ALMOST 90 YEARS ON, THE 1927 24-HOUR SPEED RECORD VOISIN SET TO RETURN TO MONTLHERY FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE 2016 LES GRANDES HEURES AUTOMOBILES
The famous 1927 24-Hour Speed Record Voisin set to return to the historic banked Linas-Montlhéry motor circuit where it set 17 speed records for the first time in almost 90 years, at the 2016 Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA) historic motor sport eventThe 1927 Speed Record car one of a quartet of stunning Voisins racers due to appear in action at LGHA between 24-25 September 2016All four significant competition Voisins will be sent to LGHA to run at Linas-Montlhéry from the Peter Mullin Automotive Museum in California, USAThe second edition of LGHA to take place on 24-25 September 2016 at the historic banked Linas-Montlhéry motor circuit, just 20 miles (33 km) from the centre of Paris, with over 200 historic competition cars and motorcycles in action, including Group B rally cars running into the nightFour of the most unusual but successful competition cars of the 1920s will be in action on the famous banked Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry motor circuit near Paris at the end of September (24-25), as a quartet of Avions Voisin race cars attend the 2016 Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA).
Generously provided by Peter Mullin, from his celebrated Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, the four significant competition Avions Voisins are set to run on the steep banking at the celebrated Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry track, just 20 miles south of Paris, in late September.
Created by the gifted French aviation and automotive engineer – Gabriel Voisin – the four Voisin race cars at LGHA will include one of only two C1 Competition models, built in 1921, along with an example of the C3, which took the top three places in the 1922 Strasbourg Grand Prix, as well as the extraordinary 1923 C6 Laboratoire, plus the 1927 Speed Record Voisin, which broke 17 speed records at Montlhéry on 26 September 1927, almost 90 years ago.
This 210 bhp 1927 record Voisin will return to the Linas-Montlhéry Autodrome for the very first time in 89 years after its astonishing feats, where it will be in action again for a truly memorable and emotional moment, which no motor racing enthusiast can afford to miss.
The 24-hour record is one of the most coveted in the motor racing world, so when the huge 45 h.p. Renault annexed it at 108.53 mph at Montlhéry in July 1926; it was thought that this record speed would stand for some time. However, the Renault record was soon surpassed by the Voisin, driven in turn by Morel, Kiriloff and Marchand, to raise the speed record to 114.2 mph. In the course of this 24-hour run at Montlhéry, a number of other world's records were also taken, and after the two rounds of the clock, the Voisin was kept going for another three hours or so, in order to capture the records for 3,000 miles and 5,000 kilometres, with the average speed of the Voisin actually increasing right up to the 24th hour, which is a wonderful tribute to the endurance of both Gabriel Voisin’s car and its drivers.
The four Voisins will be joined at LGHA by around 200 or so other competition car and motorcycles, as well as a large quantity of car and bike club vehicles, which will all have the chance to drive on the steeply banked Linas-Montlhéry track as part of the event’s close on Sunday 25 September.
The first Les Grandes Heures Automobiles was held to huge acclaim at the historic Montlhéry track in 2015, attracting many happy visitors, plus famous racing drivers and riders.
For 2016, the LGHA will open at 9am, with on-track action from 10am until 10pm on Saturday 24 September, and 9am to 6pm the Sunday 25 September, allowing visitors plenty of time to take advantage of the many activities and attractions on and beside the motor racing track. Admission tickets can be purchased in advance from the LGHA website from just€16 upwards with special rates for classic car and motorcycle clubs http://www.lesgrandesheuresautomobiles.com/spectateurs/billet-en.html
The high speed Linas-Montlhéry track near Paris opened in October 1924. It was Inspired by Alexandre Lamblin and designed by Raymond Jamin. Its 51° angled bends set the stage for over 1,800 car, motorcycle and bike records. It also hosted the most prestigious races during the interwar period, including the Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France and the French Motorcycle Grand Prix.
In 1925, a road track measuring over 12 kilometres was added. This set the scene for races such as the famous Paris 1000 Kilometres, the Motorcycle Bol d’Or and the road cycling World Championship. The track set the scene for several prestigious records historically. It has now been reduced to 3.5 kilometres, and has not held any timed, competitive races since 2004. The LGHA team look forward to welcoming visitors from all over the world to relive some great times at the famous Linas-Montlhéry speed track.
For more information about the 2016 LGHA event, including tickets and video highlights of the 2015 LGHA, please visit: http://www.lesgrandesheuresautomobiles.com/index-en.html
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