Drivers gathered at the Chateau de
Vincennes at around 7am to sign on, before setting off for the center of Paris.
This year’s 35km route map was a proper printed affair and a step up from
previous Traversees, when a photocopy with a line drawn in felt-tip pen told
participants where to go!
Hubert
Andre's fabulous 1936 Cord 810
Locals and tourists alike stood with
cameras poised as the procession of vehicles made its way across town via the
Place Vendome, up to Montmartre - where those who could find a space stopped
for a coffee - before heading back down to Les Invalides and the Place de la
Concorde. British cars proved to be as popular as ever with the French entrants
and there was no shortage of locally registered MGs, Healeys, Jaguars and
Bentleys, but the popularity of the Traversee has caught on in the UK and for
2013a record number of cars crossed the Channel to take part.
The gendarmes turn a blind eye to
the motoring mayhem but the future of this uniquely French event may be in
doubt if the Mayor of Paris goes ahead with his threat to ban all cars of more
than 17-years old from the city, a proposal that could come into effect in
2014. Each driver was given a protest sticker to put in their window.
From
Ferrari to Farina 404s, the line-up for the is event was nothing if not
eclectic
Classic to celebrate 911
Three major anniversaries - the Porsche
911, Aston Martin and Lamborghini - will be the focus of the Silverstone
Classic from 26-28 July. A special parade of the Stuttgart legend will pack
the Grand Prix circuit, while historic Astons will star on and off the track.
The program will include 24 races with the
potential for 58-car grids. Highlights include the dramatic dusk race for Group
C prototypes on Saturday, and the return of the pre-’99 SuperTouring Car
Trophy. Entry is only possible with advance tickets and there’s an ‘early bird’
discount of up to 16% for bookings before 31 March. See www.silverstoneclassic.com/tickets
Caption competition
The wittiest suggestion to go with our
archive photo will win a superb 1:32-scale Revell slot-car of our choosing
Believe it or not, this was the birth of
the UK's never-reliable automated fog warning signs thanks to Lancashire Dynamo
Electronic Products, but we are sure you can put a more amusing spin on it!
Send entries to Caption Competition (March) at the P6 address by 7 March or e-mail
[email protected] and put March in the title line. Please include
your full address.
January competition
We were expecting some 'pontoon fender’
suggestions for our floating Riley picture, but you let us down. That said, we
did like K Davies’: 'Gives a whole new meaning to fully floating axles; and
Mike Hadley’s: 'Edward was unsure about the water-board job, but the company
car swung the deal.’ Runner-up was David Bullen for: 'West Country folk refuse
to be beaten by the floods,’ while Alastair Sharp wins with: 'This is not what
I was expecting when I signed up for the learn-to-drift course.’
Celebration hits the spot in Perth
After a nine-year hiatus, the Celebration
of the Motorcar returned to Perth with a mouthwatering array of machinery
around the beautiful, beachside grounds of the Cottesloe Civic Center on 16
December. The organizers of the charity fundraiser, where 120 vehicles were
exhibited by invitation only, stuck to upmarket brands much to the delight of
visitors, many of whom said that it should have been revived sooner.
Eventer
thought to be unique Down Under
Various cars were shown for the first time
Down Under, such as a ’67 AC Cobra 427 that had recently arrived from the USA,
a Ferrari Daytona, a Swiss-delivered Ferrari 250GTE, a ’30sAlvis Speed 20 dhc
and a stunning Facel Vega HK500 fresh from a 10-year restoration.
One of the star draws was a Tatra trio -
Tatraplan, 603 and 613, the biggest gathering of the make in Australia. Other
rarities included what’s believed to be the Southern Hemisphere’s only Jag XJ-S
Lynx Eventer, while the Iso Grifo and Porsche 356B notchback were the sole
examples in Western Australia.
Tatra
trio set a record for Australia. Mint Imperial, first owned by Emir of Kuwait
A glamorous ’63 Imperial Crown Convertible
that was first owned by the Emir of Kuwait stood out in a fine selection of
Stateside classics. Alongside was a superb Chrysler- group sibling - a 300F
hard-top.
Italian exotica featured, too, with a Fly
Yellow De Tomaso Vallelunga Competizione and what’s reckoned to be the world’s
only right-hand-drive ’82 Lamborghini Jalpa.
A unique ’37 Rolls-Royce Phantom III with
French-style sedanca coachwork received lots of attention, as did the oldest
Lotus Elite in Australia, a sublime Jaguar SS100 31/2-litre and a
1961 Cadillac Biarritz Convertible first owned by TV star Carol Burnett.
Notching up the ton in Chelsea
Aston launched its centenary celebrations
on 15 January with a ceremony in Henniker Mews, Chelsea, the original home of
the firm that went on to become Aston Martin. It took place 100 years to the
day since founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford saw their new automotive
venture incorporated as Bamford and Martin Ltd. Current CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez and
chair David Richards were joined by Roger Carey, chairman of the AM Heritage
Trust, to unveil a plaque marking the spot where the workshops were first
located. They were flanked by the new Vanquish and the oldest-surviving Aston,
the 1921 A3. "It's fitting that we have the newest and oldest Aston
Martins in existence here at Henniker Mews, where this remarkable story
began 100 years ago,” said Carey.
Carey
and Richards unveil plaque at the birthplace of Bamford & Martin
The event kicked off a year of worldwide
festivities, with their climax at the Centenary Week of factory tours, driving
runs and shows from 15-21 July. On the final day - as part of a huge Centenary
Gathering in central London - the AMOC and AMHT will join forces to put on a
100-strong timeline display. For updates, see www.astonmartin.com/100
