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French Riviera Classic & Sport ... Stade de Nice – Allianz Riviera


Alfa Romeo 6C 2500

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500

 

Nice, 10-11 June, 2017

The French Riviera Classic & Sport show was held in the home ground of France’s Ligue 1 OCG Nice football club, called the Stade de Nice Allianz – Riviera, over the weekend of 10-11 June. The show occupied the whole of the mid-level covered gallery area that encircles the pitch, with further elements on the external terrace, whilst a small circuit was laid out in part of the parking area at ground level. Despite the high ambient temperatures and the lure of the close by beaches of the Cote d’Azur, there were plenty of visitors through the course of the weekend.

Features of the show included a display of cars from the collection of S.A.S le Prince de Monaco, including a 1907 Panhard et Levassor and a 1911 Super Cyclecar, both believed to be unique examples of their type. There was also a display of the cars of Adrien Maeght, the founder of L’Automobiliste magazine in 1966, and of the Musee de Mougins in 1984, which included a Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix. Another theme was called “La Dolce Vita” celebrating 60 years of the Fiat 500, with an expansive display of original and modified examples, including a white “Limousine” bedecked in wedding ribbons, with a complimentary black example based on the modern variant. There was also a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Lancia Delta HF Integrale, with an array of predominantly iconic Martini liveried examples on display. 

The French ex-F1 driver, Patrick Tambay, who drove for numerous teams including two years with Ferrari in 1982 and 1983, for whom he won two Grand Prix, was in attendance on both days, signing copies of his book about his time at Ferrari. There were numerous trade and club stands with a wide variety of cars on display and/or for sale, including a rare Ferrari 458 Spider based Mansory Siracusa. Even rarer was the 1939 Guidobaldo Monoposto, a unique car that was the brainchild of one Francois Guidobaldi, featuring a suspension arrangement that kept the car level whilst cornering, and a mid-mounted 1500cc eight cylinder engine, in a star configuration, producing 180bhp at 6500rpm. 

Apart from the “La dolce Vita” and American car displays on the external apron, there were numerous refreshment stalls, a radio controlled car raceway, an autojumble area, and the hugely popular circuit, where visitors could witness Group B rally cars, modern rally cars, karts and even a racing Vespa scooter in action. Then on the Sunday afternoon there was the Boisgirard-Antonini auction, with a wide variety of cars on offer from a Volvo 544 rally car to a Porsche 962 sports racing car, so plenty of variety for everybody.

 

Keith Bluemel         
06/2017