Village to pay tribute to legendary racing driver
One hundred years after he was killed in a motor racing accident, villagers at Burton Lazars are to pay special tribute to the legendary Louis Zborowski.
History buffs, petrol heads and families are expected to flock to the event, which is on Saturday October 19 at St James Church, where Louis is buried in the family plot.
One of the highlights will be a chance to see the authentic TT1 and TT2 Aston Martin cars he raced shortly after the First World War.
Louis nicknamed the cars Chitty Bang Bang, the name which inspired the iconic vehicle in the Ian Fleming book, which became a world renowned movie and musical.
Tragically, he was killed on October 19, 1924, while racing in a Mercedes in a Grand Prix at the Monza track in Italy, aged just 29, after hitting a tree.
Louis was laid to rest in the village graveyard alongside his parents and brother Martin, who died in infancy.
Church was packed for his funeral and the many wreaths included one from his friend, Queen Alexandra.
The tribute event will also feature a short remembrance service at Louis’ grave, talks and information story boards provided by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust and an opportunity to see armbands worn by race marshals at the French Grand Prix a century ago.
One of the organisers, Julia Hind, told the Melton Times: “It is a fascinating story – he was obviously quite a big patron to the village and they were a very generous family.
“People do come to look for the grave, mainly people who are motor racing enthusiasts.
"The Aston Martin Heritage Trust approached us to do the event and it is lovely that the cars from that era will be on show.”
Louis, who was born in London in 1895, was brought up in the family home in Kent and their second home , Coventry House, in Melton, which they bought in 1886.
His father was New Yorker, Count William Elliot Morris Zborowski, was a keen huntsman and a benefactor for the poor in Melton and Burton Lazars.
The Count was also killed in a motor accident, in 1903 when he was aged 45.
Hundreds of people reportedly lined the route for his funeral at St James Church.
Louis inherited the family wealth of around £11M after his mother’s death, making him one of Britain’s richest men.
He invested £10,000 in the construction of the TT1, which was capable of speeds exceeding 100mph due to the use of aircraft engines.
He named them Chitty Bang Bang as a reference to the officers’ weekend pass during the First World War and the very loud noise they made.
Louis was shortlisted for a prestigious green plaque in 2021, as an important contributor to the history of Leicestershire.
The Burton Lazars event starts at 11am and will continue most of the day while people are there.
Julia added: “It will be a great day out for anyone who likes cars or local history and we will be serving refreshments throughout the day.”