TOPS TOUR
Gorges and Clues - Nice to Albi
This quite light-hearted early autumn
rally for 1950s Sports Racing cars and their minders provided perfectly formed
driving entertainments for its discerning members. The aim of this one was to
make the most of the tail end of the summer by spending a few days at
Eze-Bord-de-Mer (ner Nice) before starting the event on Saturday and routing
via some interesting passes and gorges across to Albi where the participants
would take part in the Retrospective Historic Grand Prix.
The dozen or so participating cars needed
little cranking in the fine sunny weather on the Côte d'Azur and ranged from
the Pilkington's well-used 1938 blue Talbot Lago via Bianchi's Farrelac Allard
and Hay's Maserati 200S to the John Coombes and John Young Porsche 911 (because
their Ferrari destroyed its clutch). The two Johns were later christened Pinky
and Perky.
Many of the Team had arrived at Nice
train station after an evening of wining and dining in the train corridor, to
be met by André and Monique Binda who provided a very civilised and French
lunch at their lovely house above Nice.
A splendid hotel location on the edge
of the sea with one of the most fantastic swimming pools, was the
afternoon's highlight, followed by an excellent social evening with Mike
Sparken of Alfa Romeo 158 fame. Roy and Susan Salvadori were there and various
serious people with significant cars. Sunday provided more social
entertainment, much laughter and wonderful swimming - a good relaxation before
the start of the rally.
The rally route started at Vence and
went immediately off for a brake test on the 34 hairpins of the Col de Turini
and the Gorges de la Vésubie, where the local Nice Mafia in 1793 saved on
rations for its Republican prisoners by pushing them over the convenient cliff.
There seemed little to choose between Alex Boswell's full-house Cobra (on the
discs) and Kirk Ryland's Jaguar-driven HWM (on good ol' drums). Pilks' pre-war
Talbot Lago was on castor oil, and the Nashes of Threlfall and Wilson found it
was not the car to be behind, but overtaking was almost impossible as it tended
to overfill some of the narrower mountain roads, which had been designed for
two well-laden donkeys to pass each other in some comfort.
Two more Gorges the next day in
torrential rain were followed by a superb drive round the Canyon du Verdon and
Corniche d'l'Esterel, giving some of the best views and scenery of the trip.
Lunch at François' farmhouse all lent to a most delightfully spent day before
we returned to the excellent hotel in La Napoule and supper under the floodlit
château.
Thursday required an early start as we
were to drive the Route Napoléon to Uzés via Mont Ventoux. Most people had an
exhilarating drive in summer sunshine (almost too hot!) except William Hay
whose Maserati destroyed its clutch and gearbox casing resulting in the use of
a modern 'Twingo' to continue the route accompanied by Rossi's C type and the
Cobra and Allard of Boswell and Bianchi. The weather on Mont Ventoux was
perfect and the views across the Alps spectacular and memorable. Arrival at the
very fine Château d'Apaillargues near Uzés after 235 long miles was not before
time but, beer, a swim, very good dinner and much general conviviality worked
wonders.
The next and final rally day, took us
through the Corniche des Cévennes and the Gorges du Tarn to a very French hotel
at Lacaune not far from Albi, our final destination. The hotel had not been
decorated since it was used as the set in the 1937 remake of 'Bleak House' and
when Monsieur Le Tosseur finally turned up, we managed to get the cars out of
the rain, light a fire in the hall and have a few drinks. The hotel was a
contrast to our previous night but as the bill was only £28 for dinner bed and
breakfast, it was fine.
Saturday provided a small amount of
rallying to the circuit for signing-on and greeting the Grand Prix drivers who
had arrived after 650 miles of towing. Everyone was in fine form and managed to
cram in plenty of sightseeing before the Gala dinner. On Sunday there were
eight 'demonstrations' with grids for all comers between Cyclecars and Grands
Prix, including motorbikes solo and with sidecars. Tony Bianchi was leading his
plateau by some margin in his Allard Farellac until he became so nervous of its
handling (the dampers still being at their Mont Ventoux setting) that he had to
pull off for a rest. Tony said the Farrelac was doing over 150 mph on the
straight. Spike Milligan in his A-type Connaught looked set for a win until
David Morris in ERA 'Humphrey' passed him on the penultimate lap. It was all very
Ned Kelly. Ted Rollason's Aston Martin DBR4 lost all its water through a porous
water pump and had to retire. All the others performed well including the
Bequet-Delage, which particularly delighted the French. There were no nasties,
no lap-times and all the participants seemed to enjoy themselves hugely and had
a very jolly weekend.
People dispersed their separate ways,
some stayed to explore the area, others headed rapidly home and some went to
drive round Reims. It is all still there with the café by the hairpin and the
pits all intact with peeling advertisements. The circuit consists of straight
main roads with a few sharp bends. They must have been heroes. The Mercedes
were doing over 200 mph past the pits before the war, and all that separated
the track from the pits was a thin white line! Richard's Talbot galloped round,
it had been 4th there in the French GP of 1938 and used a higher
axle ratio than for Le Mans.
It was a great trip, well organised by
Trisha Pilkington, hardly a rest cure, but fun driving in proper cars on
interesting roads with a group of friends, which is what a TOPS rally is all
about.
J.K.R
Highlights of Albi Grand Prix
The race starts in 35 mins but you've
got a puncture, you know where it can be fixed, so, wheel in the car and hare
off to the garage but, panic, the machinery's there but the man has gone to the
track. Squeal off to another garage but there is only a lad who only partly
knows how everything works, time is ticking by ….! Inner tube out and
sand-papered with difficulty. Dollop of solution - seems too much but, anyway,
on with patch and roller it down …. Doesn't stick, must be too much glue …
silent thought 'worked perfectly with Pilks old beaten-up tube in Cap Estel …
must be the language problem!?
Try again - now getting desperate -
same result. Panic, but wait a minute, patches are there for tubeless tyres,
instant action, it works and we are off to the Race. Frustration not finished
yet, French Duck in Merc giving us grief, bridge light is green, give her a
blast and nip past as light goes red, over the brow to face fully loaded
Frenchman and trailer - nothing daunted he's out with the wheel and bowling down
the hill, it's all in a day's work for Rylands! I'm left with the Duck, who's
reversing like a trombone in a 'phone box.
W.H.