At this years SPA Classic event, organized by Peter Auto, I had the great pleasure and honor to sit together with Audrey de la Brosse, Director of Communication at Peter Auto. We discussed the great event and the year with the new leadership of the two shareholders Automobile Club de L´Ouest and Amaury Sport Organisation.
Audrey, we sit together at most likely the most beautiful space at the famous SPA Francorchamps race circuit, the VIP Lounge of Peter Auto. From the terrace we have a spectacular view on Eau Rouge, the legendary combination of curves. Right now the Classic endurance Race cars are on the track. Very fast with an impressive sound. Are you satisfied with the event so far?
Yes indeed. We are very satisfied with the outcome this year. More than 400 race cars are participating and also more that 900 Clubs cars. The weekend is not over, but we could welcome approximately 30.000 visitors, all numbers show quite an 15% increase since last year.
Besides the mere numbers, I am impressed by the age mixture of the visitors. I have been to a number of events lately and got the impression that the age average of the visitors was increasing. In SPA I see a large number of enthusiastic young people and also many female spectators.
Correct. This is in line with our long term strategy. Classic Car Events shall be attractive and fun for people of any age and gender. Families are welcomed. We tried to carefully develop the groups of participating cars. New series like the Heritage Touring Cup 2 and GT3 Revival Series attract more young people. HTC 2 focusing on the post-1982 era, specifically the Group A cars that dominated European championships until the early 1990s and GT3 category, from 2006 to 2013, saw the birth and fierce competition of machines like Ferrari F430 and Aston Martin DBRS9 to the Audi R8 LMS, McLaren MP4-12C and Mercedes SLS AMG GT3.
We hope we present a good mixture of all periods of historic racing. And we always want to show something new to stay attractive. Peter Auto events create a strong intergenerational bond, where automotive passion is shared and passed down from generation to generation. We believe that the true essence of car culture lies in this transmission of heritage, knowledge, and enthusiasm.
Congratulations, well done! It looks like you are on the road to a bright future. Having said that, Peter Auto is now almost a year under new ownership. Is it too early to give an interim report on the new shareholders structure?
Our shareholders provide us with the resources and long-term vision needed to drive future development and expansion. For instance, we used to work colsely with Automobile Club de L’Ouest co organiser of Le Mans Classic. ACO has 120 years of history and was the founder of the Le Mans race.
With the new Direction, Peter Auto Keep its DNA while capitalizing stronger with the Le Mans Brand renamming our “championship” Le Mans Classic Series” So far we feel that we have the best of both worlds: a very individual style supported by strong partners.
That sounds fantastic! I would love to thank you for your time and hospitality. collectorscarworld wishes you a successful saison and I hope we will meet again at one of your 29 great events this year!
