The Rallye des Légendes Richard Mille set off on 11 September for 3 days of driving in south-eastern France. A total of 25 crown jewels of automotive manufacturing from around the world convened for this exceptional rally. Richard Mille signed on once again to bring this event to life alongside Peter Auto.
Participants competed amicably on stages of around 250 kilometres each, departing daily from the Hôtel Baumanière. Hailing from all over the world to celebrate, among other things, the French art-de-vivre, they had an opportunity to enjoy the charm of this historic property. Dinners were organised in extraordinary settings, most of which are rarely open to the public, such as the Arles Amphitheatre or the Carrières de Lumières in Baux-de-Provence, a performance location that welcomes experimental artists.
Amid a renewed sense of peace conducive to exploration after the summer season, and in order to maintain the atmosphere of a Sunday drive among friends, the exact route of each stage was withheld from the public. Driving on the narrow, winding roads of Baux-de-Provence, the Gard and the Luberon departments, crews were able to fully enjoy fabled stretches such as the Mont Ventoux and to race at full speed on the track at the Circuit de Lédenon and Le Grand Sambuc. Coming unawares on an Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato from 1961, hard on the heels of a Matra MS 600 from 1971, or watching a Porsche 356 Carrera GT Speedster from 1958 overtaken by a Ferrari 250 GT California Spider 1960 and an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Touring from 1931 in the heart of Provence, these are hardly commonplace occurrences. Richard Mille partner McLaren Automotive was also in attendance to accompany several guests who took the wheel of the 570S and 720S.
‘It was obvious to me that we had to support this new concept from Peter Auto’, gushes Richard Mille. ‘Provence is a region I’m especially fond of, one that offers a wealth of experiences in many respects. The quality of the grid and the organisation, as well as the pleasure we take in bringing it about make this private rally one of the most exclusive there is, whilst opening a vista of tremendous potential development.’
This first edition has been crowned with a success, to be renewed promptly next year, when the Rallye des Légendes Richard Mille will give participants an opportunity to discover yet another region in Europe at the wheel of ever more exclusive cars.
