The 16th Grand Prix Retro was held on the 28th and 29th July in Le Puy Notre Dame, a normally quiet village 15 miles south west of Saumur or about 350 miles south west of Calais.
Here are some of Mike Guess’ memories of the weekend:
“The entry for this year’s event included 48 tricyclecars (of which more than half were MTWC members).
The weekend started on the Friday evening with a local bar opening up especially for the MTWC and attracting over 50 members and supporters for an hour or so of chatting and supping.
Saturday morning saw us heading out for “elevenses” at the massive Gratien et Meyer winery overlooking Saumur followed by a 115 kilometre run out to Azay le Rideau and back for lunch in a restaurant underground in the caves. The cool was a welcome relief from the increasing sunshine. Back to LPND and another meal prior to the night time ‘demonstration’ circuits of the village. This latter was repeated in the daylight on Sunday subject to the usual, very French, 2 hour break for lunch, again provided.
Special memories? Pete Thompson driving there and back in his 1928 Aero Anzani. Gordon Naisby doing likewise in a 1939 SuperSports. What’s special about that? Well Gordon joined the Club in 1947 – you work it out.”
Thanks as usual to Dennis Rushton for the photos he took. To view the photo gallery, click on any of the photos to bring up a larger version. You can scroll forwards and backwards using the [,] and [.] keys. Press [ESC] or click on the image to Exit.
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- Gordon Naisby, the Club’s longest serving member, driving through Le Puy Notre Dame on his way to the start of the Saturday tour.
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- Lunch at Gratien et Meyer winery overlooking Saumur. Someone doesn’t understand the French way of parallel parking (Dennis?)
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- Getting ready for the trip back to Le Puy
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- Trevor Seymour and Gary Caroline fettle their cars.
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- Two French residents, Graham Sagerson and Didier Coste demonstrate night driving, French style.
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- Cliff Dearden leads a Darmont.
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- Grahame Joseph, complete with personalised number plate, heads Mike Pilgrim
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- Richard Dismore’s Morgan is sporting headlamp covers fashioned from South African flags (or hats?)
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- Neil Kerr cornering hard
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- Mike Guess, in determined mood, heads a Darmont round the hairpin
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- Pete Clews’ car in road trim… well, with headlamps.
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- Pete Thompson’s lovely Aero in front of Mike Pilgrim. Pete drove his 1928 car all the way there and back
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- A dastardly Darmont squeezes Gordon Naisby and pushes him wide at the hairpin
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- Gordon Naisby with visor raised, better to see those pesky Darmonts
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- Andrew Messent
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- John Minns
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- Chris Harfield hurtles away from the pack, leaving the dastardly V-twins struggling in his wake (or so he says).
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- Pete Jones flies the flag.
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- Mike Pilgrim
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- Trevor Seymour’s latest, and lovely car
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- Didier Coste\’s club badge is slightly askew.
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- George Dobson ahead of Andrew Messent
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- Barbara Caroline threatens to throttle Nick Taylor if he doesn’t stop talking about Gordon three wheelers.
