Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Talbot Victory in the 1934 International Alpine Trial 9th Jul 2024

Absolutely typical – you wait for years for a 90th anniversary to come along, and then three arrive all at the same time! The TOC, of course, the VSCC, and then, way ahead of both of these in significance for the Talbot marque, the repetition in 1934 of the 1932 team of Talbot 105s achieving a faultless team victory in the International Alpine Trial. 

The full account of the 1934 Alpine Trial was brilliantly captured by Tommy Wisdom, crewing BGH21 with Mrs Wisdom, in the post-event brochure ‘The Talbot in the Alps’. If you’ve not read this wonderful story, I have a copy of the original and have created a pdf file of it, which I have shared with all those who took part in this celebration event. Suffice to say, we set out to capture the spirit of their success and not to follow too precisely the challenges they faced in 1934 – 1,970 miles from Nice to Munich, by way of Aix-Les-Bains, Interlaken, St Moritz, Venice and Zagreb. Our more modest route still succeeded in crossing at least 14 Alpine Passes, including the iconic Stelvio, in 1934 the highest pass in the Alps. 

With a Rally Plate capturing the design of the original in 1934, this celebration was promoted as a joint STD/TOC event, enhanced by some non-Talbot owners who wished to share in the celebration, and attracted 14 cars of intrepid adventurers. The original list was:

What actually turned up were six Talbots, three Sunbeams, two Porsches, one Jaguar E-type, one Morgan and a bright red Renault 5 Turbo, with ages (of the cars!) ranging from 1925 to 2024! Sadly, David and John in AYE70 were forced to take an early bath when their gearbox failed on Day Two – with the hope and anticipation of a further Alpine Adventure in the future. 

With Alpine passes in our sights, our plan was to transit to Livigno for a three-night stay, then trace the 1934 route in reverse to Meiringen for a further three nights of mountain fun. Both places offered us a base surrounded by a multitude of exciting passes within a short drive, and we were not disappointed. 

James Tibbitts, an experienced Talbot Alpinist, takes up the story with his personal reflections:

Tuesday 9th July we head for Folkestone under grey skies but no rain. That, as it turned out, was waiting for us at Calais, and it poured on the motorway from there to St Quentin. Then across country to the usual hotel at Vienne-Le-Chateau which was warm and welcoming, with an excellent dinner as always.

Wednesday 10th July we head East South East towards the Vosges Mountains and up towards the top of the Col du Bonhomme before turning South down the undulating spine of the range to meet the Col de la Schlucht and up again before the descent down towards Colmar. Then over the Rhine on the hydro-electric dam at Fessenheim to our hotel just South of Munstertal.

Thursday 11th July we are heading for Italy today, but first David has given us a lovely route South East through the Black Forest on empty winding roads where we find ourselves following William Balfour in his AV105 and Andrew Waldrum in a Morgan. Great fun before we have to leave them near Todtmoos to find petrol. Then across Switzerland using the Motorway past Zurich to save time, and to hurry past the bits of Switzerland that we didn’t come to see. Next to Klosters and turning East before Davos and over the Fluelapass and through the Munt La Schera tunnel to our hotel in Livigno.

Friday 12th July overnight rain was still continuing in the morning. We delayed our departure a little and then followed David down through Bormio and up the Western side of the Stelvio to the top. A lovely drive on nearly deserted roads as the motorbikes and cyclists had stayed away to avoid the rain. We climbed above the cloud as we neared the top and as we reached the summit were greeted with sunshine and blue sky. Coffee and strudel in the Stelvio Hotel is a ritual that we follow scrupulously and the rain had kept people away leaving the hotel and surrounding area nearly deserted. (1)

David and Mike decided to go down the Eastern side of the pass and make the climb back to the top, as the competitors in the 1934 Alpine Trial would have done, and we watched as they came up the final straight to the top. (2)

Then we descended via the Umbrail, the Ofenpass and through the Munt La Schera tunnel back into Livigno.

       Saturday 13th July was busier as all the motorbikes and cyclists came out into the sunshine for a weekend on the road. We decided to reverse our route of the previous day and headed North through the tunnel, up over the Ofenpass and then climbed the Umbrail to where it meets the Stelvio and up the last 3 Km to the top. A different view on Saturday – crowds of people on bicycles and motorbikes thronged the area opposite the Stelvio Hotel  and filled every available parking space. (3)

Sunday 14th July we leave Livigno and head for the Hotel Victoria in Meiringen. First South to the Passo del Bernina, past Pontresina and over the Albula Pass, one of my favourites. From Bonaduz to Ilanz, Fred has recommended a road that I have driven before; very narrow and winding but with beautiful views; and a speed camera in the 30km zone in Versam which now has very nice pictures of some of us. Then the Oberalppass to Andermatt and the Susten Pass and into Meiringen.

        Monday 15th July we decide upon a rest day from driving and take the train a few km to Innertkirchen from where we walk back through the Aareschlucht Gorge, a 1.4Km long gorge cut in places 200m deep into the limestone by a river that is a running torrent. The walkway through is suspended on the side of the gorge and one hopes is regularly and well maintained.

       Tuesday 16th July we are back in the car and in this part of Switzerland that means climbing and descending passes.        

       So today it’s the Grimsel, Nufenen, St Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel (the other way) and back into Meiringen; and adjust the brakes which, after that lot, were beginning to feel a bit slack!

       Of those, the St Gotthard was the most memorable. There are three ways of traversing the St Gotthard: the new motorway tunnel through the mountain, the main road that was built some years ago and the old cobbled road which climbs from the south up to the top of the pass. The old road was great fun as we rounded the hairpins on the cobbles.     

       Bratwurst in a bun with coffee at the top was well earned – and paid for in Euros. At a 1:1 exchange rate to the Swiss Franc was a little less expensive than paying in the local currency.

A great farewell dinner at the Hotel marked the end of the Celebration as we said our farewells until the next time we meet on another Alpine adventure.

Wednesday 17th July and we are on the way back. First a near 400 mile run to a hotel just South of Laon and the next day a shorter run up to Calais and back at home in London just after 2pm. Another great trip and our thanks to David for making all the arrangements work so well and to everyone in the group for making it such an enjoyable commemoration of the 1934 Talbot team’s success.

David Thomson