It's not just the AVUS that turns 100 this year. Just over a month before the race track in Berlin was opened, the first race took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on August 12, 1921.
To celebrate the anniversary, the Autoworld Museum in Brussels is hosting an exhibition entitled "In the Spotlight: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 100 Years" until November 28, 2021. The special exhibition in the southern hall of the Jubelpark includes 35 cars and some motorcycles and is divided into three main themes: the 1000-kilometer race, which has been held since 1966; Formula 1, which has been racing at Spa since its first season in 1950, and of course the 24-hour race, which was held for the first time in 1924.
Despite the relatively small number of vehicles on display, the spectrum is very broad and ranges from the ancient Renault GP built in 1906 to Alessandro Pier Guidi's winning Ferrari 488 GT3 from this year's 24-hour race. In addition to classic touring car icons such as the Alfa Giulia Sprint GTA and Ford Capri as well as historic Formula 1 racers, curious pieces with a connection to the race track in the Ardennes will also be on display. For example, the Peugeot 806 in Super Touring specification, with which the Belgians Éric Bachelart, Philippe Verellen and Pascal Witmeur competed in the Spa 24 Hours in 1995.
In terms of motorcycles, the anniversary show includes a 1975 MV Agusta 500 and several Honda bikes from the Belgian Dholda team. They are the real reason to celebrate, as the first race on the country road circuit was actually one for motorcycles, as only one four-wheeled participant had registered. The first car race did not take place until a good year later, on August 20, 1922.
Tickets cost 12 euros. Discounts are available for children up to the age of 11, students and senior citizens. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free of charge. More information is available at www.autoworld.be
