Sylviane Peter: “We are dream sellers”

Hello Sylviane, this is a very unusual choice of vehicle for a Carpooling, a great first!

I'm happy to once again do something different from others. (Laughs) Here the Golf Cart remains the only way to get around the entire area and as I don't have a particular passion for driving, I find it an ideal means of getting around.

(From the first meters, we are greeted by the collectors present, and quickly make a stop) She is the wife of Roland D'Ieteren, who left us recently, taken away by Covid. Roland was the largest Belgian importer of the Volkswagen Group and had notably bought the Touring bodywork. To pay tribute to him we created three Touring classes in our event, because we loved him very much.

You must rightly savor this return to Chantilly after the cancellations linked to the health crisis.

It’s a beautiful place that we strangely didn’t choose at first. For this competition, we had opted for the Château de Versailles, but after some scouting we realized that it was too big, that it would not be a good fit and we turned to Chantilly. Every time I come back here, I tell myself that it was finally obvious. We were fortunate to benefit from the support of the Aga Khan and his son Rahim (the prince's foundation to support the castle. Editor's note) who made us feel very welcome. In other competitions such as Pebble Beach (USA) or La Villa d'Este (Italy), we see collectors sitting all day under a parasol behind their cars... A competition of elegance can quickly become a hassle, so with Patrick (Peter, her husband. Editor’s note) we decided to do an event different from the others, “ an elegant and family Sunday in the countryside » by adding many attractions. This is the only way to entertain collectors, men and women, and bring more than 20 people back and forth over the course of a day! One of my favorite places is the club area. At each edition, they compete in elegance in their outfits and ingenuity in the layout of their spaces. 

The competition is now a well-established event.

I actually believe that today we have found our place. Even American collectors, although well served at home at events, make the trip, because by running the Tour Auto or Le Mans Classic, they understood that we wanted to do things well. It’s a nice recognition. When we started, everyone thought we were crazy people, because the old car market was nothing. Even the Ferrari collectibles were exchanged at ridiculous prices. But when we organized the Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or in Montlhéry (Essonne), we noticed that something was happening. We dedicated an edition to Jaguar, and immediately after, the ratings of the brand's models began to climb. Each year that followed, and even today, when new plateaus are created, the price of eligible cars goes up. This is logical, because the owners of these cars must be able to use them, and opening up space for them in historic competition increases their value. 

Carpooling with Sylviane Peter © Götz Goppert

You have become an indicator of value for these exceptional vehicles.

Yes, despite ourselves I have to admit it, because personally we don't benefit from it, which is a shame! (Laughs)

Let's go back to your beginnings. Did it all start in Saint-Tropez?

I was the press officer for Pascal Morabito who had made a splash by launching a range of jewelry in which a Plexiglas cube contained a diamond. He had rented a very beautiful sailboat for a public relations operation in Saint-Tropez (Var). Even if the sea doesn't like me, and vice versa, I went on board and Patrick was on the boat, that's how we met in 1974 before founding Peter Auto in 1978. Since then, with Patrick, neither neither of us ever felt like we were working. This is our life and this company is our baby. God knows how many hours we were able to spend in our offices and on the slopes, but we had so much fun! We started with two collaborators. When we arrived at 10, we said to ourselves that it was a lot, then 15… Peter Auto now has around forty people.

A growth that has not happened without bumps.

Nothing has been easy, for example the first edition of the Le Mans Classic was a financial pit before being a phenomenal success today. We've weathered a lot of storms, notably when we went to war with Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA ​​during the BPR era (organized from 1994 to 1996 before being taken over by the FIA ​​to become the FIA ​​GT Championship in 1997. Editor’s note). We almost lost everything, but we held on. We had to pursue them all the way to Brussels to assert our rights, they had quite simply stolen our work. We founded this series with Stéphane Ratel and Jürgen Barth (The R and B of BPR with the P of Peter. Ndlr). Jürgen était chez Porsche où on lui a demandé de ne pas faire de vagues, ce que nous avons compris, tandis que Stéphane était déjà en route vers une association avec la FIA… Nous avons donc dû aller au combat seuls. Ce fut une période vraiment très difficile. Cependant grâce au BPR nous avons certainement sauvé les 24 Heures du Mans, car nous offrions un terrain d’essai aux constructeurs avant d’affronter la classique mancelle. Alors malgré tout, ça fait partie de nos plus beaux souvenirs.

This year, organizing three major events such as the Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic, and Arts & Elegance represented quite a challenge!

Yes, it was complicated, really hard, but we are lucky to have extremely competent dedicated teams. They have merit, because in this industry we don't count our hours and we work on weekends. We decided to maintain these three major events, because Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille and Le Mans Classic did not take place, due to the health crisis, after the 2018 edition for Le Mans Classic and 2019 for the competition. Next year we will organize Le Mans Classic again to properly celebrate the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I was a little worried about organizing this event two years in a row, but we receive at least fifteen requests every day to find out the opening date for registration. I expected it, and I hoped it, but honestly it is beyond anything I could have imagined. It must be recognized that with the centenary this will be an exceptional edition. Two things will always be what they are: Ferrari and Le Mans. 

Carpooling with Sylviane Peter © Götz Goppert

There is a big gap between a manifestation such as Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille and the competitions that you organize throughout the year in the Series by Peter Auto.

But the two are compatible and complementary. Elegance competitions are not necessarily what appeals to me the most. I like a car when it runs. Let's be honest, this competition is the most difficult to organize of all our events, Tour Auto and Le Mans Classic included. It is above all a relationship problem and we have to work hard to bring in collectors and their cars. I'm going to tell you a secret. Patrick chased Ralph Lauren for a long time to become our partner, without success. He was totally legitimate, because he is a very big collector. When Le Mans Classic started to gain momentum, he came to us, but we remained loyal to Richard Mille who had been with us from the start. He then asked us to organize an event for him and the only area in which we did not operate was the Concours d'Elegance... After a number of procrastinations with the latter, we turned once again to our long-time friend , Richard Mille, who followed us as usual. Between us it's a friendship of forty years. When we met Richard, he was an engineer at Matra and gave us advertising watches for the Age d'Or. Since then, other watchmakers have tried to take its place, but it will always be no, because it is a story of friendship, respect, mutual trust and deep affection. We share common values ​​of high standards and excellence. Rather than doing well, let's do very well! 

How are the vehicles admitted to your events chosen?

With the BPR, I understood that a racing car does not have the same chassis and engine number all its life, which is logical in the context of competition use. But for a road car, we must be able to follow its history from its conception to today and be certain of its authenticity. In the majority of events, with the value of the cars, there are a lot of reproductions on track. Unless there is a rare agreement, very special and indicated, this should not be the case in our meetings. If you have been fooled once or twice, you attach a lot of importance to the authenticity of the cars involved. A Portuguese collector got angry with us the day we had to tell him that his car was not the one he thought he had bought a fortune for. When we acquire an apartment, we carry out diagnostics, we establish a file, but some people buy much more expensive cars without taking the slightest precaution. Furthermore, when you have a field that is a little poor in competitors, you must never give in to the temptation to lower the requirement criteria and take cars of less good quality, because admitting one of these cars could cause two or more to leave. three exceptional ones.

These cars have become objects of speculation in the same way as paintings or sculptures. When does the automobile become art?

(Amused) It's a good question…

But you don't like it or you've been asked too much about it!

Don't worry at all (laughs), but we cannot be satisfied with a hasty response. We must keep in mind that before large series, we bought a bare chassis which we had bodywork made according to our tastes and desires. It was craftsmanship in the purest sense of the word. Take a good look at these cars that we pass, especially those from before the war. Yes, they are works of art. Then the designs became industrialized, but we still see cars of sensational beauty. 

Carpooling with Sylviane Peter © Götz Goppert

With Patrick, do you each have your own automotive sensibilities?

Patrick has a weakness for pre-war cars. As far as I'm concerned, it's the cars from the 50s and 60s that particularly touch me. Beyond cars, we love people above all and we have had the chance to meet exceptional people from all over the world, the greatest specialists and collectors. Wherever we go, there is always someone we know, it's great! 

What is your relationship with these collectors?

Above all, it’s the human aspect of our job that I like and that’s where I’m really spoiled. With each ordeal, it's a bit like a family coming back together. I had planned that the 30^e Auto Tour (2021 edition. Editor’s note) be my last… It was a failure, I left again this year to be at their side! At 75 years old, I am simply no longer the first on the road and the last to lie down. You have to understand that with departures at 6:00 a.m. and arrivals at night, the Tour Auto is really a very tough test. When I see the competitors, I tell myself that they are masochistic, but when we talk to them, we understand that they are “ here for that », that they have come to experience a long and difficult adventure. It cannot, however, please everyone so, always with the support of our friend Richard, we created the Rally des Légendes Richard Mille (October 18 to 22, 2022), reserved for very beautiful cars. No timer or competition, the goal is to offer people, certainly well-off, something that they could not do without us... After having privatized the Arles arenas, this year we are heading to Tuscany hidden, not that of Siena or Florence. We are going to organize a dinner with a view of the Ponte Buriano, the bridge that can be seen in the background of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and recreate a medieval festival in the town square in Arrezo. We still reserve a half-day circuit for those who want to ride freely. In the same spirit, on the Series by Peter Auto, we have a field called The Greatests' Trophy, reserved for exceptional cars that we would never see again on a circuit in "normal" competition. Let's be honest, the owners of these expensive cars can drive among themselves, like gentlemen, without the risk of an unconscious person destroying their car. This is the last opportunity to see these magnificent automobiles driving on a circuit.

Always on the move, do you seem to be afraid of static?

It's not a fear, it's more than that! We spend our lives moving, that's all we do. I have three sons and I've never been home, I've only walked around and worked and I've often told myself I'll pay for it later... Well I have a great relationship with our kids ! I often talk about it with our eldest Geoffroy who is a great car dealer. Far from blaming us, he and his brothers grew up seeing wonderful people from all over the world pass through our house. I never felt guilty, because Peter Auto allowed us to offer them financial ease and a view of the world. The company has cemented both our relationship and our family. We are a team made up of different sensibilities and talents, but ultimately complementary. 

With this common passion for exceptional automobiles?

In modern competition, professionals fight to gain notoriety and money. Historically, these are people who spend money to please themselves and enthusiasts. The mentality and philosophy are not the same. I am often congratulated on the kindness and availability of our employees, but it is our, and their, absolute priority. People are there for fun, so we have to be friendly and helpful. We are dream sellers…

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