The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts
Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand’s 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.
By Jonathan Sharp
From the VeloceToday Archives, 2012
The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.
Steven Gentry lights up the rear tires of his Bugatti T35B.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
“In point 2 of a mile turn left”, said my Sat Nav. I had arrived at the Prescott Hill Climb, deep in the heart of the Cotswolds. A quick glance in my rear view mirror; oh where did they come from? An Alfa 6C and a Type 35 Bugatti are following me in. I have been following a Lamborghini Espada for a mile or so; it looks like it is going to be a good day and at last the sun is shining. Or maybe like Camelot, the sun always shines on this shrine to Bugattis.
Piccard-Pictet-Aero of Geoff Smith.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Well it’s Sunday night and another weekend gone without the grass being cut, or the cars washed, as I just got back from the Bugatti Owners Club Vie en Bleu event at Prescott after a day at Goodwood to enjoy a Benjafields Racing Club meet. All for the glory of VeloceToday, of course!
From my front door it’s about 3 hours to Prescott. The first 2 plus hours are spent on the most boring of motorways but the last hour is spent driving through beautiful Cotswold countryside. It’s all honey-colored stone cottages and rolling green farm land. If it was not for the speed cameras and the modern car you could still believe it was 1930. The 1930s feeling continues when you arrive at Prescott. It’s not just the cars in the racing paddock, it’s the sound of a steam train whistle blowing in the distance. There will be a hush in the paddock when all the cars haven fallen silent when in the distance you will hear the distinct sound of a steam whistle and above the trees will appear the white smoke of an old Great Western Railway steam locomotive as it pulls out from the station at the bottom of the hill, filling several carriages loaded with happy steam train buffs, all ready to chuff their way through the rolling countryside. There was a time in England where every school boy grew up wanting to be steam engine drivers.
As is usual with Vie en Bleu event the paddocks and hillsides around the course contained many an interesting French cars and what is nice is that a lot of them I had not seen before. Unfortunately it poured with rain mid-morning but that did not stop play as you will see from the enclosed photographs. And this year, we managed our way into the Bugatti Trust Museum. All in all another great day.
Map of the Prescott hillclimb.
Brescia Bugattis in formation.
The 1928 Amilcar CGS Riley of Terry McGrath climbs towards the esses.
Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on photos to enlarge!
It is a shame that my Sat Nav does not use public houses as navigation points because being instructed to “turn left at the Bugatti Inn” sounds so much nicer than just “in 500 meters turn left.” My journey to Prescott was to cover the Bugatti Owne’rs Club’s La Vie en Bleu Festival which celebrates all things French. Last year the event welcomed the International Bugatti Rally. This year it was the turn of the International Amilcar Rally to enjoy the Bugatti Club’s hospitality. A very impressive line-up of cars enjoyed the shade of the trees in the paddock. The weather over the weekend was typical of an English spring, tipping it down on Saturday, warm dry and sunny on Sunday. The paddocks on Sunday did however resemble the aftermath of the Glastonbury Music Festival – mud everywhere. The event always attracts a good turn- out not just the entrants in the hill climb but also from the members of the various French car clubs who had been invited to attend. The runs on the hill were as usual very spirited with very few incidents to mar what was a very enjoyable event.
This is an Amilcar Tandem, of which perhaps two were built in 1923 to race in the Cyclecar Grand Prix.
Marius Mestivier at the helm of a 1100cc Amilcar Tandem. Courtesy 'Amilcar' by Fournier.
The driver had the gearshift between his legs and the mechanic the driver.
It is good to see that old fashioned camaraderie is still very much the watchword of a Prescott event as is evident here. Car 36 is the 1928 Bugatti T35B of Steve Curtis, car 37 Derek Howard Orchard's 1931 T51
Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand's 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.
By Jonathan Sharp
The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.
Cheltenham is near Gloucester, Prescott Hill 5 miles northwest.
Let’s put this place on the map: Prescott Hill Climb, based five miles northwest of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire consist of 60 partly wooded acres, with a beautiful private drive of about 1127 yards (.64 mile) in length.
Overhead shot of Prescott, wouldn't it be lovely. and it is.
The course rises over 200 feet with a combination of short straights, fast and slow corners and a breathtaking hairpin. Today’s supermachines get up the hill in about 36 seconds. The old ones take a lot longer but are more fun to watch. Each year Prescott hosts a variety of annual events ranging from the “Le Vie en Bleu,” a celebration of French cars, to the Autumn Classic, open to American automobiles.
Track Diagram corresponds well with the overhead photo.