In the field of historic events, the Tour Auto retrospective occupies a choice place. Organised by Peter Auto and using the ingredients that built the success of the original event, it brings together for one week 225 cars from 1951 to 1973, of the type of those that took part at the time in the Tour de France Automobile, and takes them through the country along the most picturesque routes, spangling the days with circuit events or specials on tracks that couldn't be any more winding. For the spectators grouped in the stage towns or scattered by the road sides, it's a unique opportunity to see the world's finest GTs pass by, symbolised by those which have become the emblematic ones, Ferrari 250 GTOs, which moreover won the event in 1962 and 1963. There were two of them at the start in Paris.
The participants also boasted a few celebrities, such as TV host Gérard Holz at the wheel of a coupé Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, or Cyril Despres, quadruple winner of the Dakar on a motorcycle, on board a Chevrolet Corvette which did superbly well by finishing 3rd in its category.
This year, from 16 to 21 April, the cars gathered initially under the magnificent glazed cupolas of the Grand Palais and stayed together all the way to Nice: it's the first time for 12 years that the rally returned to this historic arrival town.
Motul, whose success is also based on its history, is obviously similarly minded to the organiser of the Tour Auto and, for the 9th consecutive time, was a partner of the event, with an even greater involvement than in previous years. To get its clients and partners to truly experience the event, Motul enjoyed having a reception area at each stage town. The 2012 originality was the presence of a 1954 Citroën Type H lorry. Decorated with Motul's colours, the lorry delighted the members of the public by getting them to participate in a quiz hosted by Motul hostesses. In all, more than 7,000 people tried their luck!