On Sunday 26 June 2016, more than 180 classic .cars will follow the traces of the 1906 circuit de la Sarthe at a major event organised by the ACO and the CSGP06 (the local commission responsible for the heritage of the 1906 Grand Prix).

Prelude – 25 June

On Saturday 25 June, fifteen of the most illustrious models taking part in the commemoration, dating back from before 1915, will set off on a private tour with their owners for a series of showroom visits, a trip to the Bollée wind turbine and the ACO facilities at the Circuit.

 

26 June, 09:00 to 18:00

On Sunday 26 June, more than 180 cars and motorbikes will take to the roads of la Sarthe in groups of 20 to 30.

Group 1: vehicles from before 1915 will set off from the ACO circuit enclosure at 9am.

Group 2: vehicles from 1922-1945 will set off twenty minutes later.

Group 3 and 4: staggered departures.

Participants will drive the length of the 1906 circuit, leaving from the Bugatti circuit via Auvours, Bouloire (stopover), Saint-Calais, Vibraye (lunch), Cherré (stopover), Connerré, les Sittelles at Montfort (stopover) then back to the ACO’s premises.

Around twenty vehicles will set off from Bouloire and fifty or so from Vibraye where they will join their respective groups, representing more than 40 different vehicle marques overall.

 

A tour covering more than 103 km

The original circuit was proposed by the ACS (automobile club de la Sarthe, which would later become the ACO) in 1906 and selected by the ACF. It covered just over 103 km and included a number of long straights. Wooden boards were laid over sections in Saint Calais and Vibraye so that the cars could drive through the wetlands. This time, however, there will be diversions around these areas and other parts of the former itinerary no longer open to traffic.

 

When they arrive back in Le Mans at around 6pm, the cars – dating from 1897 to 1986 – will be able to complete three laps of the Bugatti circuit.

The different stages of the tour have been kept to a maximum of 30 km for the benefit of the older vehicles. Spectators will be able to admire the vehicles at the stopovers or watch them as they drive through their villages.

 

The vehicles taking part on 26 June:

- 15 to 20 cars produced before 1915

- around 30 manufactured between 1922 and 1944

- a dozen or so motorbikes from 1929 to 1961

- and more than 100 cars from 1949 to the 1980s.

Along the way, participants will get a glimpse of the special commemorative signs recently installed by the local communities and authorities.

 

Go to www.my-aco.com to learn more about the anniversary tour!