The 2024 Rétromobile Show, scheduled from 31 January to 4 February in Paris, promises to be an exceptional event for enthusiasts of historic cars, with a leading role reserved for the centenary of the English car manufacturer.

The poster of the event pays homage to the centenary of the British brand MG, with an exhibition of original vehicles never exhibited in France, including the MG Old Number One from 1925 and the EX 135 from 1938, together with the protagonist, the aforementioned EX 181 of 1957.

Mercedes-Benz Classic and the Gem of Motoring: the 300 SL “Hobel”

The heart of the Mercedes-Benz Classic division’s activities will be the iconic 300 SL. Among the collectibles on display, the rare 300 SL “Hobel” racing prototype stands out, a true jewel in the history of motorsport.

The 300 SL “Hobel”: An Unfinished Masterpiece

The “Hobel” is a testament to advanced German engineering. Conceived in 1953, building on the success of the 300 SL of 1952, this unique car was equipped with a 215 HP engine with direct petrol injection. However, its history is marked by “what might have been”, as Mercedes turned towards Formula 1 in 1954, leaving the 300 SL “Hobel” without ever competing.

At Rétromobile 2024, Mercedes-Benz Classic will offer three examples of the W 198 generation Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for sale. Two of these cars have been restored to the high standards of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre, while the third offers a fascinating project of restoration with its completely original technology.

The German brand demonstrates excellence in services for classic vehicles, aiming to preserve originality through restorations that keep the original substance intact as much as possible.

Dakar Rally: the success story

The Dakar Rally is a legendary race that began in 1978 under the leadership of Thierry Sabine. Every year several thousand competitors compete over thousands of kilometres. In 2024, Rétromobile pays homage to this monument of motor sport with a unique exhibition focusing on the vehicles and drivers who have left their mark on the history of the competition. But that’s not all, because some adventurers who took part in the Dakar Rally will be present at Rétromobile to tell their adventures and anecdotes of all kinds. Among them: Jacky Ickx, Claude Marreau, Thierry de Montcorgé, Cyril Neveu and André Dessoude!

Renault: 125 Years of History on Display

Renault will be a protagonist of the 48th edition of Rétromobile, celebrating its 125 years of automotive history. On display, five highly successful racing models, including the 1956 Renault Etoile Filante powered by a 270 HP turbine.

To celebrate the iconic Renault 5, ahead of the debut of the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric at the Geneva International Motor Show, Renault will present three resin models of the profile of the Renault 5 Prototype, revealing the official colors of the production model.

The 2024 Salon Rétromobile promises to be an unmissable event for historic car enthusiasts, with Mercedes-Benz and Renault leading the celebration of automotive history.

The schedule for the next edition of Auto e Moto d’Epoca 2024 was presented yesterday in Bologna in the presence of sector operators

Third victory for the young crew, who outperformed their competitors by a wide margin; the podium is completed by two other Fiat 508 C from 1938 with Barcella/Ghidotti in second place and Salvinelli/Costa in third.

The young team from Franciacorta Motori, on the same Fiat 508 C from 1937 with which they won in 2021 and 2022, maintained their lead in the race after the first stage on Thursday and triumphed in the night at Madonna di Campiglio, where they crossed the finish line at Piazza Righi with a considerable lead over their immediate pursuers, both on Fiat 508 C from 1938: Guido Barcella and Ombretta Ghidotti, last year’s winners, who, after a difficult first stage, climbed from seventh to second place, and Fabio Salvinelli and Andrea Costa, who finished in third place after being in second place for a long time.

The organizers are satisfied with the overall progress of the race, which ended without any issues or accidents with the help of service personnel along the entire route and characterized by extreme cold, reaching as low as -15°C on the Sella and Gardena passes, as always along with the Pordoi pass among the most appreciated and photographed points.

In first place among entirely foreign crews are the Englishmen Edoardo Ottochian and George Drayson on an Austin Mini Cooper S Mk I from 1960, while among the Teams, success went to Franciacorta Motori, followed, in order, by Brescia Corse and Emmebi 70. The top spot in the under 30 crew ranking belongs to the Barcella-Rossoni crew, sixth overall on a Porsche 356 C Coupe from 1963, while the first female crew is formed by Laura Bandera and Chiara Guindani on a Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1.3 S from 1971. The first crew in the special Media Test ranking is composed of the Sardinian crew Virdis-Giordo on a Porsche 356 Coupe from 1954.

Text and Photos: Winter Marathon Website

My Monte Carlo adventure began just a few days before the start of the Gran Premio Nuvolari 2019. My phone rang, and on the screen appeared the name of the vice president of my former racing team. I answered, expecting a conversation about the upcoming Gran Premio Nuvolari; however, he asked if I would like to navigate for Alexia Giugni in the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique 2020. Of course, I immediately said yes, unable to believe my luck. With Gaetana Angino (my driver for the classic regularity races in 2019), we had secured the national victory in the Italian Championship with a few races to spare. We were about to compete in the Gran Premio Nuvolari, and now this opportunity came along, one I never thought would materialize, and with one of my favorite cars: the 1971 blue Renault Alpine A110. I hit the jackpot!!!

I tried to stay rational; the Gran Premio Nuvolari was around the corner, and I didn’t want to miss the goal of winning the female category with Gaetana, who truly deserved it. So, maximum concentration was needed, and the goal was achieved: we raised the cup to the sky!!!

It was time to focus on the rally I had heard so much about but knew so little about since it was a specialty unfamiliar to me: THE AVERAGE SPEED. And so, I began studying the instrument that would support me in this specialty. Alexia and I decided to participate in a race to experience firsthand how such a race unfolded. One week before the Big Race scheduled for November 8, 2019, we started the reconnaissance with a modern car. I was desperate; I felt terrible during the reconnaissance, which lasted only one day, knowing full well that for Monte Carlo, it would last at least 4 days. I didn’t know what to do, and I confessed my discomfort to Alexia only much later, and especially after finding a solution that allowed me to read and write without feeling like my stomach was an enemy to be slain (I didn’t want to miss this opportunity for any reason in the world, and besides, it’s sacrilege to know that a navigator suffers from motion sickness, what a shame it would be after all the kind words Marco Gandino had said about me?).

The solution came, and the reconnaissance went very well; I didn’t even feel a hint of discomfort.

And now, the fun began: creating, elaborating, and adjusting the Road book with all the information because what the ACM (Automobile Club de Monaco) calls a road book is nothing more than a list of roads and kilometers that are difficult to read during the race.

The days were marked by everyday life, with the fixed thought of having to watch the videos that Maurizio Aiolfi had shot during his reconnaissance, translating the numbers taken during our reconnaissance, and all this data went into increasing the road book. I spent entire weeks working until 2 in the morning, terrified of not being able to finish in time to print everything. Instead, on the Monday before the start, I managed to take the files to the copy shop and have them printed… we were leaving on Friday!

Thursday, January 30th, was the fateful day; I left the office and began my journey to Milan, where on Friday, January 31st, at 18:40, I would begin this splendid adventure!

And so, we set off, passing through Piazza Duomo, where the starting ramp was set up—a unique emotion, with crowds eagerly awaiting the passage of the cars, which, like a caravan spaced one minute apart, were preparing to face this marathon called Rallye Monte Carlo Historique.

The first checkpoint awaits us in Sestriere; our arrival is ahead of schedule, and the camper provided by the team replenishes us with food and coffee, allowing us to relax for a moment and even catch a wink of sleep. The marshals arrive, and after a quick check-in, we’re off again. Another checkpoint in Chambery, and we head towards Bourgoin Jallieu, where the first time control awaits us.

Now it’s February 1st, it’s 8:53 after 14 hours and 13 minutes of almost continuous driving, and we’re heading towards Buis les Baronie, another time control marked for 13:33. Here, we have 30 minutes available for the installation of the instrument that will be both a help (the official time displayed) and a nightmare (continuous monitoring of adherence to the route and speed limits 24/7).

We set off again at 14:03 to face the first two special stages… I expected to be exhausted, tired, and nervous at this point, but it’s not the case—I’m calm and fresh, ready to tackle the first two special stages of 43 km and then 15 km.

The last two time controls, and at 19:28, we arrive at the end of the first day in Valence, after 25 hours of driving and 1,050 km covered, ranking 38th overall. We’re thrilled!!!

Day 2 – February 2nd, we restart at 10:20 am—four special stages totaling 154.675 km for a total of 382 km covered, and after 10 hours and 30 minutes, we return to Valance at 8:50 pm, with the bitterness of the first two stages going terribly without understanding the reason. We slide to 100th place. Alexia is furious; she refuses to lose in this way and doesn’t even want to take a bite to eat. She returns to the hotel to devise a strategy for the following day to try to claw back some positions.

Day 3 – February 3rd, we restart at 10:06 am—four special stages totaling 86.207 km for a total of 479 km covered, and after 11 hours and 20 minutes, we return to Valance at 9:26 pm, now determined to simply enjoy ourselves on the special stages. Despite this mindset, we still manage to claw back 20 positions and climb to 80th place. But it’s not over; adrenaline is always lurking, reshuffling the deck. There’s no time to relax. Upon arriving at the hotel, we discover that the ACM has modified the route due to a landslide, also altering the start of a stage, throwing off all the references we had taken during the reconnaissance… there’s a new road book to study that has been provided to us… PANIC! But Alexia is experienced; she’s now in her 10th edition and armed with a laptop and Google Maps, we study the entire new route, and off we go, ready for whatever comes our way.

Day 4 – February 4th, we restart at 8:59 am—we leave Valance and head towards the final stage, finally reaching the Principality of Monaco, Monte Carlo. But first, we face another 3 special stages totaling 56.500 km for a total of 442 km, and after 9 hours and 15 minutes, we arrive at the time control in La Turbie, at the gates of the City of Monte Carlo. But there are still the last 10 km and 35 minutes to cover… we encounter a traffic light that seems purposely designed to test my nerves and my heart. Minutes pass, the time control approaches, and we remain stuck in line, waiting… I want to scream at Alexia to overtake them all in line, skip the traffic light, and fly towards the time control, but I say nothing. I remember that we have the Tripy in the car, the infernal device that monitors our every move; the specter of being assigned 10,000 penalties doesn’t sit well with me. Besides, we’re on the doorstep of the principality, which has more cameras than inhabitants, and the gendarmerie is omnipresent. So, I remain still and mentally count the minutes and seconds that will determine the penalty for our lateness. In all the years I’ve been racing, I’ve never missed a time control. Is it possible that I’m about to experience the biggest setback for a navigator at the Rallye Monte Carlo??? PERISH THE THOUGHT!!! Alexia reads my mind, and finally, we pass the cursed traffic light. I navigate her, we overtake two competitors in the roundabout on two wheels, we race through a tunnel, brushing past a bus, and the little Alpine comes out on top. Right turn, and off we go, racing towards the orange-coated marshals. Our minute has already started, and with the horn blaring, we leap onto the arrival platform, and I eject myself out of the cockpit, catapulting myself onto the commissioners’ table 10 seconds before our scheduled time… WE DID IT!!! We made the time control on time, but the adrenaline and tension make my hands and legs tremble… but there’s no time for distractions. It’s 6:49 pm; we’re 71st overall, and we only have 3 hours to grab a bite to eat, take a shower, and review the videos to tackle the last two special stages, which seem to be the most fun but also the most challenging, including the Col de Turini.

At 10:43 pm, we restart, the last 150 km and the last two special stages of 70 km. Col de Braus and Col de Turini, a unique thrill, an infinity of hairpin turns. I discard the references taken during reconnaissance to call the curves and hairpin turns as I see them: right turn, left turn, double right, triple left, straight… we climb the switchbacks where, despite the late hour, many people are camped out with bonfires, cheering us on at every turn, and the strategically positioned car lights provide the best visibility of the turns. The emotion is indescribable, and Alexia’s driving is that of a true rally driver, sweeping through the curves.

The end has come; we finish the last special stage. I would like to go back and do it again… but it’s not possible. It’s the dead of night, and we have the last time control at 4:08 am… We arrive at the end of this adventure, the platform at the port of Monte Carlo welcomes us for the last time, and the crowd applauds as each competitor arrives. Our teammates, mechanical support, and moral support await us with a bottle to celebrate… my heart and head are filled with emotions unlike any other, indescribable, wonderful. They cannot be explained, only lived, and I have experienced them to the fullest with a highly respectable driver and a team of special people behind us who have taken care of every detail.

We conclude our adventure in 37th place overall, second among Italian crews, second among female crews, and the first crew from our team.

Total distance covered: 2,500 km

Special stage distance: 430 km

Total driving time: 61 hours and 55 minutes

Cristina Biagi x Promotor Classic Magazine

120 teams will be starting one of the winter classics.

The countdown has begun for the start of the 36th edition of the Winter Marathon 2024, the traditional and longest-running winter regularity rally scheduled from Thursday, January 18th in Madonna di Campiglio.

An unmissable adventure spanning over 520 kilometers through the most beautiful roads of Trentino Alto Adige and the most fascinating Dolomite passes, where teams will face 65 timed trials and 9 average speed trials for a total of 16 hours of driving across 15 mountain passes.

The 2024 edition boasts the participation of 18 automotive brands from 10 different countries, featuring 15 pre-war cars and 13 Top drivers ready to battle for victory.

For the Scuderia Promotor Classic, two teams will take part in the race: Gianmario Fontanella with the No. 8 on the reliable Lancia Aprilia, and Giovanni Pighi aboard a Morris Mini Cooper S MK II with No. 20.

Photo Credits: Winter Marathon

Nicolò Mazzini x Promotor Classic Magazine