Tour Auto 32nd Edition

Since the opening of the entries in last November, more than 200 entry requests for the 2023 Tour Auto have been received by the Peter Auto team.  The first list of entrants was revealed in December and contains the names of many regular historic racers, such as Michael Birch/Gareth Burnett (Ford GT40), as well as names like Thierry Boutsen and Henri Pescarolo, both driving Shelby Cobras.

Starting with scrutineering at the Grand Palais Ephémère, its’ home for the last two years while the Grand Palais undergoes refurbishment, the cavalcade will take a 2,000km route through the beautiful backroads of France to finish in Cannes on the French Riviera.  Beaune, Clermont-Ferrand and Valence are all stopover cities, with a fourth one yet to be revealed.  Drivers will compete on the circuits of Dijon-Prenois, Bresse, Charade and Paul Ricard along the way, and on 10 closed-road special stages, which are only revealed at the last minute.  The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte has been chosen as the official rally start. 

Exceptional cars, exceptional scenery: Along with race circuits and special stages, the Tour Auto also offers stunning French scenery and culture

Each year Peter Auto designates a model or feature to promote for preferential entries and treatment, and this year several models will be in the spotlight.  First, there will be a Zagato retrospective, with a special focus on Alfa Romeo, from the 1900 SSZ of the 1950s to the Giulia TZ of the mid-1960s, but not forgetting the Fiat 8V Zagato, the Fiat Abarth 700 and 750 Zagato, and the Lancia Flavia and Flaminia, which were bodied by the famous coachbuilder. 

There will also be a tribute to the “Good Old English cars” that left their mark on the Tour de France Automobile in the ‘50s, such as AC Ace and Aceca, Aston Martin DB2 and DB2/4, Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, Austin Healey, Jaguar XK120, 140, 150 and C-Type, Sunbeam Alpine and Triumph TR2 and TR3.  Dates are 16-34 April.