The Trophées d’Auvergne returned to the Charade circuit on June 10, 2026 for the first time in several years, bringing more than 150 Historic racing cars to the French venue. The meeting also marked the first standalone event organised by Motor Racing Legends outside Great Britain.
Motor Racing Legends grids have competed at European circuits since 1984, usually as part of established international meetings such as the Le Mans 24 Hours and the CrowdStrike Spa 24 Hours. The Trophées d’Auvergne was the first continental event to be promoted directly by the organisation, following the same format as its British meetings at Donington Park, Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
The Trophées d’Auvergne name dates from 1958, when the meeting inaugurated the newly constructed Charade circuit. It became a regular fixture for endurance-racing teams and drivers during the following two decades. Several cars associated with the original races returned to Charade, including Lola T292 chassis HU40 and Chevron B23 chassis 73-8. Driven by Guy Edwards and John Burton respectively, the two cars finished first and third at the circuit in 1973. The Lola recorded another victory at Charade in 2026, when Chris Ward and Jan Magnussen won the 2-Litre Sportscars race.
The weekend programme covered machinery ranging from pre-war sports cars to 1970s sports prototypes, alongside Pre-1966 GTs and grids organised by the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association. Around 50 Formula 1 cars took part as the event marked 60 years since scenes for the film Grand Prix were recorded at Charade in July 1966. More than 3000 local people were recruited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as extras for the production.
Charade also hosted the French Grand Prix on four occasions between 1965 and 1972. The races used the original 8km circuit, which extended beyond the present layout and was described by Henri Pescarolo as a “little Nürburgring”. Drivers and mechanics toured the original circuit on Friday evening, guided by Jean-Paul Taillandier and Guy Lemaitre of the Agissons pour Charade association. The route included former sections such as the Manson curve, the Belvédère hairpin, Les Jumeaux and the Gravenoire banking.
The meeting also commemorated the 70th anniversary of the death of Louis Rosier, who was killed at the Montlhéry circuit in 1956. Rosier was a racing driver, a member of the French Resistance and one of the figures involved in the creation of Charade. His granddaughter Élodie Rosier laid a wreath at the memorial dedicated to him during a ceremony in the paddock on Saturday morning.
Motor Racing Legends’ next meeting will be the inaugural BRDC Classic at Silverstone on July 24-26, 2026. More details and results from the meeting can be found here.
