Dates confirmed for LGHA 2017

Dates have been confirmed for the third edition of the record-breaking Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA) historic motor racing event in 2017.

Hosted at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, near Paris, the LGHA is regarded as the French equivalent of the Goodwood Revival and will run from 23 to 24 September.

Ahead of next year’s event, the many international visitors to February’s Retromobile, held at the Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris from 8 to 12 February, will get a taster to what to look forward to at the 2017 LGHA. This is thanks to a special retrospective feature display, which will place Group B cars in the spotlight on the exhibition bridge between Halls 1 and 2.2.

In addition, LGHA is now able to confirm a key strategic partnership with UTAC CERAM, the owners of the world famous Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, assuring this event’s future at this unique venue for years to come. Both LGHA and UTAC CERAM share a strong passion for the banked Montlhéry circuit, commonly considered to be the French temple of automotive history and motor sport.

The 2016 running of LGHA attracted more than twice as many visitors as the inaugural 2015 event, with spectators and classic car club members in attendance treated to the sights and sounds of a broad variety of both pre- and post-war historic competition cars and motorcycles in action.

One of the many highlights of the 2016 event included the imposing 1927 Voisin 24 Hour speed record breaker, which run for the first time on the Montlhéry banking since setting a number of speed and endurance records at the circuit 89 years earlier. This 1927 machine was joined by four other important Voisins at the event.

LGHA partner Peugeot also gathered an impressive collection of the French marque’s competition cars, including the spectacular and loud short-tail CD Peugeot LM66 aerodynamic endurance racer, as well as examples of rarely-seen rally and track racing 203, 403, 204 and 205 models. The 205s included an impressive gaggle of T16 Group B rally cars, running into the night with headlamps ablaze and flames spitting from the exhaust pipes.

The fearsome Peugeot 205 T16s were joined in action by other now-legendary Group B rally cars, including Audi Quattros, Lancia Delta S4s and Rallye 037s, as well as other contemporary rallying BMWs, Citroëns, Fords and Renault 5 Turbos.

A bunch of historic Formula France single seaters created quite a buzz at the 2016 LGHA, as did the throng of classic racing motorcycles, ex-Le Mans endurance racers and pre-war voiturettes and Grand Prix cars. Two ex-Montlhéry record-breaking Citroëns, the famous 1931 C6 F ‘Petite Rosalie’ and a 1953 Pierre Borbot 2CV barquette, were also unusual but fitting participants to the event.

Away from the action on the steeply-banked circuit LGHA welcomed a large number of classic car clubs to the 2016 event, and aims to attract more international car clubs and participants in 2017.