In Napoleon’s footsteps! / Sur les pas de Napoléon 1er

As Sébastien Ogier seeks to maintain his imperial rule over the WRC, the Frenchman and his opponents are following a path trod – in the reverse direction – by Napoleon two centuries previously! There are numerous echoes of the so-called ‘Route Napoleon’ in the itinerary of this year’s Rallye Monte Carlo.

Alors que Sébastien Ogier s’est imposé comme le nouvel empereur du WRC, les concurrents du Rallye Monte-Carlo marchent sur les pas d’un autre Empereur, il y a deux siècles. Le parcours 2014 suit plus ou moins la célèbre « Route Napoléon ».

The origins of the ‘Route Napoleon’, which basically follows the course of today’s RN85, date back 199 years. The episode was part of a 100-day period that covered Napoleon‘s escape from exile on the island of Elba in March 1815 to his ultimate defeat at Waterloo the following June.

In a bid to retrieve his former power, Bonaparte decided to march to Paris accompanied by a small army which gradually swelled as he progressed. To avoid Provence-based royalist troops, he chose an itinerary through the Alps that took him from his landing-point on the Mediterranean coast (30km southwest of Monaco) via Barrême, Digne, Sisteron and Gap en route to the French capital.

Thursday’s Monte action never strayed far from the path taken (from south to north) by Napoleon and his men, while three of Friday’s four stages start and finish very near what is today the RN85. Two centuries ago, however, this busy road was little more than a dirt track, and not even that in places!

We retrace several fascinating parallels between the Emperor’s historic journey and the Monte’s second leg…

Barrême (March 3, 1815): After a taxing trek through deep, narrow gorges, Napoleon arrived in Barrême at 8pm. The villagers gave a warm welcome to the Emperor who dined and slept at the local judge’s house which competitors will pass en route to SS11. Food was ordered from the Cheval Blanc Inn. Had Napoleon arrived today, he could have eaten across the square at the pizzeria formerly owned by Patrick Magaud, a former Ford and Citroën works driver!

Col du Corobin (March 4, 1815): To reach Digne, Napoleon passed via the Corobin mountain pass. At the time, it was a mere donkey trail, but it has since become a classic Monte stage! It was even supposed to have featured on this week’s rally but was dropped because of a threat of landslides!

Digne: Napoleon spent three hours in Digne. While his men rested and ate along the Cours des Arès, the Emperor lunched at the Petit-Paris Inn. The establishment no longer exists, but a plaque marks its former location on Rue du Jeu de Paume, just metres from today’s Regroup!

Sisteron (March 5, 1815): The Sisteron-Thoard stage has frequently played a decisive role on the Rallye Monte-Carlo. In 1815, Sisteron was crucial to Napoleon’s plans, too. It sits in a narrow breach in the mountains and an ambush by Royalist sympathisers was feared. An advanced detachment quelled any potential opposition, however, allowing Napoleon to arrive via the small bridge which straddles the Durance River, metres from the start of SS10!

La Saulce/Tallard: With the danger of Sisteron behind them, the troops pursued their march north across flatter land, passing close to Faye and Vitrolles, the finish and start locations of SS7/9. The soldiers even stopped awhile in nearby La Saulce, alerting inhabitants to the Emperor’s imminent arrival. The latter greeted Napoleon and his men with wine and food. Suitably rested, they continued to Tallard where today’s airfield has often served as a Monte Carlo service park in the past…

Gap: Later the same day, Napoleon arrived in Gap via the RN85 (Avenue de Provence), passing close to, or perhaps even through the site of the current sports complex that was the rally’s epicentre before today’s drive south to Monaco.

Les origines de la « Route Napoléon », qui emprunte principalement la RN85, remontent à 199 ans et couvrent une période de 100 jours entre l’exil de Napoléon Bonaparte de l’Ile d’Elbe en mars 1815 et sa dernière défaite à Waterloo au mois de juin.

Pour retrouver tout son pouvoir, Bonaparte avait décidé de marcher vers Paris en compagnie d’une petite troupe qui s’est peu à peu décimée au fil des kilomètres. Pour éviter la Provence et les partisans royalistes, il a choisi un itinéraire à travers les Alpes qui a débuté à une trentaine de kilomètres au sud-ouest de Monaco, via Barrême, Digne, Sisteron et Gap, en route vers la capitale.

Jeudi, le parcours du Monte-Carlo ne s’est pas beaucoup écarté de cet itinéraire (dans le sens opposé) suivi par Napoléon et ses hommes. Vendredi, les départs et arrivées des quatre spéciales sont tout près de la RN85. Il y a 200 ans, cet axe très fréquenté était un peu plus difficile : il s’agissait la plupart du temps de pistes en terre, voire de chemins par endroits…

Voici quelques points communs entre le périple de Napoléon 1^er et la 2^e étape du Monte-Carlo 2014

Barrême (3 mars 1815) : Après un trek à travers les gorges étroites et profondes, Napoléon est arrivé à Barrême à 20h00 où il fut accueilli en héros. L’Empereur a dîné et dormi dans la maison du juge ; les concurrents vont passer devant en allant vers l’ES11. Les plats avaient été commandés à l’auberge du Cheval Blanc. Aujourd’hui, Napoléon pourrait dîner à la pizzéria située sur la place, anciennement tenue par Patrick Magaud…

Col du Corobin (4 mars 1815) : Pour rejoindre Digne, Napoléon a franchi le Corobin. A l’époque, c’était un chemin de muletier, avant de devenir une spéciale du Monte-Carlo ! Elle devait figurer au programme de cette édition, mais des éboulements ont contraint les organisateurs à modifier le parcours.

Digne : Napoléon a passé trois heures à Digne. Pendant que ses hommes se restauraient sur le Cours des Arès, l’Empereur déjeunait à l’auberge du Petit-Paris. Cet établissement n’existe plus, mais une plaque commémorative prouve qu’il se trouvait Rue du Jeu de Paume, à quelques mètres du parc de regroupement.

Sisteron (5 mars 1815) : La spéciale Sisteron-Thoard a souvent été décisive au Monte-Carlo. En 1815, Sisteron fut aussi une étape cruciale pour Napoléon. La ville se trouve au pied des montagnes et l’Empereur craignait une attaque des Royalistes. Des hommes sont partis en éclaireurs et Napoléon est entré dans la ville un peu plus tard par un petit pont qui enjambe la Durance, tout près du départ de l’ES10 !

La Saulce/Tallard (5 mars 1815) : Le danger de Sisteron écarté, les troupes napoléoniennes ont poursuivi leur marche vers le Nord à travers les plaines, en passant vers Faye et Vitrolles, départ et arrivée de l’ES7/9. Les soldats se sont arrêtés vers La Saulce pour prévenir ses habitants de l’arrivée imminente de l’Empereur. Ils ont été accueillis avec vin et nourriture. Bien requinqués, les hommes de Napoléon ont repris leur route vers Tallard, dont l’aérodrome a longtemps servi de parc d’assistance au rallye.

Gap : Le même jour, Napoléon est arrivé à Gap, par l’Avenue de Provence, passant près de, ou peut-être dans le Parc des Sports qui accueille le Rallye Monte-Carlo cette année !

Porsche 911 Targa: Dramatic debut of a modern classic

The latest Porsche 911, today revealed to the world at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, is a dramatic combination of old and new, mating the classic Targa concept with today’s cutting-edge roof technology...

And doesn’t it look terrific? There was much ooh-ing and aah-ing in the Classic Driver office when the first picture was released, thanks to the characteristic wide bar that replaces the 911’s existing B-pillars. This bar is an unambiguous testament to the first 911 Targa of 1965 – when the stainless-steel-clad rollover bar was a necessary, functional feature adopted to address strict American safety regulations. Today, it has become a striking design element to complement the lines of a modern 911.

As with the original Targa of the 1960s, the latest Porsche also features a wraparound rear window with no C-pillar plus – of course – a removable roof section above the front seats. But thanks to modern technology, today’s 911 driver can open and close the Targa roof at the touch of a button. Porsche promises that the innovative, automated process of stowing the roof behind the rear seats will be an eye-catching spectacle in itself. 

There will be two model variants, both offered exclusively with all-wheel drive. The 911 Targa 4 has the 3.4-litre, 350HP engine, while the 911 Targa 4S delivers 400HP from a displacement of 3.8 litres. Acceleration from rest to 62mph is given as 4.8 seconds and 4.4 seconds, respectively.

The new models will be launched onto the market in May 2014 and, in Germany, will carry price tags of 109,338 euros for the 4, and 124,094 euros for the 4S, inclusive of VAT and country-specific equipment.

Photos: Porsche

Classic Porsche 911 Targas can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

244M GBP super luxurious yacht to mimic Monaco and include a go kart track replica of the circuit

To be 155 meters long

Plans for a very luxurious yacht named "The Streets of Monaco" by UK-based ship designers at Yacht Island Design have been revived, promising to create a floating replica of the actual location.

The ambitious project is estimated to cost a whopping 244M GBP (about 402M USD or 295M EUR) and will mimic important landmarks of the city-state, such as the Prince's Palace, Port Hercule, Hotel de Paris, Loews Hotel and the famous La Rascasse. It will also have a go kart replica of the actual legendary Formula 1 circuit, along with a helipad, jacuzzis, jet skis, a mini submarine and swimming pools.

"The Streets of Monaco" super yacht will be 155 meters (169 yards) long and will be able to accommodate 16 guests and 70 members of the crew which will all be travelling at a top speed of 15 knots.

Plans for the yacht were originally disclosed in January 2011 but so far developers weren't able to find potential clients willing to pay the exorbitant price tag. Rob McPherson, one of the project's founders, told Daily Mail they are "looking for clients either private or commercial with the vision to realize this new and interesting design direction." He also said a lot of people have expressed their desire to take a cruise with the yacht and they also received "a number of enquiries for potential commercial applications."

A brochure of the project can be found at the second source link below.

Source: dailymail.co.uk and 'The Streets of Monaco' brochure (PDF)

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