ACE CAFE RADIO

    jeudi 6 mars 2014

    Lost Lotus 'Breadvan' to meet famous Ferrari at 72nd Goodwood Members' Meeting


    The Lotus Eleven 'Breadvan' was fitted with unique aerodynamic coachwork
    This year's Goodwood Members' Meeting will play host to a never-seen-before 'Battle of the Breadvans', held between the famous rebodied Ferrari 250GT and the lesser-known, independently built Lotus which it inspired...
    Of course, the Ferrari – famously built on a 250GT SWB chassis – has long been a regular at Goodwood. Sporting bodywork that represented the pinnacle of aerodynamic knowledge at the time, the Breadvan remains unmistakable among its peers, thanks to the visual effect created by its arrow-straight roofline and kamm tail.
    The tale of the Lotus is a less familiar one. Inspired by the competition success of the Ferrari, British racing driver Graham Capel chose to apply its aerodynamic principles to his Lotus Eleven. Having achieved many class wins, plus a second-in-class finish at Goodwood in 1964 during its final outing, it was then stripped of its unusual bodywork and refitted with standard panels.

    The bread and butter of Goodwood

    Now, its owner has instructed Twyman Racing to return the car to its ‘Breadvan’ profile, finished in its original Plumstead Racing livery, in time for a second coming at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in March. The lightweight understudy will meet its mighty inspiration in the Moss Trophy, and while it might have eight fewer cylinders than the Ferrari, it should remain competitive. “I’d expect the Ferrari to be at the front with the Lotus not too far off the pace,” says Neil Twyman, “although if it rains that could all change, depending on who’s driving.” The prospect sounds like an enticing filling for a rapidly delivered sandwich.
    Photos: Goodwood / David M Ross
    Hundreds of classic Ferraris and Lotuses can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
    For further information on the 72nd Goodwood Members' Meeting taking place on 29-30 March 2014, visit goodwood.co.uk.

    Meeke’s return to Mexico / Meeke de retour au Mexique


    Rally Mexico rookie Kris Meeke has already competed in this country. In November 2012, the he took part in the Baja 1000, in the Baja California peninsula, on a Honda CRF 450.
    Oui, le pilote Citroën Kris Meeke connaît bien le Mexique, et plus particulièrement la péninsule mexicaine de Basse-Californie. En novembre 2012, le Britannique avait participé à la Baja 1000 au guidon d’une Honda CRF 450.
    Meeke contested the Baja 1000, North America’s biggest cross-country event, in 2012. The route’s 1,800km course takes competitors through the Mexican desert from Ensenada to La Paz at the peninsula’s southern top and is swallowed up practically non-stop.
    “I started enduro at the age of 10 but I never really competed. The Baja 1000 is an event I always wanted to do, though, and it’s one of the toughest anywhere in the world,” he says.
    When Prodrive left the Briton without a WRC drive, he decided it was time to live the dream: “I trained hard and, to accustom myself to such long distances, I took part in the Dawn-to-Dusk race in Wales. My aim was to complete the Baja in under 35 hours, because it can be very hard physically, especially during the second night.”
    Not many WRC drivers have attempted the legendary event. The exceptions are Sweden’s Erik Carlsson (third in 1969 and fifth in 1970 in a Saab 96 V4) and Armin Schwarz whose BMW X6 has become a regular feature of the SCORE championship. Meanwhile, the Baja 1000’s car class has drawn such household names as actors Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Patrick Dempsey.

     Meeke va découvrir le Rallye du Mexique, certes, mais il a déjà parcouru plus de 1800 kilomètres en course dans ce pays. C’était à la Baja 1000, la plus grande épreuve Tout-Terrain d’Amérique du Nord, en novembre 2012. Plus de 1000 miles à parcourir d’une traite, en solo, dans le désert mexicain, entre Ensenada et La Paz à l’extrémité sud.
    « Je pratique l’Enduro depuis l’âge de 10 ans, mais je n’avais jamais vraiment fait de compétition. J’ai toujours voulu participer à cette course qui, pour moi, est l’une des plus dures au monde. »
    Laissé sans volant officiel en WRC par Prodrive, Kris Meeke s’était alors lancé ce défi un peu fou. « Je m’étais beaucoup entraîné bien sûr et pour m’habituer aux longues distances, j’avais participé à la course Dawn-to-Dusk, au Pays de Galles. Mon objectif était de terminer la Baja en moins de 35 heures car ça devient très difficile physiquement à la tombée de la seconde nuit »
    Peu de pilotes du WRC ont disputé cette mythique course américaine, hormis le Suédois Erik Carlsson (3e en 1969 et 5e en 1970 sur Saab 96 V4) et Armin Schwarz, devenu un inconditionnel du championnat américain SCORE sur son BMW X6. En revanche, la Baja 1000 a attiré de nombreux people, comme les acteurs Paul Newman, Steeve McQueen ou Patrick Dempsey en catégorie auto.
    photo_4
    Meeke chose a Honda CRF 450 X prepared in the USA to contest the event in the Sportsman Motorcycle class (which meant competing alone, whereas the other classes see two or three riders share the same bike) along with 35 other competitors.
    He crossed the line in 18th place with a time of 40h38m20s. “It was unforgettable. You go through all sorts of phases, from extreme fatigue to moments of euphoria. You’re completely on your own, so you need to look after your rations. You only stop to work on your bike. The landscape is a bit like Rally Mexico’s mountain stages. In the middle of the night, in a very sandy section, I came across a Mexican quad rider stopped on the track. He had fallen asleep from exhaustion on his machine. I gave him some water and then I saw a powerful white light coming up fast behind us. It was the first Trophy Truck runner [4x4 prototype] which was about to catch us. I just managed to pull the guy clear when the Trophy Truck ran over his quad without even noticing…”
    Meeke would love to drive one of these 800hp monsters. He is also drawn by the Dakar, but only when his WRC career is over. This weekend, the Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi driver has no particular objective: “I did the recce a few years ago. Rally Mexico is a difficult event. There are some wide portions that are easy to memorise, but there are some very tricky narrower parts. Judging by past results, it’s possible to finish in the top five without taking any big risks. I will just try to find a safe, consistent pace.”

    C’est au guidon d’une Honda CRF 450 X préparée aux USA que Kris Meeke s’était présenté au départ, en catégorie Sportsman Motorcycle, c’est-à-dire celle des pilotes solo (dans les autre catégories, deux ou trois pilotes se partagent le guidon). Une catégorie très fournie avec 36 concurrents.
    La Honda N°263 a coupé la ligne d’arrivée en 18e position après 40h38min20s de course. « C’est inoubliable. On passe par tous les stades, d’une fatigue extrême à des moments d’euphorie. On est en totale autonomie, il faut donc savoir gérer ses rations, son alimentation. On ne s’arrête que pour ravitailler la machine. Les paysages ressemblent un peu à ceux du Rallye du Mexique dans les montagnes. Au milieu de la nuit, dans une zone très sablonneuse, j’ai vu un quad arrêté sur la piste. Le pilote, un Mexicain, dormait sur sa machine, il était à bout de forces. Je lui ai donné de l’eau et puis derrière nous, j’ai vu une puissante lumière blanche. C’était les 1ersTrophy Truck (les proto 4x4), partis derrière les 2-roues, qui nous rattrapaient. J’ai juste eu le temps de tirer le mec hors de la piste, le Trophy Truck est passé à fond et a écrasé son quad, sans même s’en apercevoir… »
    Kris Meeke rêve de piloter ces engins de 800 chevaux. Il aimerait bien aussi participer au Rallye Dakar, mais après sa carrière en WRC. Ce week-end, pas d’objectif précis pour le pilote Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi. « J’avais effectué les reconnaissances il y a quelques années. Le Rallye du Mexique est difficile avec des portions larges faciles à mémoriser, mais d’autres plus étroites et piégeuses. Quand on regarde un peu l’histoire de ce rallye, on s’aperçoit que sans faire de coups d’éclat, on peut entrer dans le top-five. Alors je vais adopter un rythme prudent et régulier. »

    Latvala tops Mexican shakedown order / Latvala le plus rapide aux essais


    The WRC drivers found themselves back on gravel today for the first time since last year’s Wales Rally GB, more than 100 days ago. Jari-Matti Latvala (VW/Michelin) posted the fastest time.
    With the two days of recce completed, the crews switched to their rally cars this morning for Rally Mexico’s shakedown which visited ‘Llano Grande’, the Qualifying Stage in 2013 when Mikko Hirvonen was fastest with an effort of 3m57.2s on soft-compound Michelin Latitude Cross S2 tyres.
    The concept of Qualifying Stages has been dropped this season, but crews must now complete four passes of the shakedown test. After two familiarisation runs on hard Michelins (H2), Sébastien Ogier returned to the service park in Leon with the best provisional time in his pocket (3m57.5s), ahead of Latvala and Kris Meeke who were equal on 3m59.7s. Mads Ostberg (4m0.5s) and Mikko Hirvonen (4m1.6s) were next on the list, while the two Hyundai i20 WRCs were seventh and eighth. The Korean team’s Chris Atkinson, who is making his WRC comeback after a year’s absence, reported that his suspension set-up was too hard.
    Ogier’s third attempt saw him improve to 3m55.6s, but team-mate Latvala‘s final run produced a 3m53.6s, an improvement of 3.6s over 2013… on ‘hard’ tyres! Meeke (Citroën DS3 WRC) ended up with the second-best time (3m54.7s), ahead of the world champion.
    The top five was rounded off by Andreas Mikkelsen (VW Polo R WRC) and Mads Ostberg (Citroën DS3 WRC), chased by Hirvonen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) and Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC) who failed to get beneath the four-minute mark.
    After two runs, the WRC-2 timesheet was topped by Ott Tanak, ahead of Nicola Fuchs and Quentin Gilbert, all in Ford Fiesta R5s.
    Thursday’s menu will end with the spectacular start ceremony in Guanajuato and the 1.01km super-special which visits the maze of tunnels that lie beneath the former mining town.
    Plus de cent jours après l’arrivée du Wales Rally GB 2013, les pilotes du WRC ont retrouvé leurs marques sur les pistes en terre à l’occasion du shakedown disputé ce matin. Jari-Matti Latvala (VW/Michelin) a réalisé le meilleur temps.
    Après deux jours de reconnaissances, les concurrents ont enfin pris le volant de leur voiture de course pour parcourir la spéciale d’essais, Llano Grande, identique à l’édition 2013, où Mikko Hirvonen avait réalisé le meilleur chrono en 3min57s2. Il s’agissait alors de la Qualifying Stage qu’il avait disputée en pneus Michelin Latitude Cross S2 (soft).
    Plus de Qualifying Stage au programme cette année, mais quatre passages d’essais obligatoires. Après deux tours parcourus en gommes H2 hard, Sébastien Ogier est rentré au parc d’assistance de Leon avec le meilleur temps provisoire (3min57s5) devant Jari-Matti Latvala et Kris Meeke ex-aequo en 3min59s7. Les pilotes Volkswagen s’étaient élancés au shakedown dans l’ordre de la 1ère étape vendredi. Suivaient Mads Ostberg et Mikko Hirvonen (4min00s5 et 4min01s6). Les nouvelles Hyundai i20 WRC pointaient aux 7e et 8e places avec des suspensions trop dures pour l’Australien Chris Atkinson, de retour en Mondial après un an d’absence.
    Le champion du monde en titre a amélioré le temps de référence en signant 3min55s6 à sa 3etentative, mais son équipier Jari-Matti Latvala a sorti un 3min53s6 lors de son dernier run, soit 3s6 de moins qu’en 2013 et en pneus Michelin hard ! Kris Meeke (Citroën DS3 WRC) a signé le 2e temps en 3min54s7 devant Sébastien Ogier qui n’a pas amélioré à son 4e essai.
    Andreas Mikkelsen (VW Polo R WRC) et Mads Ostberg (Citroën DS3 WRC) complètent le top-five devant Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) et Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC) qui n’est pas descendu sous la barre des 4min00s. En WRC-2, après deux passages, Ott Tanak détenait le meilleur temps devant Nicola Fuchs et Quentin Gilbert, tous sur Ford Fiesta R5.
    La journée se terminera par la spectaculaire cérémonie de départ à Guanajuato et la Superspéciale d’1,01 km tracée dans les entrailles de l’ancienne cité minière.

    MOTONERO BLACK ROADSTER


    Moto Nero Black Roadster 1
    Motonero have been quietly producing high quality builds out of Bristol in the west of England for the past twenty years, producing custom Guzzis that have set the benchmark for the UK’s Guzzi aficionados, but without the kind of fanfare we’ve come to expect in the modern custom scene. You’ve probably seen John’s bikes without knowing who built them, and if that’s the case we hope to start putting things to rights.
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 2
    John’s early interest in bikes started with his older brother and his ‘greaser’ mates, with his first bike a 250cc Triumph Trailblazer bought in ’74. Since then, John has built a number of notable Guzzis, but this 2007 all-black build, originally inspired by a photo in a German specialist parts catalogue, is what spawned the ‘Motonero’ moniker for all of John’s subsequent builds and blog.
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 3
    John has been creating cafe racers with alloy tank upgrades, shortened seats, and forks swaps since the ’90s “I haven’t had a Guzzi in standard form for decades” but this was the first build that involved significant frame modifications and custom-machined components.
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 4
    The frame is from a 1975 Guzzi (John’s unsure of the model but the frames from that era were all essentially the same) with a custom aluminium seat base made to John’s design by “an employee at Airbus” and upholstered in black marine vinyl.
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 5
    The 850cc engine has been swapped out for an early ’90s LeMans 1000S with big valves and 40mm carbs, “…a good combination with a great handling frame with my preferred choice of short headstock and shorter swingarm”. Although not as pretty as the earlier round-finned engines the later LeMans 1000 motor (actually a 950cc) does offer an extra 10-15bhp at the rear wheel and a top speed of about 130mph: “I’m not really into top end figures though it’s nice to know it’s there and that at normal 70-90mph speeds you’re not straining the engine.”
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 6
    The exhaust is a free-flowing stainless system made by Mistral in Italy: “The silencers are quite heavy but they do have a lovely deep tone”.
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 7
    At the front end, John has replaced the original ’70s forks with USD Paioli forks from a mid ’90s Laverda ‘Zane’ 650 Kevlar, using the standard yokes with a shortened steering stem. Stopping power is provided by 4-pot Brembo calipers and wavy disks with specially-machined carriers to accept the modern setup. “I’ve always liked the mixture of modern parts with older styling, and you can’t get much more readily-available ‘classic style’ in the bike world than a Moto Guzzi.”
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 8
    The wheel hubs are standard ’70s Guzzi T3 items with non-standard 17″ (2.50) front and 18″ (3.00) rear rims powder-coated black. The tyres, a ‘part worn, little used’ eBay purchase, are 130/80 Bridgestone BT45 rear and 110/80 Aero Speed front (no, we’d never heard of them before either!)
    Moto Nero Black Roadster 9“I always intended for it to handle reasonably well and be relatively comfortable for a 200-300 mile ride. The handling’s good but the Paioli yokes have created very little steering lock with the standard LeMans I petrol tank”. Small price to pay, we’d say, …just be careful where you park-up; back-wheel to the curb.
    We’ll be posting more from John and Motonero in the future, meanwhile check the Motonero Blog. Photos are courtesy of Italian Motor Magazine

    YAMAHA XS750 CUSTOM


    Yamaha XS750 Custom
    The Yamaha XS750 was produced from 1977 to 1979 before being replaced by the larger XS850, the model never saw the same production numbers as the wildly popular parallel-twin Yamaha XS650 but we’ve been seeing more and more custom XS750s coming to light in recent months – like the one you see here.
    It isn’t often that we come across a custom bike builder based in Montana, I imagine it’s because the residents of Big Sky Country have better things to do (like running away from bears) – so when New Zealander Colin Cornberg moved to Missoula 2 years ago he set about finding himself a motorcycle and getting to work on it.
    He found a 1977 Yamaha XS750 being sold nearby in Bitterroot Valley and went to have a look, the bike was in terrible condition and had clearly suffered a great deal in the last few years of its life. The original engine’s  electronic timing unit had been barbecued in an engine fire and had one bent valve and one that had broken off completely – fortunately the sale included a spare engine that was in far better condition and so Colin’s first major task was to rebuild this spare engine, remove the original unit and bolt the newly refurbished powerplant into place.
    Once this was done, Colin set to work stripped the bike back to the frame and rebuilding it as his own interpretation of a minimalist, survivalist motorcycle – the sort of thing MadMax would ride if he happened to live in Montana when the world ended.
    Yamaha XS750 Custom 1 740x555 Yamaha XS750 Custom
    A new, much simplified wiring loom was first on the to do list, anyone who’s ever attempted to make a wiring loom from scratch will immediately understand how much fun this isn’t. The stock air box was removed and new high-flow pod filters were added, a new seat pan and seat were bolted on above and a pair of clip-ons replaced the stock handlebars. Both the carburettors and brakes needed a full rebuild before they were able to be trusted and the forks needed to be disassembled and tidied up before compression was reliable.
    The completed bike with its blacked-out engine, clear coated steel fuel tank and seat pan, wrapped exhaust and minimalist gauge cluster is a fantastic example of what a cafe racer should look like – a stripped back bike that’s quicker than the original and an order of magnitude more fun.
    Colin is currently working on establishing Number 8 Wire Motorcycles in Montana, possibly the only cafe racer garage in the state. He’s hard at work on more customs in the vein of the Yamaha XS750 you see here, so if you’d like one for yourself hit that link above and pay him a visit.
    If you’d like to stay in the loop on new builds you can click to Like the Number 8 Wire Motorcycles Facebook Page.
    Yamaha XS750 Custom 5 740x546 Yamaha XS750 Custom
    Yamaha XS750 Custom 3 740x555 Yamaha XS750 Custom
    Yamaha XS750 Custom 4 740x551 Yamaha XS750 Custom
    via SILODROME

    Celebrate Retro at the 2014 Phillip Island Classic


    Phillip Island Classic
    The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest and most action-packed historic motorsport event, the Phillip Island Classic, is just a week away, set for the 7th to the 9th of March, and this year they’re going retro to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
    25th anniversary celebrations kick off where it matters – 25% more racing. The event will feature a record 44 events over the Saturday and Sunday alone, which will keep the entry list of around 500 racing, sports and touring cars from the past 100 years of motorsport history pretty busy.
    Group A & C Touring Cars
    Among that racing will be feature races for combined Group C & A Touring Cars spanning the ’70s and ’80s, including seven-time Bathurst winner Jim Richards in his 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship-winning Nissan HR31 Turbo.
    Wings and slicks will have a commanding presence at the event, with a capacity grid of Formula 1, Formula 5000 and Indy cars, headlined by John Bowe driving Joe Calleja’s ’74 March 741 Formula 1.
    V8 Supercars
    “Let’s just say we’re planning to put on a good show. No one will be queuing for a hamburger while we’re on!” - Craig Miles
    Looking forward to a time when Australian 5.0 Litre Touring Cars are accepted by CAMS in historic motorsport, Australian V8 Supercar racing will be represented by a special demonstration event for Ford and Holden V8 Supercars which competed between 1993 and 2002, some steered by their original drivers.
    Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Peter Brock’s back-to-back victories in the ’73 and ’74 Australian Touring Car Championship will be his ’73 XU-1, ’74 SL/R 5000 and 2003 Bathurst 24-Hour-winning 7-Litre Holden Monaro 427C.
    Mark Donohue Porsche RSR Daytona
    Other famous cars include Mark Donohue’s 1974 IROC 911 RSR 3.0 Litre Coupe, which he drove to his final race win and clinched the 1974 International Race of Champions series in the final round at Daytona, before his death in 1975. These cars were specially-built monsters, created by Porsche for a ‘who’s who’ of racers to contest the 1974 International Race of Champions series.
    Jack Brabham BT19
    Sir Jack Brabham will be feted at the event in celebration of his amazing life and achievements, including a lap of honor joined by many of the drivers against whom he competed, and will be joined by his 1966 World Championship Repco Brabham BT19 and up to a dozen Brabham racing cars from the ’60s.
    The 2014 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport, presented by the VHRR, will be held from the 7th to the 10th of March at the classic Phillip Island Classic Circuit. Head to the official websiteand Facebook page here for more information.
    Admission:
    Friday, March 7: $30.00
    Saturday, March 8: $35.00
    Sunday, March 9: $45.00
    Two-day (Sat-Sun) pass: $70.00
    Three-day weekend pass: $90.00
    Children Under 16: Free
    Pensioner concession: $5.00
    Paddock entry: Free
    The 2014 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motor Sport presented by the VHRR is again being supported by Shannons, CoolDrive and Penrite, with additional support this year from Dutton Garage, Repco, Zagame, RDA Brakes and Trico.

    Phillip Island Classic

    SPORTSTER BY BRAWNY BUILT


    custom Sportster Sportster by Brawny Built
    The custom Sportster is one of those motorcycle varietals that can really go either way. I’ve seen beautiful examples and I’ve seen garish and raked out hack jobs that’ve made me want to set them alight, just to put them out of their misery.
    This customised Sportster is one of the best I’ve seen in recent times, the combination of flat-tracker seat and rear cowling, 2-into-1 scrambler pipes, chain drive, boosted rear suspension, lowered front suspension, a hand-fabricated headlight cover/assembly and a series of parts additions from The Speed Merchant’s online catalogue have left the bike looking like a 70′s version of a modern hypermotard. And I think that’s a good thing, hell, I think it’s a great thing.
    The Sportster was built by Brandon Holstein at Brawny Built for The Speed Merchant and the bike is now for sale viathis store.
    custom Sportster motorcycle Sportster by Brawny Built
    custom Sportster harley Sportster by Brawny Built
    custom Sportster cafe racer Sportster by Brawny Built
    Via 8Negro

    3E SCRAM AFRICA 2014


    More than a trip, an amazing experience about overcoming, adventure and friendship. A trip of more than 2.000 km for classic trail and neoclassic bikes to the south of Morocco by road, trail and dune.
    On this edition we’ll ride more kilometers, more trails and sand than ever, a unique adventure; a trip only for nostalgic riders!

    THE BIKES:

    The “Scram Africa®” is conceived and designed for classic trails and neoclassical motorcycles such as the Triumph Scrambler, BMW GS80/GS100/GS100PD , Royal Enfield, Ural, street  tracker and customized scramblers bikes and a few others. In short, “heavy” & classics on-off road bikes.
     


     



    DEPARTURE: Friday April 25, 2014 (*Almeria)
    ARRIVAL: Sunday May 4, 2014 (Almeria)

    The organization and logistics is in charge of Soloraids company. A professional team composed by guides, drivers, mechanic, a doctor and support vehicles (a 4×4 and a truck) ready to take care of all the participants.



    To book a place  in Scram Africa 2014 you just have to make us a deposit of 200€
    In case of cancellation by the customer the deposit is not refundable.
    Send us an email to scram@fuelmotorcyles.eu with your name and bike model or fill in the questionary and we’ll send you all the info for the transfer bank.
    It is a trip for experienced off road riders?
    No. This is a  trip for adventure and nostalgic riders no matter the experience or off road skills but, if you never ride on trails it could be a good idea to train before to come.



    Can I come with a passenger?
    No. There are some stages of the trip (specially the 3 days trough the desert ) that is not possible to ride with a passenger.
    Is it possible to rent a motorcycle for the trip in Spain?
    There are some people from other continents interested to come ,so we are working to offer the option of renting a bike for the trip but still can not give you prices and models available.
    Do I need to take with me spare parts?
    You don’t need to but if you have small parts as fuses specific for your bike is a good idea tot take it.

    Do i need to take only motorcycle clothing for hot weather?
    No. You should take some garment as lining jacket or windstopper jacket for crossing the Atlas. You should have also a rain suit.




    photos @PierreXavier

    Atelier 46 in Paris: Everything under one roof


    At Atelier 46, Gael Regent has established a true full-service agency for classic automobiles. We visited the workshop – and were deeply impressed...
    The high-rise district of La Défense in the northwest of Paris is certainly not the most picturesque location to run a meeting place for friends of rapid post-War sports cars. But the venue has a decisive advantage: "In 10 minutes, you are on the highway," smiles managing director Gael Regent. That’s important, because his customers don’t enjoy the torment of an overheating engine and steam rising from the bonnet during the rush hour, while attempting to get away for the weekend or head off to a historic race meeting. But the location is just the start – because Regent offers passionate Parisian motorists an incomparable all-round carefree package.

    Sports cars of the 1950s and 60s

    The focus of Atelier 46 is on GT, sports and racing cars of the 1950s and 1960s – Dino 246GT, Mercedes 190 SL, Maserati Sebring, Jaguar E-type, Lotus Elan, Porsche 356 and Aston Martin DB4 are among the regulars. In the workshop, 46 cars are in the process of being prepared for their next race, typically French events such as the Tour Auto or the Le Mans Classic, but the top meetings at Donington, Goodwood, Silverstone and Spa are also keeping the mechanics busy. Larger projects are personally supervised by Gael Regent and his team – such as the wonderful dark blue Dino that has just been brought back to life. Anything on the body, paintwork or upholstery that can’t be carried out in the workshop is entrusted to Atelier 46’s long-term partners. Everything is taken care of for the owner: even insurance and race entries can be dealt with on their behalf, if desired. 

    Going underground

    A mighty car-lift takes you to the lower floors of Atelier 46, where many customers park their classics. They enjoy 24-hour access, even at the weekend, and can readily exchange their modern Mercedes or Audi for their classic car. In addition, there is always an interesting collection of cars for sale, including rare French racing prototypes as well as more familiar race cars at quite acceptable prices. Anyone who fancies a change, or who doesn’t want to invest in a classic, can alternatively borrow a car from Atelier 46 – a Dino for the Tour Auto, for example, or an AC Ace for a track-day, perhaps.

    Welcome to the club!

    There is even a club operated by Maxime – with member benefits that include tickets to the top events or access to the pitlane at Le Mans. And anyone who is bored with their usual restaurant can instead book a table in Regent’s workshop; or use it as an event location. In short, any Parisian with a love of classic cars would be mad to ignore the attractions of Atelier 46.
    Photos: Jan Baedeker
    The current inventory of studio 46 can be found in the Classic Driver Market.