On April 14 2008, the Grand Palais in Paris will host, for the second time, the 220 cars that will take part in the Tour Auto Lissac, in a tribute to the legendary race, which dates back to 1899, the Tour de France Automobile. One day to come and admire the chrome and steel icons straight from the finest collections from around the world, in the unique setting of one of Paris' landmarks the Grand Palais, whose history is intimately linked to that of the automobile.
The Grand Palais and the Automobile : The story goes on...
- From 1901 to 1961 the Grand Palais was the venue for the Paris Motor Show, with some historic moments such as the presentation in 1955 of the “phenomenal” Citroën DS. In 2007 the automobile made a triumphant return to renovated Grand Palais during last year's Tour Auto Lissac. The competitors of the 2008 edition will put their cars on display on Monday April 14 to the public from 11h00 to 18h30* (entry fee: €10, €5 for visitors between the ages of 5 to 16, free entry for children under 5).
The visitors will have the opportunity to admire some 39 Ferraris, 45 Porsches, 22 Alfa Romeos, 17 Alpines, 18 Jaguars, 12 Lotus', 8 OSCAs, 7 AC Cobras... As well as: Aston Martin DB4 GT and DB2, Ford GT40, Lamborghini Miura S, and… Françoise Sagan's Gordini 24S. The educational as well as ludic presentation will offer the visitors to become a part of the immense history of this immense competition that was the Tour de France Automobile.
Paris / Marseille : The (blue) gold rush !
On Tuesday morning, the expo will be animated, and as if by magic the machines will leave the Grand Palais one by one. The meticulously prepared V12s and six-cylinder cars will come to life before setting off on roads across France for five days. At the end of this fantastic trip, which will be punctuated with stops at the finest circuits in France, the Tour Auto Lissac will, for the first time, arrive in the Mediterranean city of Marseille. In the 17 editions of the Tour Auto LIssac has become one of the three international must do events for collectors and enthusiasts of vintage automobiles. Each year more and more spectators line the roads of the event; the Tour Auto Lissac is now honoured to welcome them at the Grand Palais.
