Great British Welcome 2024

[BigRobbo]

Will PH be at the GBW St Saturnin on the Friday? Does anyone know what marque they are celebrating this year? Will there be PH parking?.....so many questions.....

[Aysedasi2]

Having been for several years, I didn't bother last year. I felt that the number of interesting cars has reduced considerably over the last few years.

[Truckosaurus]

It is, of course, been renamed to 'Classic British Welcome' for many years....

https://www.classicbw.org/en/homepage/

The website still has 2023 as the latest event (Ferrari), so hopefully they will announce the 2024 theme shortly.

I still like the event, it is a good excuse to get away from the circuit, but traffic is always an issue.

(Let alone the vague door policy of seeming letting in anything with 2 doors and ignoring anything else).

[Porkieboy]

The marque was announcedon 1st March as Mrercedes Benz, we will keep everyone up to datas we get the latest information and deatils of the event
?? https://www.lycianevents.com/st-saturnin/

Edited by Porkieboy on Thursday 18th April 10:41

[Truckosaurus]

Very good. Although somewhat of a shame not to have a marque that is competing in the actual race now that there is are larger variety of brands on the grid.

[//j17]

Truckosaurus said:

It is, of course, been renamed to 'Classic British Welcome' for many years....

Was it EVER called the Great British Welcome? Sure it's been the CBW since I've been going to Le Mans, so 20+years.

[gt6]

i went to the seond ever event and it was the classic british welcome then, Originally for "Classic cars" but over the years there are less of the old french classic cars and considerably more modern cars, I think the stewards let far to many modern cars into the show ring whilst turning away 40 plus year old cars that would be in teresting to view rather than rows and rows of brand new bmw's and porsches wich are of no interest to classic car people. just my opinion.

[Truckosaurus]

As 'GT6' suggests, I think the 'GBW' name was only for the first event - they were aiming it at Brits who used to drive through the village before the autoroute bypassed them.

It is somewhat a victim of its own success - in an ideal world you'd turn the whole village and all the cars parks into the event zone and just have a handful of preinvited cars based on the annual theme into the car park at the community centre, then there would be no need to filter out classics or sportscars by the man on the gate, everyone just wandering around the whole area spotting whatever cars interest them.

[Aysedasi2]

gt6 said:

i went to the seond ever event and it was the classic british welcome then, Originally for "Classic cars" but over the years there are less of the old french classic cars and considerably more modern cars, I think the stewards let far to many modern cars into the show ring whilst turning away 40 plus year old cars that would be in teresting to view rather than rows and rows of brand new bmw's and porsches wich are of no interest to classic car people. just my opinion.

One that I share.

[//j17]

I'd be suprised if they ever turned an actual classic away - but they do sub-filter the classics from the modern sports cars and exotics once you're inside the gate, subject to space. Back in 2022 went in convoy in my Spitfire with a Focus ST and XK8 and while the 2 moderns were just waved through, up the hill to the grass I was offered the choice of following them or filling an empty spot in the car park proper. Friends were dropped like a stty stick and car parked in the 'posh' bit

[davidd]

We've been for the last few years (since they stopped Mulsanne straight fun), it's a good event but traffic has been getting worse and the cars are pretty much the same every year. I's recommend it to a first timer but we'll be giving it a miss.

[FredericRobinson]

For those who don’t fancy the trip out, or want a change, the Mulsanne corner show has been very good the last couple of years

[purple haze]

The first event was held more than 20 years ago in front of what I think was a warehouse that was situated on the old N138 in pre autoroute days. The reason I know this is that I was the very first car to turn up! In those days I had a chrome orange Elise which attracted a lot of attention. As we approached St Saturnin (not knowing anything about the event) the organisers were still putting the signs out and frantically waved me down and asked if I would park the Lotus up where they directed at the side of the road and next to their signs - so as to catch the eye of all the other Brits travelling down. This we did and spent the rest of the morning there including doing an interview with local radio (when my French was a lot better then than it is now) and having hordes of French school kids having their pictures taken sat in the Elise. And I've been back every year since.