Montlhery - 100th Anniversary of the Montlhery Autodrome
20 May 2024
A write up of Montlhery 2024 by Sara Billett.
Many members will have thoroughly enjoyed Duncan Pittaway's talk at the museum last year about his Beast of Turin. He mentioned 2024 is the 100th Anniversary of the Montlhery Autodrome and he was going to attend the celebrations at the Vintage Revival. As the museum was sending the Napier Railton and a bevvy of motorbikes we thought we would go too. This thought occurred to other members and a group of us turned up at a hotel near to the circuit the day before the event. Delightfully we were joined by Duncan and his Beast, Mark Walker and his 200 HP V8 Darracq plus a selection of vintage and classic cars.
Montlhery Autodrome is younger and shorter than Brooklands but with it's steeper banking faster speeds are achieved. The Vintage Revival takes place over two days and comprises demonstration runs of similarly grouped vehicles. Within the paddock are over 500 pre-war cars and motorbikes, their clubs and a small “autojumble”. Bugattis, Morgans and their derivatives abound but there are plenty of the rare and unusual besides. Of particular interest to Brooklands members were the Leyland Thomas No.1 Special recreation and Reid Railton's Arab.
This is a very friendly relaxed event. Owners are keen to impart information and we were told if you take along a crash helmet offers of rides are forthcoming. For added interest, temporary chicanes were installed on the finishing straight which the motorbikes took with particular gusto. Some owners take it easy while others venture as high up the banking as they dare. Especially impressive was the 1930 AM80 Hotchkiss although whether the Napier Railton being taken up quite so high was due to avoiding slower cars at the chicane or a rush of blood to the head is up for debate. At any rate it may well have helped it win the “Best Car of the Event” award.
While Saturday was very warm and sunny indeed, Sunday began overcast and the late afternoon brought terrific downpours with hail and lightning strikes surrounding the circuit. This made for tricky afternoon runs and an early exit for some.
For us, the event lived upto it's promise. Seeing and hearing such heroic vehicles on a banking similar to Brooklands gave a “flavour” of a bygone era. The fear is that the Autodrome's days are numbered but should the Vintage Revival take place again it would be well worth your time going along.
