TEAM ADVENTURE
Both failure and success lead Steph to the Le Mans Classic
WORDS STEPH HOLLOWAY PHOTOGRAPHY JESSE BILLINGTON & JAMES WALSHE
Well, I did try, but sadly at the last possible moment it was horribly clear I wouldn’t be taking my new Morris Minor Convertible to the Le Mans Classic this time. Years of reading heroic adventure tales, road trips and rescues in PC had me filled with a confidence I could get my recent purchase to the famous French festival of high-speed insanity. Perhaps you only get so much luck, because I’d done it before with my knackered Standard 10; getting to the NEC Classic Motor Show at the 11th hour after days (and nights) of blood, sweat and tears. However, it would appear on this occasion, as I stand here in the workshop at 1am, it just won’t happen this time. Everything is against me; from the gearbox first motion bearing and layshaft failing to acres of silicon on every component which I, and my friends, heroes and willing helpers at ADO Restoration, had spent hours scraping off and had slowed progress markedly. You expect a few surprises when you take on a bargain classic that hasn’t been driven properly in decades, but I stand here, scraper in hand, bitterly wishing it wasn’t something I was sorting so close to deadline. Despite the hours ticking away, my optimism and ignorance had kept buoyant until this point…whereby Paul (long suffering co-worker) pops his head up to grimly inform me the clutch relay shaft chassis bush has split and there isn’t a spare.
Shedding a few bitter tears, I refuse to give up and I simply grab the keys to my faithful 1968 Morris Minor four-door saloon, Nancy. A daily driver with an impeccable track record. Fitted with a new 1098cc engine last year, the only concern is a taste for regular gearbox oil top ups. Sloshing a litre of 20w50 into the ’box, checking levels, the spare tyre and boot spares (I carry all ignition parts, a head gasket set, various hoses and small bits and pieces like clutch return springs), I drive away into the night from a workshop filled with adrenaline and bitter disappointment.
Hopes were still high for the ill-fated Convertible.
Plan B
Heading straight down the M1 from Huddersfield to Coventry to pick up my co-driver and best friend Joe Sheraton, I feel the bitterness of the failure leave me, it’s still a classic adventure after all! The journey to Kent is stress free, with no ‘will we/won’t we’ peril and Joe taking over at Coventry has given me some much needed time to catch up on lost sleep. As we edge closer to the border, we begin spotting classics which are clearly on the same journey as us. Minis and MGBs all polished up and shooting past, a gaggle of sleek Porsches roaring past us and various others giving us a beep and wave, in the knowledge we’re all about to have one heck of a weekend.
Once in France, we take the autoroute for simplicity for the first stretch; enjoying a lack of traffic or roadworks – a motorists dream! We break the monotony with a detour through quaint French villages, punctuated by delightful boulangeries and patisseries. A brief stop in Rouen for petrol and an underbonnet inspection reveals no loss of any fluids or budging from ‘full’ on the dipstick. With light fading and Nancy still gallantly marching on, we arrive at our accommodation; luxury pods provided by Motorsport Travel Destinations.
The site, twinkling with fairy lights, gave hint to being no normal ‘glampsite’ with the TR6 and MGB parked nearby. Each pod is kitted out with two beds, shelving and a quiet space to unwind. An onsite canteen serving meals, recognising our frazzled state, serves up a pair of delicious sandwiches. I note as we munch away that despite us being a ten-minute walk from the track, the noise of all the race cars competes with bird song and crickets; never letting you forget where you are!
‘I drive into the night consumed by adrenaline and disappointment’
Paul removes gearbox in a last-ditch attempt.
Dawn chorus
It feels like barely a moment passes between lights out and dawn breaking, at which point I’m raring to go and to experience the full Le Mans Classic experience. The blazing sunshine puts a spring in my step, and we walk to the track; albeit with a massive delay because I keep stopping to gawp at the dozens of visitor’s classics arriving at the venue. Anything from a stunning Capri MkIII to the late John Surtees’s Ferrari. Stepping through the gates, the magic immediately grips you. We find ourselves in the club displays; rows upon rows of delectable classics, some of which I had never seen before. As the track snakes round, the classics follow suit, with a mix of higher end brands such as Bugatti, Aston Martin and Bentley sitting quite comfortably next to Fiats, Peugeots and a gaggle of micro cars. Refreshingly, there is no ego. I don’t hear a single person showing off. Just smiles and laughter, hugs and goodwill.
Steph and co-pilot Joe… in the Plan B car.
The programme reveals there are more than 9000 cars on display, but the real highlight for me are the Tour De France cars. These are ‘curios and oddities’ which lead the race each year. The conjoined twin Renault 5 is probably my favourite. A spot of lunch leads us down to the track to watch some of the qualifying action.
I arrive with zero expectation, but to see a Jowett out on the track put an enormous smile on my face. In the paddock, I spot some familiar faces from Bicester Heritage, who are working on the race cars over the weekend, which makes you especially proud of our homegrown talent. We also spot PC’s James Walshe, who joined us for an hour of car spotting, with an early Mitsubishi Colt being a highlight for him.
Faithful Nancy the Minor hits France.
The funny thing about Le Mans Classic is that time has no concept. If you’ve never been before, it’s a hard to explain, but it really should be nicknamed ‘the circuit that never sleeps.’ The traffic is constant; a smell of fuel and grease lingers in the air and toots of horns (mainly from the 2CV and Mehari taxis) continue throughout the night.
Despite chronic sleep deprivation, I am wide awake, and as the light fades, we mix watching qualifiers and dancing to a mix of DJs spinning Sixties hits from old school vinyl. In the early hours, we stumble back to the campsite. The cars still rushing round come within inches of the public footpath. Common sense is relied upon to avoid injury and happily, people behave well and move in harmony with the endless sea of classics. You can barely tell the site packs in 238,000 guests for the weekend, as it all seems to run seamlessly.
Bonjour, Le Mans!
Racy times
Day two brings the first ‘real’ races and include pre-war cars, Sixties classics (my favourite) and a bit of the more modern, high-end stuff. The racing continues for 24 hours, starting on the Saturday afternoon and continuing non-stop until Sunday afternoon. Each group of cars is out for an hour before the next one goes out, unlike 24 Hours, which has the same cars out for the full duration.
We devour crepes, indulge in classic car spotting and visit the classic camping display – a mix of canvas frame tents and classic caravans. Each setup is completely vintage, with an impressive display of vintage accessories. Along with the racing, the displays and pop-up performers, there’s that relentless, non-stop music – a DJ in the main bar belting out the hits and another retro stage nearby plays Fifties and Sixties numbers. There’s a line-up of musical artists on a stage nearby, but the French DJ playing Northern Soul keeps me spinning on the wooden slats for far longer than I plan to be out! It’s 2am and we show no signs of slowing down, a bit like the race cars, we’re willing ourselves on. Sadly, the promise of three days of sun is suddenly broken with a deluge of rain that temporarily closes the track for a few hours. Seeing this as a chance to get some sleep, we grab a few hours before taking a very British approach of umbrellas and stiff upper lip. Spectating at Dunlop Corner, we will the cars to take more risk, but totally appreciate the races are soon to finish and the rain has left the track rather perilous. The sun emerges mid-afternoon, not long before the final race is called. We finish our time on the track exhausted, a soaking wet feeling to add to our sunburn.
'We devour crepes and indulge in exotic classic car spotting’
The French know how to party.
Steph considers a Lagonda engine swap for her Minor.
Magnificent Jowett ready for action.
Racing action takes place in 30 degree heat.
Classic camping area a big hit with Steph.
Steph and best mate Joe enjoy the madness.
Homeward bound
The weather has changed as we set off for home Monday morning, having once again checked all the vitals. Barely a drop of oil used in the 1000 miles we’ve covered so far. Pulling up to a potato vending machine located in the middle of absolutely nowhere, sadly out of service, Joe tweaks the mixture. Within a few minutes, Nancy sounds fine again. We pick our way through little villages, soaking up the last of the French culture and soon, a stress-free Channel crossing is spoilt by an arduous trek up the M25. Nancy gets me home for 9pm and a quick tally of fuel receipts show her to be achieving approximately 38mpg; which is sensational. Underbonnet checks show the oil level has fallen around 1mm below the max line; and it’ll now be time for a customary service and inspection.
Bravo to us, but mostly to Nancy, who has now covered over 5000 miles since her MOT in May, without fault. Above all though, the Le Mans Classic has completely changed my expectations of what a motoring spectacle should deliver. I’ll be returning next year – this time in a convertible!
Defunct spud machine on the rainy road home.
WE WERE THERE TOO!
‘I can get all my Le Mans camping gear in it’
1974 Triumph TR6 Colin Barker, Hertfordshire
Colin’s trusty ’6 really is part of the family
I’m camping at Classic Le Mans with fellow members of the TR Register and Triumph Sport Six Club. The TR6 is the ideal tourer for trips like this. It’s comfortable, has power when you need it and although not exactly economical, these cars are relatively simple to maintain. You can get plenty of luggage in the back and a load of spares underneath the boot floor, too. This year, the boot itself is crammed full of camping gear, with a pair of axle stands and a kettle behind the seats.
I bought my TR6 in 1978 when it had 23,000 miles. At the time, I looked at MGs, but they weren’t special enough for me, and I tried an Elan but I doubt I’d still own it now as they were so delicate. My TR6 has been so robust – it has never let me down. It’s a ten-metre car, as its not perfect but I find it very useable – it’s on 106,000 miles these days. In that time, the car has been very much part of the family – I drove it to work, took each of the kids to Saturday football and it has taken us on numerous holidays. My wife and I drove it to Spain on holiday last year. The engine has never been apart!
‘We’re heading down through France on the backroads’
1965 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII Richard Tysler, Essex
Just hold on to that map!
My wife Anne and I are spending the weekend at Le Mans and love the sounds and sights – there’s nowhere else quite like it. We thought we’d bring the Austin-Healey as the weather forecast was good and it’s an excellent cruiser on a long distance – when Anne and I aren’t arguing over which direction to take. It’s always a mix of sat nav and old-fashioned map reading, which can be tricky as there’s so little space in the cabin!
It’s Anne’s car really. She’d always wanted one. We’ve owned it for eight years, and it has been terrific. We’ve done the Pyrenees in the car and even though temperatures went beyond 30 degrees, the car was fine. On this trip, we’re doing the Le Mans classic and then heading down to the south of France using mostly backroads as it’s much nicer to keep a car like this away from the autoroute. We’re here at Le Mans this time with our friend Shaun – he doesn’t fit in the boot though, so he’s at the wheel of his Tesla. What a loser!
‘My Chevette is probably the rarest car at Le Mans’
1975 Vauxhall Chevette Turbo David Foreshaw, Frampton Cotterell
Sleeper Chevette packs quite the punch!
We’re on our way back from the Le Mans Classic, having done a long trip around Europe before that. The event was really good – we’ve had a real blast. I reckon we might have been in the rarest car there. There aren’t many Chevettes around – let alone Chevettes with 234bhp!
My grandfather bought this car new in 1975, and I passed my driving test in it in 1988. I bought the car off him in 1993 and, after finding a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo that had crashed into a tree, I removed its 170bhp engine and fitted it into the Chevette. I’ve put it on multipoint and added a Cosworth intercooler, Starion turbocharger and vented discs. Plant your foot at 70mph and it pushes you back in your seat! However, it’s actually very relaxing to drive with the diff I’ve fitted. All that extra power was useful on our trip around the Alpine mountain passes. I’ve been with my son driving around Austria and Switzerland, followed by my brother in his Impreza and others in a Boxster, TT and a Stag. They were definitely following, as they couldn’t catch us!
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