With the second edition of the record-breaking Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA) at the celebrated Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, near Paris, now an enjoyable but distant memory, exciting plans are already in place for the third running of this increasingly important historic event, with dates for the 2017 LGHA now confirmed as 23 and 24 September.
Ahead of next September’s LGHA, the many international visitors to February’s Retromobile, held at the Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris from 8 to 12 February, will get a taster to what to look forward to at the 2017 LGHA, with a special LGHA retrospective feature display, putting Group B cars in the spotlight on the exhibition bridge, linking Retromobile Halls 1 and 2.2.
In addition, LGHA is now also able to confirm a key strategic partnership with UTAC CERAM, the owners of the world famous Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, near Paris, assuring this event’s future at this unique and historic venue for years to come. Both LGHA and UTAC CERAM share a strong passion for the banked Montlhéry circuit, commonly considered to be the French temple of automotive history and motor sport.
The 2016 running of LGHA attracted over twice as many visitors as the inaugural 2015 event, with the enthusiastic spectators and classic car club members in attendance treated to the stirring sights and sounds of a broad variety of both pre- and post-war historic competition cars and motorcycles in action, many running into the night on the Saturday. This popular format will be repeated for the 2017 event.
Highlights of the many exciting competition vehicles in action at the 2016 LGHA included the imposing 1927 Voisin 24 Hour speed record breaker, run for the first time on the Montlhéry banking since setting a number of speed and endurance records at the circuit 89 years earlier. This 1927 machine was joined by four other important Voisins at the event.
LGHA partner Peugeot also gathered an impressive collection of the French marque’s competition cars, including the spectacular and loud short-tail CD Peugeot LM66 aerodynamic endurance racer, as well as examples of rarely-seen rally and track racing 203, 403, 204 and 205 models. The 205s included an impressive gaggle of T16 Group B rally cars, running into the night with headlamps ablaze and flames spitting from the exhaust pipes.
The fearsome Peugeot 205 T16s were joined in action by other now-legendary Group B rally cars, including Audi Quattros, Lancia Delta S4s and Rallye 037s, as well as other contemporary rallying BMWs, Citroëns, Ferraris, Fords, Mazdas, Opels and Renault 5 Turbos.
A busy bunch of historic Formula France single seaters created quite a buzz at the 2016 LGHA, as did the throng of classic racing motorcycles, ex-Le Mans endurance racers and pre-war voiturettes and Grand Prix cars. Two ex-Montlhéry record breaking Citroens, the famous 1931 C6 F ‘Petite Rosalie’ and 1953 Pierre Borbot 2CV barquette, were also unusual but fitting participants to the event. Conversely a pair of brand new cars made their dynamic world debuts at the LGHA event, the svelte hand-built Effeffe Berlinetta coupe from Italy, plus the all-new second-generation Peugeot 3008.
Away from the action on the steeply-banked circuit, a large number of classic car clubs, plus a sizeable exhibition area, added to the many attractions at the 2016 LGHA, with a wide variety of interesting and rare classic cars and bikes of display, parked within the circuit banking, meaning that all of the track action could still be seen whilst admiring the vehicles on static display. LGHA aims to attract more international car clubs and participants to the event for 2017, as Montlhéry has ample space to accommodate them, with the Autodrome being conveniently located close to Paris, with easy access from the UK and most of Continental Europe.
