I went to an interesting event last weekend, the Lobethal Grand Carnival. It's a celebration of Lobethal's history of motor racing, as the public roads around Lobethal were once used as a full international Grand Prix circuit from 1937-1948. The same narrow, winding eight-mile course is now closed to traffic once a year, to host a huge array of vintage and classic racing cars for a revival of the original Grand Prix. Not the usual Retro Rides fare, but I'm sure many of you will be interested in some of the photos I took, so I thought I'd put them up.
Sadly, the event is not a race, but the cars are allowed to drive at speed for a few untimed laps. The amount of money some of the participating vehicles are worth is staggering, so perhaps it's best that they're not racing!
1964 Ford Falcon Rallye Sprint
Holden LJ Torana GTR-XU1
A spectator's car chilling out at the town's service station!
A pair of Alfa Romeo P3s. The rear car, number 12, was driven to victory in the 1935 German Grand Prix by none other than Tazio Nuvolari! Not sure I even want to know what those two cars are worth together... although the world's oldest surviving Alfa, a 1921 G1, also attended and was driven around the circuit!
Ex-works Delahaye Type 135S, which placed 4th in the 1939 Australian Grand Prix on these very streets in Lobethal.
MG TC, one of many early MGs enjoying a few laps.
There were plenty of classic race bikes of all makes there as well, as Lobethal started as a Tourist Trophy bike race in 1937, the year before they ran the GP for cars.
I've got plenty more photos, and will post up more later when I have time to wait for Photobucket. Enjoy!
Sadly, the event is not a race, but the cars are allowed to drive at speed for a few untimed laps. The amount of money some of the participating vehicles are worth is staggering, so perhaps it's best that they're not racing!
1964 Ford Falcon Rallye Sprint
Holden LJ Torana GTR-XU1
A spectator's car chilling out at the town's service station!
A pair of Alfa Romeo P3s. The rear car, number 12, was driven to victory in the 1935 German Grand Prix by none other than Tazio Nuvolari! Not sure I even want to know what those two cars are worth together... although the world's oldest surviving Alfa, a 1921 G1, also attended and was driven around the circuit!
Ex-works Delahaye Type 135S, which placed 4th in the 1939 Australian Grand Prix on these very streets in Lobethal.
MG TC, one of many early MGs enjoying a few laps.
There were plenty of classic race bikes of all makes there as well, as Lobethal started as a Tourist Trophy bike race in 1937, the year before they ran the GP for cars.
I've got plenty more photos, and will post up more later when I have time to wait for Photobucket. Enjoy!
