Seventeen years. For seventeen years, in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir), beautiful mechanics are at the service of a good cause. The meeting, often crowded, brings together all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest, and all cars. In partnership with the Rotary Club Chartres Deux Vallées, which organizes the event, the club of old cars of Beauce (VAB) will mobilize, this Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April, about sixty old.
“Last year, we did between 250 and 300 laps,” explains James Lefièvre, president of the club. The concept is simple: you pay, you get in the car and off you go. The funds will be donated for children with disabilities. Of course, the price varies depending on the vehicle, between 10 euros and 20 euros. The set of a hundred beautiful ladies promises to be splendid. From the (very) small twin-cylinder of 375 cm3, belonging to the Deudeuche, to the V12 of the Jaguar Type-E, there will be everything, without forgetting the very old ones, the pre-war Citroën B2 and C4 and a whole battalion of popular cars from the 1950s to the 1980s, such as the Renault 4 CV, the Traction and other DS, the Peugeot 404, the Simca Aronde… “The cars of parents and grandparents”, sums up, with a smile, the enthusiast.
For visitors in a little more of a hurry or who rock more on the side of sportiness and luxury, a battery of Porsche (912, 911, 993, 992, 996, Carrera, GT3 RS, etc.), Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maseratis and Americans (Cobra, Mustang, Corvette) will be well parked. “This weekend is a return to childhood. We are all fans of cars from when we were kids, ”underlines James. Despite a current rather “autophobic” policy, the public remains attached to the image of the car. “It remains a symbol of freedom, independence, holidays…” The club president will come with a Traction, to which will be hitched a period caravan and an old Citroën C4, far from starting. “She is still on hold. I’ll have to work nights if I want her to be there this weekend. Because of the clutch failure, I have to remove the gearbox. »
15,000 euros collected in 2022
Xavier Martino, head of the Balades de Chartres commission within the Rotary Chartres Deux Vallées, is in the starting blocks. “The children’s eyes shine. It is also a moment of sharing for exhibitors and visitors. A large audience each year, which attracts an average of 10,000 people over the two days. “We can’t even move around the square at times, so crowded,” says the professional photographer.
Last year, about 1,000 baptisms were performed. Including the help of patrons, 15,000 euros had been collected. “The funds are dispatched between several actions. The club will finance the therapeutic stay, in Sables-d’Olonne (Vendée), transport, overnight stays as well as boat tours and first flights, for example, which will be done on site, thanks, in particular, at the aero-club of Chartres metropolis. Several children from Aspic, the Infant-Juvenile Psychiatric Social Association of Chartres, will also benefit from the aid. This year, around twenty laptops were also offered to middle school students in two establishments in Chartres.
Dates and times: Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April, from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Location: Place des Épars, 28,000 Chartres. Ticket prices: 10 euros to 20 euros depending on the type of vehicle.
