International Maserati reunions, Le Mans Classic, Monaco Historic GP

I thought I would start a new thread, let's keep this one on its own topic.

Joe's question:

I look at things from the view of an event organizer, Goodwood has so many moving pieces aside from the the racing it’s more akin to a military operation than a car event. The two events I’d still like to do are Monaco Historic and then Le Mans Classic. Monaco is next year unfortunately they dropped Imola from the F1 calendar. (Like to do a couple of events when I travel to Europe). Where is the international Maserati event taking place next year?

My answer:

I know all about event organizing though at a smaller scale, the two anniversary events KHAMSIN QUARANTA (=fourty) and KHAMSIN CINQUANTA (=fifty) in 2012 and 2023 done by myself -with a hugely kind sponsor- took a looot out of me but were among the best three day weekends of my life. The great thing is that now Monaco Historics and Le Mans Classic are on alternate years: MHGP even years in mid May, LMC odd years in early July.

Your question made me google.

This year MIR (Maserati International Reunion of European Maserati clubs) is in Belgium in September near Spa circuit. Great hill roads and castles there.

Next year it seemed it would be in France on the cote d'Azur so I just called Jean Francois Blachette, President of the Club Maserati France for a nice chat.

He confirmed it will be in September 2026 based in Cannes.

You have to be member of a European Maserati club to partake but it is not a problem to arrange club menbership.

Registration will open this September right after the Belgian event.

It always fills up very quickly.

I went to the Swedish event in 2010, riding in a Ghibli Spyder all weekend and to the 2013 event in Switzerland. Both were superb with wonderful enthusiast form all over Europe and beyond.

 

A press conference took place at Le Mans yesterday prior to the 24 hours which start today at 4PM local time.

It was announced that Le Mans Classic will now evolve from being every two years to being every year.

It won't be the same program every year though.

One year will see cars from 1923 (when the 24 hours began) to 1975 and in alternate years there will be a different group of cars, those built from 1996 to 2015.
This is to respond to popular demand for series to race those cars.

For those wishing to see or enter their own historic Maserati racing cars it means the new event will feature MC12GT1's, Granturismo GT4's and in alternate years the traditional one will feature anything from A6GCS, 300S to Birdcages.

This is a hugely positive sign confirming the strength and popularity of vintage racing among participants and the public.

This year's edition, July 3 to 6, will be the traditional one.

Here is a 26 minute video of the last edition, July 2023, it shows the atmosphere, the people the racing; it is truly a unique major event with 700 racing cars, 8000 club cars from all over Europe and 235000 spectators around the 13,6km 8 mile circuit.

Imagine the Monterey Historics and Goodwood revival multiplied several times over in quantity and quality of cars; there is nothing else like it anywhere.

I have no connection to this event, other than covering it as a journalist, but it has become my absolute favorite!

Anyone wanting advice about how best to tackle this event, to get organized smartly, to avoid the traffic jams, just ask, I have been going since 2008.

 

I stayed at private rented homes last two times, one had a pool which was great. In The
1990's I stayed a few times at the chateau of Francois Migault, a former nart Ferrari team driver. Other times I camped! You see Porsches and Ferraris even in the campgrounds.

 

Theo Huschek.

So after thirty years it's time for you to do another . Most people speak English now. The world has changed a lot but still wonderful and very interesting people at these events.

 

Hahaha most amusing Joe, in case you didn't know the Cote d'Azur or French Riviera as some Englishmen call it is one of the most popular and heavily booked destinations in the world, it has all been planned years in advance and it will be a huge success like MIR is almost every year, whichever country it takes place in.

 

As per the rules of MIR -Maserati International Reunion- there is a rotation between the European national Maserati clubs and in 2026 it is France's turn. Thus it will be in France.
Also MIR is always in September, after the peak holiday season but before it gets cold.

 

A big surprise on the Le Mans Classic entry list for next weekend (Grid 4: 1962-65) is brought by two unknown Japanese driver/entrants, MM Suzuki and Koba: Tipo 151/4 1965!

https://www.lemansclassic.com/fr/competition/plateaux/engages/

This is of course not the real car destroyed in the April 1965 Le Mans test day but the recreation by Peter Kaus with new chassis and body but
correct type engine which was later bought by Brit Barrie Baxter who had a better body made. He entered it twice at the Goodwood Revival a dozen years ago.

Even though it is not real it will be fantastic to see that legendary shape and hear that incredible engine in the Sarthe again! I always go to the Indianapolis and Arnage corners at night because that section of the circuit, in the forest, is the most unchanged from the old days; can't wait to see it there: a real time warp!

Here some Goodwood photos.

I remember calling in April 2019 the UK dealer/race prepper who had the car for sale since Baxter had financial problems. It was at Hall & Hall. The answer to my question about price was three million, I don't recall what currency that was in but it was absolute nonsense for a replica and Hall answered don't shoot the messenger.

It had been offered by an English broker involved mostly with Group C historic racing recently and the price must have been a lot lower after five years of it being for sale.

The ad text with some mistakes (a text heavily copied from one of my Tipo 151 articles such as the Maurice Trintignant quote which I got from him in the 1990's, though the errors are not mine) is still online here, scroll down on that page.

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/maserati/tipo/1965/946905




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Just because of the nonsense I was not a member of any club for decades. When I was a teen I was a member of the French Lambo club. In 1984 I was 20 and arrived at the evening club assembly in a Paris top hotel with Countach spyder drawings naively eager to show them...Instead of a friendly gathering I arrived in the middle of a nasty shouting match. The club was splitting between the new Countach Monaco helicopter types and those who restored their Urraco engine on their kitchen table in the suburbs. I turned around crushed my credit card like membership card and walked out.

Yes too many, but thankfully not all, club Presidents have big egos. My pet peeve is that you have nice chats during the cocktail before a dinner but then at the table you can get stuck with ultra boring people, I don't need that.

 

Le Mans Classic list of entries per grid (plateau): a few Masers:

https://www.lemansclassic.com/fr/competition/plateaux/engages/

I am heading there Friday to Sunday.

 

Hi from LMC, the Tipo 151 copy is alas not here. Spoke with other Japanese competitors, they told me the car was withdrawn.

Here a couple of the Tridents.
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Correction; the Tipo 151 replica was here but after a few laps during its first practice session yesterday there was a small fire and it was retired for the weekend alas.

Here is a photo from it's laps before that, courtesy of the Mans Classic, as it roars onto the Mulsanne straight, one of the most awesome and iconic shapes ever to race, reproduced really well.




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Hilarious moment just now during the mock Le Mans start at four pm.

We noticed a driver seemed to be missing in the line up across the cars...then when the flag was waved a guy suddenly ran diagonally to that car; he had mixed up two similar cars!

An amateur racer...in every way!

 

Gt40's running away at the front in this first race of grid 4.

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