Tour Auto
1998
250
GT Berlinetta LWB nicknamed "Tour de
France"
Now
re-named as "Tour Auto"
The
Time Schedule
Start
and first race
The Route
Gallery - Tour de
France Auto '97
Since
the early 1990's, France has one major event for
historic motor racing: the Tour de France Auto.
Patrick Peter, one of the men behind
the well-known BPR sports car racing series, has
since then been the organizer of this revival of
the famous, identically named road race across
France that took place for the last time in the
1980's. The Tour de France had always been an
important event for Ferrari, especially in the
late 1950's and 1960's when Ferrari's famous GT
cars were driven to glory in the Tour - the 250
GT Berlinetta LWB was even nicknamed "Tour
de France" after the event. The last Ferrari
ever to compete in the original Tour in the
1980's was a 308 GTB prepared by Giuliano
Michelotto of Padova. To be eligible for the
event, a car of the identical type or even the
very car in question should have participated
once in the original Tour de France.
 
However, in our days the Tour de
France is a major event for all enthusiasts of
historic cars, compared very often to Italy's
famous Mille Miglia Storica. Now re-named as
"Tour Auto", Patrick Peter's event
again is to attract many enthusiast drivers this
year in the time between April 14 and April 18,
1998.
The event will start on Tuesday,
April 14 when the scrutineering will take place
in the Jardin du Trocadéro ("Trocadero
Garden") in Paris, right at the bottom of
this famous stairway which is found close to the
Eiffel Tower. All cars entered in the event will
be there to pass a technical inspection by the
officials, hence this is one of the best
occasions for the spectators to get "in
touch" with the machinery.
  
Next day, Wednesday, the 15th of
April, will see the depart of the cars from the
Fontaines du Trocadéro ("Trocadero
Fountains"), starting at 9.00 h. The pack
will then work through the dense Paris traffic in
the fastest possible way to reach the Circuit of
Montlhéry in the outskirts of the French capital
at about 9.30 h.
  
In
the following three days, the route of the Tour
Auto '98 will lead the particpants to La
Rochelle, a city well-known for its harbour at
the Atlantic Ocean. On their way, the drivers
will have to prove their driving skills at three
other race tracks: Dijon-Prénois, Charade and
Mas du Clos (near Aubusson in the Central
Massive); the latter is famous among Ferraristi
for its owner, the long-time Ferrari-collector
Pierre Bardinon, whose fabulous collection is on
display next to the circuit.
 
Information
regarding this automotive spectacle can be
obtained from:
- Peter Auto
- 103, rue Lamarck
- F-75018 Paris
- Tel.: +33 / (0)1 / 42 59 73
40
- Fax: +33 / (0)1 / 42 59 48
28
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