I’ve just come back from a fantastic motoring weekend in and around Angouleme, France. The annual Circuit des Remparts – http://www.circuit-des-remparts.com – is an event all motoring enthusiasts should try at least once.
There is a Concours d’Elegance on Friday evening, an international rally starting and finishing in Angouleme on the Saturday, and qualifying and racing of pre-1975 cars on the Sunday on the famous Angouleme street circuit – think Monaco but shorter and tighter with next to no run-off!
Have a look at their website to learn more. There are videos of the racing and various events from previous years, and it won’t be long until this year’s videos are on there too.
Highlights for me this year were the Renault Alpines just about wherever you looked – it is their 50th anniversary this year – and the Bugatti F1 cars from the 1930s racing wheel-to-wheel and making the loudest noise you can imagine – eight cylinders, straight through exhausts. Oh, and I saw a TVR Chimaera on the Saturday rally identical to the one I used to own between 2003 and 2006 – British Racing Green, tan leather interior and in perfect nick. That brought back some good memories and pangs of jealousy!
When you combine huge numbers of dream cars, great weather and a relaxed cafe culture, you have the perfect weekend for the motoring enthusiast!
I have been to the event four times now, so please contact me for advice about where to stay, which stands to sit in, what to see / prioritise over the weekend etc.