Here we are on the roads of the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières. Between two lockdowns and the curfew, the sensations at the wheel of the Ravage feel good.
What a pleasure to drive this lightweight car along these legendary roads. We think of Jean-Claude Andruet sending his berlinette flying from corner to corner, and remember the howl of Panizzi’s Pipo four-cylinder engine. In a word, we are happy.
Rémi Dargegen captured this outing. We thank him for his eye and his patience in that cold month of January!
As soon as we can, we will return at night: those Cibié LED spotlights really need their moment.
A little history
The Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières, known as ‘Le Charbo’, is based around Lyon. Called the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières-Stuttgart–Solitude from 1960 to 1975 and now the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières-Rhône, it was established by the Automobile Club du Rhône, the Moto-Club du Rhône and the Société des Eaux Minérales de Charbonnières.
It was officially founded in 1947 by Dr Pierre Dalligand, president of the ACR and MCR and winner of the inaugural event in a Bugatti 55, and casino manager Georges Bassinet, president of the SEMC.
The event became exclusively four-wheeled in 1950. Over the years it featured in the European Rally Championship, from 1967, when it was regarded as the West German rally and won by Vic Elford; the French championship; and the Swiss championship between 2000 and 2003.
It has hosted the French D1 championship again since 1996.
Drivers including Jean Vinatier, Jean-Claude Andruet, Bernard Darniche, Jean Ragnotti and Sébastien Loeb have won Le Charbo.
At the time of this article, Dany Snobeck and David Salanon held the event record with four wins each. Jean-Claude Andruet, Bernard Darniche and Philippe Bugalski followed with three titles.
Stages such as Col de Crie–Chiroubles and Marchampt–St-Cyr-le-Chatoux are legendary, as are the Pont Gaillard, also called the Pont de Véry, and the Mardore hairpin.
Before exploring these lovely places, enjoy watching the Ravage slip beneath the radar at Air Base 942 Lyon–Mont Verdun.
Notable editions of Le Charbo
- 1950: Previously open to motorcycles, the event becomes exclusively for cars.
- 1952: The rally takes off with 148 entrants and three starting cities: London, Liège and Lausanne.
- 1959: The organisers introduce a speed-and-regularity event at the Charade circuit.
- 1978: Historic competition vehicles enter under adapted rules, while interest in motorsport revives with 67 starters.
- 1979: Fiat works driver Michèle Mouton and co-driver Françoise Conconi win the rally, becoming its only all-female winning crew.
- 1984: An exceptional storm leaves just 44 classified finishers from 158 entrants. Only three of the 22 historic vehicles finish the 449 km event, leading to another relegation to D2.
- 1996: After eleven years outside the top division following the snow-hit event, Le Charbo returns to D1.
- 1997: Already the 1996 winner, Gilles Panizzi wins again after a tense duel with Delecour in the other works 306 Maxi. The final stage on the Limonest hillclimb course decides it: just one second separates the Peugeot drivers. Nearly 250,000 spectators line the roads.
- 2000: Having joined Citroën in 1998, Bugalski takes a third consecutive victory, this time in the new four-wheel-drive Xsara T4.
- 2001: Sébastien Loeb wins ten of the fifteen stages, despite finishing the rally in a Xsara Kit-Car running on three cylinders.
- 2012: Stéphane Sarrazin sets ten fastest stage times, but loses ten minutes on the second stage. Dany Snobeck’s usual consistency brings him his fourth and final victory in the Rhône.
- 2014: In his Group A7 Clio Williams, Julien Saunier achieves the ‘impossible’ by finishing 14th overall.
Sources: Wikipédia and LeCharbo.fr
Photo credit: Ravage × Rémi Dargegen
