Article in French Magazine, La Vie de l'Auto

Written by Toby Ross
Published on Sunday, August 08, 2010

From the 7th to 9th of May, Malta celebrated its second Historic Grand Prix. Festivities started on the Friday afternoon with a concours d’elegance. Fifty cars were present, and judging was carried out by a panel of foreigners comprising one American, two Englishmen, and an Englishman living in France. The standard of restoration was extremely high, and the results very close. For a country that loves British cars, it was a surprise to see a Traction cabriolet, a DS cabriolet, and a Facel Vega HK.

Saturday saw a timed sprint on a section of the full circuit, and this determined the starting order for Sunday’s race. The circuit runs through the streets of the capital city, Valletta. The backdrop of historic buildings and fortifications is breathtaking. The town was the home of the Knights of Hospitaller and is recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

With some exceptions, the cars were from the local enthusiasts. The small island, with only 400,000 inhabitants, has an enormous number of classic cars fans. Many of the cars have been there since new. The grids were mixed but made up largely of MGs , Austin Healy and Jaguars. However, there were some surprises. Hillclimbing is very popular on the island, and this has produced some very accomplished drivers, some of whom decided to enter a few unusual cars, just for the fun of it. The most unlikely was a pair of Rolls Royce, a Silver Shadow, and a Silver Spur. These mastodons, driven skillfully, were surprisingly fast, sliding through the corners and smoke pouring from there brakes on the finish line. Another surprise was a Citroen GS which was much faster than could be expected. However, the fastest car of the weekend was perhaps the biggest surprise. An early seventies Mercedes 280 saloon with automatic gearbox, and no mechanical modifications was driven by a local hillclimb champion with such skill that it was untouchable.

Click HERE to read article in French

Once again, the Maltese hospitality was wonderful, the weekend a real delight. They are hoping to organize the event again next year, and will welcome foreign participants.