FEBRUARY 27, 2006

Plans for Grand Prix centenary parade in Paris

There are plans under discussion for a major exhibition in Paris and a parade on the Champs Elysees to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Grand Prix motor race. If all goes to plan there will be a exhibition laid out on either side of Paris's main thoroughfare in May and June and there will be a parade of the most important racing cars from each decade. This will take place on June 1 before a gala dinner at the Automobile Club de France.

The Champs Elysees is often used for such exhibitions and a couple of years ago railways tracks were laid on either side of the road and trains brought in to celebrate and promote railway travel. If the Paris authorities agree, the event will provide the motorsport industry an opportunity to show off event its value to millions of visitors in Paris.

There will also be a major celebration of the centenary at Le Mans, where the 1906 race took place, on June 10 and 11 with 100 cars from the early years of the sport doing a symbolic lap of the original 65-mile circuit.