France/ Montmirail is the 4th village in the Sarthe region to be awarded the Village d'accueil des véhicules d'époque label.
On Sunday June 23, 2024, Montmirail (Sarthe), a small town full of character, was awarded the Village d'accueil des véhicules d'époque label. It is the 4th commune in the department to receive this distinction.
On Sunday June 23, 2024, the commune of Montmirail (Sarthe) was awarded the Village d'accueil des véhicules d'époque label. Launched a year ago by the Fédération française des véhicules d'époque (FFVE), the label has already been awarded to 112 communes. Montmirail is the4th in Sarthe to receive the label, and the 54th nationally.
"Our federation, set up in 1967, has over 1,500 members, all of whom are obviously passionate about the history of vintage cars.s by the history of the automobile" , explains Francis Piquera, FFVE regional delegate since 2018. In Sarthe, fourteen automobile clubs belong to the federation, not to mention the museum and several professionals, including Sarthe Tourisme.
Built and rolling heritage
Under a beautiful summer sky, Jean Dumur, the mayor of Montmirail, received the two panels, proudly displaying the town's commitment to promoting its rich built heritage, as well as its rolling heritage.
He also underlined the passion of some for the history of the automobile and mechanics in general. It was here, on this square, at the beginning of the 20th century, that Georges Durand called on the population to get involved in the crazy project of an automobile race, which would later give rise to the legend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Montmirail met all the criteria for this label, including a parking lot to welcome the clubs in favorable conditions, to park and display the old-timers, with dedicated signage. A brochure was also published and a web page created, listing all the tourist facilities available to collectors, such as hotels, restaurants and a garage to help out.
The FFVE, through its regional delegate, reiterated that it works "so that today's collectors can drive yesterday's vehicles while respecting tomorrow's legislation".
Source: www.ouest-france.fr/
