Lotus Elan 26R snatches Tour Auto victory at the last

By Chris Rowlands

| 1 May 2018

Lotus Elan 26R snatches Tour Auto victory at the last

There was joy and heartbreak in equal measure on the final day of the 2018 Tour Auto, with a 1965 Lotus Elan 26R taking first place after the runaway leader, a Ford GT40 Mk 1, was forced to retire.

Swiss crew Raphael Favaro and Yves Badan had entered Saturday's action in second place behind the British duo of Andrew Smith and James Cottingham, who had up till that point won 10 of the previous 11 stages and who looked nailed-on to take the overall win.

However, a lost gear led to a lost lead for the GT40, opening the door to the pursuing Lotus Elan. Second was taken by a Shelby Cobra 289, with another Elan in third.

Lotus Elan 26R snatches Tour Auto victory at the last

A GT40 Mk I led until the final day (© Stéphanie Bézard)

The Tour Auto has been running since 1992, invoking the spirit of the original Tour de France Automobile as it gathers together the most beautiful, expensive and evocative classic cars for one of the most glamorous rallies anywhere in the world.

Taking in French B-roads, circuits and special stages, it’s an awe-inspiring spectacle of auto exotica – and the 2018 edition was perhaps the biggest yet.

It all kicked off last Monday, with more than 240 historic sports cars descending on Paris’ Grand Palais for the start of a five-day journey that saw the magnificent machines snaking the length of France.

And, as Aston Martin DB2/4s lined up beside GT40s, mid-century Maseratis and a platter of Ferrari 250s, it was hard to deny the pull of this astounding event.

Those along for the ride would run in the régularité category, with set stage times to stick to. Those competing in anger? The compétition category meant pushing hard for the best special stage and track times to take the overall crown when the Tour rumbled into Nice on Saturday.

Lotus Elan 26R snatches Tour Auto victory at the last

Italian machines were the guests of honour in 2018 (© Julien Hergault)

So it was that, come Tuesday, the rasp and rattle of 240 magnificent machines reverberated around Paris, as the Tour made its way to the stunning Château de Courance for the start proper. From there came the first track attack at Dijon-Prenois, before a schlep through the hills of western France.

Up front, the GT40 was already showing its pace, followed closely by the Elan, a 1965 E-Type, a pair of 1965 Porsche 911s and a stunning Shelby Cobra 289 for good measure.

Wednesday began in Besançon, with the pack stopping by the fast Circuit de Bresse before heading up into the mountains around Megève – as the grumble of Mustang V8s shifted snow and a fleet of high-revving Alfas made song between the peaks – ahead of a twisty Thursday descent.

Lotus Elan 26R snatches Tour Auto victory at the last

Tour Auto takes in fields, cities and mountains (© Julien Hergault)

The Tour’s Friday arrival into the picturesque Aix-en-Provence – following a final circuit stop at Paul Ricard – was greeted with throngs of onlookers, as road-weary roadsters wound through the historic streets, Ferrari 250s leading Lancia Stratos Group IVs.

Saturday should, in theory, have then been a straightforward run to the Champagne at Nice – but nothing’s so simple where historic racers are concerned, and the GT40's loss was the Elan's gain.

Racing, as ever, is unpredictable – but there’s one thing that’s certain about the Tour Auto: it’s a magnificent, arresting and testing celebration of the classic car. After all, how likely are you otherwise to see million-pound motors breaking down in the French mountains?

Want to see more? Check out our gallery of the best Italian machines on this year’s Tour.

Chris Rowlands

Perennially on the road, Chris has to content himself with writing about classic cars instead of owning them – though he’s sure he’ll one day have the keys to an E-type. A regular contributor to Classic & Sports Car, his first love is motorsport.