Tour Auto 2020 - Competition - VHC

 

Winner of the Tour Auto this year was this 1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8L crewed by 
Raphaël FAVARO/Lucien-Charles NICOLET.

The most prestigious competition within the Tour Auto is to be scratch winner of the VHC category.  This category is cars from 1951 to 1965 and of course the car marques and models must be ones that competed in the original Tour de France Automobiles.  In recent years winners have driven cars such as AC Cobras, Ford GT40s, and Jaguar E-Types.  For the last two years (2018 and 2019) the winners has been Raphaël Favaro in a Lotus Elan with Yves Badan as his co-driver.  This year he changed his co-driver and car but still won, this time in the Jaguar E-type seen above.  

This year, three time GP winner, Thierry Boutsen took part in the Tour Auto for the first time and actually finished in the top ten of the VHC competition.  He is shown below with many other of the top twenty runners below.

Second were Jean Pierre LAJOURNADE/Christophe BOUCHET,
also in a 1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8L.  They were winners back in 2015 and 2016.

This 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 crewed by Damien KOHLER/Sylvie LABOISNE was third.

Sébastien BERCHON/Sebastien BORDIER came fourth in this 1956 Austin Healey 100/4.

Fifth was this 1964 Jaguar E Type 3.8L crewed by Christophe DELACHAUX/Josselin PETER.

Bertrand PENLAE/Anne PENLAE were sixth in this 1965 Porsche 911 2.0L.

Another 1965 Porsche 911 2.0L came seventh crewed by 
Satanas of Monparnasse/Diabolo de Charbo

Jean-Marc RIVET-FUSIL/Claude LE JEAN were eighth in this 1963 Jaguar E Type 3.8L.

The fifth Jaguar E Type 3,8L in the top ten and in ninth place was this 1963 example
crewed by Serge COZZOLINO/Pascale LEGAY COZZOLINO.

Ex-F1 star Thierry BOUTSEN came tenth navigated by Hervé ORDIONI
in this 1965 Porsche 911 2.0L.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

In twelfth were Claude DEMOLE/Sébastien DEMOLE in this 1965 Shelby Cobra 289.

Jacques-Yves LE MAREC/Gautier ROSSIGNOL came twentieth in this 1963 Triumph TR4.

2018 Tour Auto - Index of Performance - Etape 1

This Austin Healey 100/4 was in the top twelve based on Index of Perfomance after day one.

Each year on the Tour Auto there is an Index of Performance to allow the older and lower powered cars a chance of a win.  This is achieved by multiplying all the race and stage times via a coefficient.  Thus it turns into a battle between the British saloons and sports cars and the Alfa Romeos and older Porsches. Below are the top dozen of cars classified as they were in the Index of Performance after the first day.  The pictures are from the ES1 Special Stage Sinotte near Auxerre, Dijon-Prenois Circuit and Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Leading the Index of performance after day one was this Porsche, seen here on the ES1 special stage.

1st - 160 - Porsche 356 Pre A - Jean-Francois Penillard / Chloe Penillard

The leading Porsche on ES1 going through a fast corner.

2nd - 181 - Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint - Luis Delso / Carlos De Miguel

An Alfa at a sharp uphill right hander on ES1.

3rd - 157 - Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Special - Pierre Macchi / Isabelle Martrou

Unusual Alfa Romeo.

Alfa Romeo getting the red carpet treatment at the Optic 2000 in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

4th - 152 - Jaguar Mk1 3.8L - Pierre Le Glohaec-Henanff / Guillaume Le Metayer

Jaguar MkI on the special stage.

5th - 171 - MG A - Olivier Mazoyer / Rachid El Bakkouri

MG A braking for a sharp right hander.

MG A at Dijon.

6th - 154 - Triumph TR4 - Stanislas Gurdjian / Gonzague Ruchaud

Triumph TR4 at speed.

Triumph TR4 leading a group at Dijon.

7th - 162 - Porsche 356 Pre A - Gilles Couraudon / Marielle Couraudon

Porsche in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

8th - 221 - Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA - Daniela Ellerbrock / Jackie Rohwer

Alfa Romeo and spectators on the special stage.

9th - 211 - Lotus Elan 26R - Raphael Favaro / Yves Badan

Lotus elan making a good time on ES1

10th - 223 - Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA - Ivan Vercoutere / Charles Rupp

Alfa Romeo in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

11th - 166 - Austin Healey 100/4 - Sébastien Berchon / Julien Chadenet

The Austin Healey at speed on the special stage.

12th - 153 - Jaguar MkII 3.8L - Simon Nobili / Emmanuel Drai

Lovely Jaguar MkII

For the top VHC Competition cars, click here.

For the top 1966 to 1971 Competition cars, click here.

For the top Seventies Competition cars, click here.

For the Regularity cars, click here.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

The Triumph TR4 heading off into the distance on the first special stage.

2015 Tour Auto - On the road again

Following my previous two posts, we also covered the leg 1 road section of the 2015 Tour Auto Optic 2000 between Égleny and Le Veurdre.   It is good to see these old classic sports cars on the road as in the fifties and sixtties they often raced on public roads in France, Italy and elsewhere.   Particularly nice to see the cars in many different locations and plenty of opportunities to take photos of both the competition and regularity cars.  Here are some top pictures from the day.

Égleny

Beautiful Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta in the shade under the trees by the church in Égleny 

These cars were waiting to take part in the special stage have travelled from the Chateau de Courances.

Mercedes 300SL showing off its famous gull wing doors

1954 Osca 1500 arriving in Égleny....

...closely followed by a 1955 Ferrari Mondial complete with original paintwork and patina

Toucy

1979 Alpine Renault A310 V6 passes the Hotel du Lion d'Or in Toucy.....

...as does a younger 1972 A110 1800 driven by American Robert Kaufmann

The Tour Auto was for Touring Cars as well as Sports Cars.   Here is a 1974 Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000

An unusual French sports car from 1973 - a Jidé 1600

Cours-les-Barres

A 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL drives through Cours-les-Barres

Then we moved on again because we needed some lunch.

Le Guétin

1958 Alfa Romeo Guilietta Sprint Veloce crosses the Canal Latéral à la Loire

Stunning 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO passes by the Auberge du Canal where we had a quick lunch

1957 Maserati 200 SI reflects the strong sunlight in Le Guétin

Another red car!   A 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ.

On the D976

1977 Lancia Stratos passes the rape seed fields

Jean-Claude Pichon's 1966 Porsche 906

A convoy of Alpine Renault A110s

1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL

1956 Lotus XI 1500

1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia Super

Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier

Gilles Couraudon in his1960 Lotus Elite

1953 Porsche 356

1965 Ford Lotus Cortina drives through Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier

Marcigny

1962 Triumph TR4

1961 Lotus Elite

1967 Renault R8 Gordini passing through Marcigny

Livry

1961 Alfa Romeo Guilietta Sprint Veloce in Livry

1952 Ferrari 225S passing some other classic cars parked at the café in Livry

We see the Bussolinis again in their fast Porsche 904 GTS

1965 Lotus Elan catches the sunlight during its Tour Auto escapade

Gareth captures Ludovic Caron's Cobra

1964 AC Cobra 289 passing an old Peugeot in Livry

Le Veurdre

1965 Porsche 911 crossing the River Loire near Le Veurdre

It was really nice to see a rare road going Ligier JS2 following the Tour Auto in Le Veurdre

All in all a great day spent with Gareth and Peter following the Tour Auto between Égleny and Le Veurdre.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.