Here is a reconstruction of the record-breaking Voisin which, in 1927, ran for 28 hours at an average speed of 113 mph.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Inaugurated exactly one hundred years ago, in October 1924, the Linas-Montlhéry autodrome was recently the scene of the Centenary Festival. Built in just six months, it was immediately the scene of numerous attempts at speed and endurance records of all kinds.
The Citroën “Rosalie des records,” from 1933. In March 1933, it set off on the Montlhéry Autodrome to stop 134 days later with 300,000 kilometers on the clock, covered at an average speed of 93 km/h.
The Peugeot 301 “Delphine” which, in 1935, after having covered 100,000 kilometers on the road at a rate of 1,400 km per day, broke nine international records at Montlhéry.
After the war, the fashion for records faded but the Citroën 2CV transformed by the engineer Barbot, of which this is a replica, broke nine international records in the 350cc category in 1953 including 24 hours at an average speed of 85 km/h.
The addition in 1925 of a road section increasing its length to 12.5 kilometers made it possible to organize the Grand Prix of the A.C.F. (Automobile Club de France) there several times until the Second World War.
Born at the same time as the circuit, here is the only Antony with a 1500cc engine, built by the engineer of the same name. The engineer Antony worked for several manufacturers and developed the engine for the plane of the aviator Louis Blériot with which he crossed the Channel.
Several Bugattis were present in the pre-war field, including this 1926 Type 35.
Bugatti and Bentley face off again, just like a hundred years ago. Ettore Bugatti described his British rivals as the fastest trucks in the world.
The Chenard & Walcker firm is famous for having won the first edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923 with André Lagache and René Léonard, at the wheel of a 15 CV with a displacement of 3 liters. This one, a 4-cylinder 2 liter, is mentioned as having participated in the 1924 Boulogne GP, equipped with the engine which finished 4th in the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 similar to those that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1925 and 1926.
A 1932 Citroën C4, a regular participant in Le Mans Classic.
A 1937 Talbot-Lago T150C in one of the chicanes intersecting the speedway.
Another Talbot-Lago, listed as a T120C, speeding past the Bentley.
In the immediate pre-war period, the Delahaye 135 was the great rival of the Talbot-Lagos seen above.
After the war, competitions gradually resumed from 1947 with the main races being the 1000 Kilometers of Paris and the Coupes du Salon, organized in parallel with the Paris Motor Show.
Competitors of the “Fifties” grid, including a Porsche 356 Pre-A in the spirit of Le Mans 1951, wait to take to the track in front of the old pits.
Although it was originally a popular car, the Renault 4 CV also saw competition during the heyday of Montlhéry.
The Simca 8 Sport and the 9 Sport bear the iconic Pinin Farina design.
A handcrafted Simca barquette dating from 1948-1949. It would have taken part in the 1949 Bol d’Or and the 1950 12 Hours of Paris.
The 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ Coda Tronca taking the checkered flag.
It was with this car, a Lotus Seven 1500cc, that Henri Pescarolo won his first victory here at Montlhéry 60 years ago, in May 1964, as part of the operation to detect young talent set up by Ford.
Speaking of Ford, here is the GT40 chassis 1017 that Jochen Rindt drove (with Innes Ireland) at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, a year after his victory with Ferrari. The engine broke after 8 laps of the race.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia and Ford Escort were rivals in touring car racing in the 1970s.
i was entered with my ’55 t-bird, which i’d driven troublefree into a friend’s garage 5 years ago after our participation in the ’19 chantilly concours. inspection discovered front suspension weaknesses; the car is stil awaiting…something. the trip was paid for so i went, hopefully. not to be. the .01% of the .01% problems. and now, since we’ve lost the importation papers into the e.u. for the car, i can’t take it out of france!