In 2001 we launched Classic Car Tours International with a classic car tour of England's Lake District and also a car tour of Scotland followed by our first European driving holiday for classic cars and modern sports cars in the Pyrenees visiting both Spain and France. We also for the first time organised a motoring holiday to watch the classic car races at the Angouleme Circuit des Remparts in South West France.
In 2008 over 50% of our business was "repeat business" i.e. clients who had previously been on one of our motoring holidays or car tours and since our first escorted car tour 7 years ago we have delighted hundreds of owners of classic cars and modern sports cars, many of whom have also become regulars as well as friends.
In listening to customer feedback we are constantly striving to improve our car tours and in particular ensuring that we cater for the ladies who often accompany their husbands or partners in their classic cars or modern sports cars.. This has resulted in lower daily mileages on our driving holidays and more time for sight-seeing and visiting places of interest during the day with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the carefully chosen stylish yet comfortable hotels at the end of a memorable day's drive on stunning scenic routes.
... is to provide customers with an unforgettable driving holiday where you have lots of fun, make new friends and re-discover the joys of driving your classic cars or modern sports cars on scenic open roads in like-minded convivial company.
In 2009 we will be offering over a dozen European motoring holidays including 5 classic car tours in France, and two car tours to Italy including our second Mille Miglia tour and our Italian Grand Prix tour, a driving holiday which takes in the Italian Lakes and an opportunity to drive over the Stelvio Pass.In addition there is a motoring holiday right across the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean mainly in Spain and a motor tour of the Alps which visits 7 countries; France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco..New European car tour destinations in 2009 will include Germany, Corsica and Sardinia.New car tours in France include two motoring holidays to Provence visiting en-route over a dozen of the prettiest villages in France combined with a touring holiday through some of France's spectacular gorges, a car tour to the beautiful Dordogne region in south west France and a leisurely tour of the Loire Valley staying at a sumptuous 4* chateau hotel.For the first time we will also be organizing a car holiday to drive over the Stelvio Pass, in fact we drive over the Stelvio Pass twice on this tour from each direction), combined with a visit to 5 of the Italian lakes including 5 nights on Lake Como with an option to watch the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on the final weekend. In addition we also have a car tour to Le Mans to watch the Le Mans 24 hours race (see below).Old favourites include a touring holiday to watch the classic car races at the Angouleme circuit des remparts which celebrates its 70th year in 2009. This will be our 9th car tour to Angouleme to watch the atmospheric "circuit des remparts" and it just gets better and better, ( see photos taken at Angouleme circuit des remparts below towards the bottom of this page).
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Le Mans 24 hours Tour and Stelvio Pass/Italian Lakes/ Italian GP tour
As the Le Mans Classic races are not being held this year we will be organizing instead a car tour to the Le Mans 24 hours race incorporating a tour of the beautiful Loire valley staying throughout at a stunning 4* chateau hotel,( for details of our 2010 car tour to the Le Mans classic races see below).Our tour of the Italian Lakes, which incorporates an option to see the Italian Grand prix at Monza, includes 5 nights on Lake Como and a night in Bormio at the foot of the Stelvio pass where we drive over the notorious Stelvio Pass twice, in both directions ! 
2009 car tours linked to classic car events or races
Touring holidays in 2009 linked to classic car events or classic car races will include visits to Germany to the Nurburgring to attend the "Oldtimer grand prix "classic car weekend and a driving holiday to Italy to watch the atmospheric Mille Miglia historic classic car rally re-run combined with a motoring holiday in the Italian lakes, ( see photos of Mille Miglia below) and of course our favourite, which we will be visiting for the 7th year, the Angouleme Circuit des Remparts classic car races combined with a car tour of the beautiful Dordogne region in South West France.
Our overseas car tours are noted for the stylish accommodation and the hotels we use are usually luxury 4 and 3 star privately- owned hotels with lots of charm and character and gourmet three course dinners are normally included each evening.
VISIT OUR BLOGSITE for photos of previous tours as well as photos from our planning/reconnaisance visits for our new tours, (click on menu bar link to our blog site at the top of this page). These currently include the latest photos from our 2009 Mille Miglia and Italian lakes car tour as well as last year's Mille Miglia, our 2009 Dordogne Spring tour, and our 2009 Le Mans 24 hours tour as well as last year's Le Mans Classic and of course the wonderful Angouleme circuit des remparts classic cars racing, (see photos taken at last year's Angouleme circuit des remparts below).
Click on the flags to see details of our 2009 car tours in the UK and Ireland 
Click on the flags to see details of our 2009 car tours in France and Europe 2010 EUROPEAN TOURS
We are currently working on our 2010 programme.For provisional dates see our 2009 French and European car tours page by clicking on the relevant link above with the French and European flags.Our 2010 tours programme includes the following:
MILLE MIGLIA and ITALIAN LAKES TOUR, 7th-16th May, ( dates provisional)
LE MANS CLASSIC 2010 RACES TOUR, 8th-17th July, (5 and 8 day car tour available)
ANGOULEME CIRCUIT DES REMPARTS, CLASSIC CAR RACES,, 16th-23rd September, 5 and 8 day car tour available,( dates provisional )
STELVIO PASS and ITALIAN LAKES TOUR, 1st-10th September
Classic Car Tours International was formed by Mike Kirk and Brian Thorley.
Mike has over 40 years experience of participating in classic car tours and rallies in England, Ireland, Scotland and Europe and has been organising classic car tours and classic car events in the Lake District for the last 20 years. Having worked as a map maker for the Ordnance Survey for most of his life, Mike has a unique ability to interpret maps and to discover fascinating routes using by-ways and minor roads resulting in car tours that incorporate stunning scenery and landscapes. In particular Mike's detailed knowledge of England's Lake District, where his business is based, is unrivalled and Classic Car Tours' Lake District weekend events are legendary for the beauty of their routes and places of interest along the way as well as offering exceptional value for money.Living in the Lake District, Mike also has a special knowledge of Scotland and for the past 20 years has either participated in, or marshalled on, the "Tour of Mull"and his annual tour of the Scottish Islands and Highlands, which incorporates a visit to Mull, is always well subscribed.
Brian is a Management Consultant whose love of sports cars and classic cars goes back over 40 years; his first sports,for example was a Swallow Doretti when he was still an undergraduate at Manchester University.Brian's other passion is France where he lives in the Dordogne in South West France. Before forming Classic Car Tours International he regularly participated in classic car tours and classic car rallies in the UK, especially the Lake District, as well as classic car events throughout France. Brian's intimate knowledge of France and his interest in French lifestyle has resulted in Classic Car Tours International incorporating routes through some of the prettiest villages in France as well as visits to many fascinating places of interest both on and off the beaten track including stunning Chateaux, fascinating museums catering for every taste, beautiful gardens, historic monuments and other visitor attractions. Brian also has a nose for discovering charming hotels and restaurants to enhance your classic car holiday and the French and European car tours invariably use four star and three star stylish hotels with gourmet restaurants.
From 2008 Brian Thorley assumed total personal responsibility for all car tours in France and Europe and Mike Kirk for all UK and Ireland tours and these are now effectively run as two separate businesses. Each of the two "Tour Directors" accompanies their own tours to guarantee the smooth running of the events and to ensure that new clients are made to feel at home and introduced to regulars and friends.
