WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOS: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, VINTAGE REVIVAL MONTLHÉRY
Nestled in the south of the Île-de-France region is the UTAC Linas-Montlhéry – an iconic racetrack where many pioneering speed records were set during the early 20th century.
Established on October 4, 1924, the Linas-Montlhéry circuit, along with its banked speed ring, is poised to celebrate its centennial in 2024, marking a century since the venue first opened its gates. The track was the brainchild of French inventor Alexandre Lamblin, and it saw the best cars and drivers in the world do battle.
Montlhéry hosted its last major race meeting in 1995, and it received its final racing certification in 2001 before falling out of favour with competition organisers due to safety concerns. Despite this, the circuit remains a popular venue for manufacturer test programmes as well as for classic car events.
One such classic car happening is the bi-annual Vintage Revival Montlhéry, which will be held on the weekend of May 11-12, 2024 to mark the track’s 100th anniversary. Here, some 300 pre-1940 automobiles and motorcycles will take part in 15-minute demonstration runs around the banked autodrome. Tickets are available here.
Adding to the celebrations is France’s largest classic car show, Rétromobile, which has announced that it will host a 500sq m exhibition dedicated to Montlhéry in partnership with the UTAC and the Vintage Revival Montlhéry organisers.
Rétromobile has officially announced its intent to feature a collection of 20 vehicles intricately linked to the circuit’s rich history during the upcoming exhibition. The showcased cars will span a wide spectrum, encompassing rare pre-war classics such as the 1925 Bugatti Type 36/35A Grand Prix machine to modern icons such asd the McLaren F1 GTR and Ferrari F40 GTE.
Rétromobile is scheduled to take place from January 31 to February 4, 2024. For tickets, click here.
