"Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
04/18/2016 at 16:25 • Filed to: None
8
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"Clemsie McKenzie" (thestirringcolumn)
04/18/2016 at 16:25 • Filed to: None | 8
| 27 |
The French equivalent to the famous Mille Miglia, the Tour Auto was a gruelling endurance race that disappeared in 1989. Now, like the Italian race, it has been transformed into a regularity rally going through France in incredibly cool classic cars, from a Citroen DS racecar to the rarest of Ferraris. Today was inspection day, and all the teams were gearing up below the glass roof of the magnificent Grand Palais, bathed in sunlight and enthusiasts’ melting brains. I spent a couple of hours there and came back with a phone full of automotive porn, so hold down to your classy hats, ladies and gentlemen, because we are going for one hell of a ride.
Many Cobras are attending the rally, along some other US cars that we’ll get to later :
Dozens of Alfas will start the race. If I ever come across a large amount of money, I’m getting a TZ and I’m racing it all across Europe.
Bolted arches! Yay!
Before we get to the inevitable (but awesome) flock of Porsche, have these :
‘MURICA
OK, so SOME Porsches. You can’t go wrong with any of these it seems, be it 956, 911, or even some rarer 904s.
I just love how the Porsche logo is unrestored on that one
Much lights, such awesome, wow
Now for a little entracte , have a couple of wider shots of the whole thing. I really think the Grand Palais is my favorite thing in Paris. I wish I had a better camera, though.
More Porsches!
I bet Puffalump is jealous right now!
These things are so tiny.
Have a beautiful lightweight E-Type for your time:
Ferrari brought some delicacies of their own :
I didn’t know that thing even existed! It’s like an old and very expensive V12 Miata! Awesome.
Love how used that chequered stripe is.
Ferrari even made a special 488, painted like the original 308 Group 4 race car! So much want.
BMW were celebrating their 100th anniversary and were a sponsor of the event:
That concept car doesn’t look half bad!
But you can’t beat the original.
And now for some French things!
Alpines... Alpines everywhere...
Not that I’m complaining!
Racing DS and SM? Yep yep. This is just NSFW at this point...
Those wheels are all kinds of sexy.
A “couple” of Lancias:
Two Aston DB2 together, that’s a rare sight:
Some mean De Tomaso:
And now American readers, it’s time for your reward. Enjoy the vintage freedom!
It’s yooooge!
Probably the most comfortable car here!
I hope $kaycog made it all the way here!
That Camaro can’t be very loud, can it? EDIT: ‘Cuda! It’s cuda.
There were also some pre-freedom AC:
And to finish it all, some cars that weren’t really parked with their next of kin:
SEX
Ferrari 250 Tour de France, one of my favorite Ferrari ever. Also a Ligier JS2. And yes, most of this event will be run on open roads. Good luck with that!
Design perfection.
That’s it for today. Sadly I won’t be able to see these on the road this week as they set off early tomorrow, but the magnificent setting of the Grand Palais kinda made up for it.
BONUS ROUND
The parking spots in front of the Grand Palais!
$kaycog
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 13:51 |
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Indeed, I made it all the way there! What a beautiful assortment of vehicles!
Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 13:53 |
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I’ll take all of the Alpines and the Citroens and the Lancias. Thanks.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> $kaycog
04/18/2016 at 13:55 |
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Haha great! Yeah, they’re all awesome. There isn’t a single car here I wouldn’t love to take on a trip across France. Hopefully next year I can get to the roads and record some of that GT40 noise!
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$kaycog
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 13:56 |
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I hope you can do that next year! I look forward to it.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
04/18/2016 at 13:58 |
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I’m afraid I’ll have to snatch them up first, then!
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Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 13:58 |
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damn.
BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 14:00 |
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Wow, amazing, I can’t even tell which I like most! The photos look quite nice, for the fact that it are indoor phone photos.
JDIGGS
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 14:01 |
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Thank you sir or miss you are the best.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> JDIGGS
04/18/2016 at 14:03 |
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Thanks! And I'm a sir!
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Clemsie McKenzie
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/18/2016 at 14:10 |
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Thank you! I have to say, the fact that the roof is made of glass and that the weather was awesome helps with the pictures a lot! But yeah I was pretty happy with those, for smartphone pics.
And yeah, I’ve playing the “you-have-to-pick-only-one game” too, and I couldn’t decide. I’m not sure if that means that I lost or I won?
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BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 14:12 |
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Probably means you lost, but the consolation prize is all of the cars!
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Clemsie McKenzie
> BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
04/18/2016 at 14:17 |
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Aww yesss. ALL OF THE CARS! I hope I get to keep that place as a garage too, that’d just be the best.
Wheelerguy
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 14:23 |
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And once again my fantasty dreamland, where this race is run today the way it used to be, but the machines themselves have reached current levels of ultra-advanced cutting-edge tech, coupled with godly driver talent, comes alive once more.
It’s 10 min to 2:30 am here in Manila so I won’t bother searching now, but I remember commenting that the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Tour de France Auto were the 4-wheel equivalent of the Isle of Man TT.
When I wake up I’ll thank you.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> Wheelerguy
04/18/2016 at 14:27 |
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Basically, yes. To think that prototypes racecars, very fast and dangerous raced on old public roads is incredible. I wish there was a way to make it safe and have it come back again, but I’m afraid I don’t see that happening. But I’ll enjoy the classic versions nonetheless!
KnowsAboutCars
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 14:46 |
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I deem this post as very hnngh worthy.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> KnowsAboutCars
04/18/2016 at 14:48 |
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The number of times I just mumbled a variation around “hnngh” that afternoon is frankly scary.
kanadanmajava1
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 16:55 |
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Awesome pictures. That fast looking Camaro is actually a (Barra)cuda.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> kanadanmajava1
04/18/2016 at 16:58 |
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Is it? Sweet! Been working on my american (cars) since I began reading Jalopnik/Oppo, and I still have a lot to learn. Oppo and RCR help a lot actually!
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kanadanmajava1
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 17:16 |
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Those two can look quite similar especially in race trim.
That would be an awesome event to attend. I have visited Retromobile twice but haven’t found my way to any other nice event in France. I do recognize couple cars that were also displayed in Retromobile.
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Clemsie McKenzie
> kanadanmajava1
04/18/2016 at 17:33 |
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Yeah I’m sure some of these were. Great to see that they’re gonna be used!
If you’re into classic cars, you should really look into Le Mans Classic. It’s the best car event of the year in France, IMO.
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kanadanmajava1
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 18:23 |
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Le Mans Classic would be nice to attend some year. I never seem to be able to fix my summer schedule in time though.
Autofixation
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 19:27 |
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American here, and I won’t blame you for not knowing the cars from this country. As far as I’m concerned they’re not worth knowing.
Thank you so much for the pictures!
Blondude
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/18/2016 at 22:18 |
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OlyCuda
!
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torque
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/19/2016 at 08:30 |
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wow imagine seeing these roaming through the French countryside especially as a little kid. Think of how many tiny little Jalops will be created as they go by!
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Clemsie McKenzie
> torque
04/19/2016 at 12:11 |
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It’s funny you’d say that, because one of my first car memories was seeing the race arrive at Bordeaux, in the South of France. My dad, who is a car journalist, was co-driving a car with Jack Brabham and I got to see all the awesome cars arrive and sit on a triple world champion’s lap! I think I would have been a Jalop anyway, but yeah that’s something that would turn anyone into a car guy/girl, I’m sure.
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torque
> Clemsie McKenzie
04/19/2016 at 13:33 |
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wow, definitely a racing legend incredibly cool!
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Clemsie McKenzie
> torque
04/19/2016 at 13:51 |
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Yeah I was like 4 or 5, but I’ll never forget that.