RENDEZVOUS EN PROVENCE
TOUR AUTO 2023
22 April 2023 • Written By Virgiliu Andone
After the traditional departure from Paris, this year the enchanted caravan of Tour Auto made its way South, reaching its conclusion on the shores of the Mediterranean, on the famous Croissette of Cannes. We joined the caravan on the last two days of the rally, accompanying the competitors as they made their way through the spectacular roads of Provence, one of my favourite places on Earth.
The Tour has a distinctive Latin charm, with a sweet tooth for Italian mechanical masterpieces, manifesting itself in a proliferation of Ferraris so rare they trigger multiple deja-vu attacks as another red 275 GT shows up after you just saw one, then another silver Lusso. And another black 275 GT. These cars are so rare that time travel seems the more plausible explanation for seeing more than one on the same day.
The sensory overload sets the tone for what is an experience bordering on the surreal and the scenery is in no doubt a cunning catalyst for that.
The Alfisti contingent was not that impressive in numbers, but it did offer a cross section of what the Milanese brand is famous for, as each car type followed a slightly different concept and defined a different era, from the Touring bodied 1900 CSS, a silver splendour oozing luxury to the purist racing thoroughbred Zagato bodied TZ. The other cars were created by the no less legendary Bertone, but while the Franco Scaglione designed SS embodies the pioneering spirit of the BAT concepts, the 105 series coupes, penned by the masterful Giorgetto Giugiaro, are arguably the peak cars of the era of Alfa Romeo post-war dominance. These came in four flavours themselves, from the street spec silver Scalino, all the way to the wide body GTAm, with a racing Scalino and a GTA showcasing the progressive ramping up of sportiness through the range.
My mind tells me the 2023 Tour is over, but part of my heart is still on these roads, in the presence of these beautiful mechanical beasts. And I just want to cherish this precious feeling for as long as I can.
