It’s the ultimate classic motorsport adventure. Reims to Monaco. Over 2,000km in some of the most iconic classic performance machinery ever to get crossed-up on an a slippery Alpine hairpin. Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?
In the video above, watch ‘70s F1 star Michel Leclère take on the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique in a Renault 5 Alpine Groupe II with Team Classic Renault. Joined by 911s, Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTis, Ford Cortinas and Escorts, to name a few, the plucky R5 rips up the glistening tarmac stages.
The visceral induction growl and savage exhaust rip make for aural delight through the hills of the principality. Onboard, Leclère scythes through the gears, working the four-pot for all it’s worth and threading the dainty R5 through roads that would see a Range Rover three inches over the edge on either side. The way it dances over crests with the back end teetering on the edge of rotation: it’s automotive ballet.
Renault
5
Rallye Monte Carlo Historique
Flat-Out and Fearless