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| Matra 530 by Sonia Delaunay, 1967. |
The 14th annual Louis Vuitton Classic Automobile Competition will be held on September 8-9 at the Parc de Bagatelle in Paris. Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has been famous for its luggage and handbags and now has a ready-to-wear line. This race represents the Louis Vuitton life force and soul of travel. The competition is open to all car lovers. Over 70 cars are placed into seven categories and then classified according to age, type and history.
Here are the categories:
Authentiques: Pre-war cars in exceptional original condition. They must be in perfect running order and boast inimitable paintwork. Mercedes: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of this famous German brand, 10 Mercedes models will compete. Voyage: de luxe vehicles manufactured prior to 1935. Vitesse: Sports and competition cars manufactured prior to 1934. Grand Sport: Sport coupes and convertibles from the 1930s and 1940s. Berlinettes: Coupes from 1950-1970. Grand Tourisme GT cars from the 1960s and 1970s. Non-competition concept cars will introduce visitors to future car designs.
Artists' cars
Every year, a theme reflecting "l'air du temps" is chosen. This year, the theme is contemporary painting through artists' cars. In 2001, we saw revived interest in 1970s fashions and pop art. Andy Warhol, Franck Stella, Wolinski, Yamagata and Boris Vian created cars in that era. Louis Vuitton is paying tribute to six artists including Liechtenstein, Arman, Cesar and Sonia Delaunay by exhibiting their cars that meld automobiles and art. Presented out of the competition, the artists' cars will be displayed in the Cour d'Honneur of the Chateau.
