The reason for the return of vintage car events can be very diverse, but there is no doubt that the general public is mobilized by the resurgence of some old events and the creation of new ones. Owners and drivers of historical vehicles are of two types. Those who like to keep their cars in showroom condition clean and shine their precious cars for hours and never take them to the open road. The other extreme is the owner/driver who hardly ever cleans his car, in fact they may make minimal effort to keep the car running. These people seem to be more interested in driving than owning and looking for every opportunity to get their bikes on the road in point-to-point challenges or track racing whenever possible. Another burgeoning branch of historic motorsport is hill climbing, in which stripped racers climb a closed section of rough terrain as fast as possible.
The sports section we are dealing with here covers car rallies from location to location or historical competitions on motor racing tracks. These are events that attract public attention and now form an important part of the motorsport calendar in different countries. One of the biggest is the Goodwood Revival Festival in the UK, which attracts cars, owners and visitors from all over the world. There are real races that see very expensive cars make their way through the track that has been lovingly restored to reflect the bygone era in which it originally raced. Visitors are invited to dress in period costumes and there is a special event all weekend.
A similar event on a smaller scale is the brand new Algarve Historical Festival, taking place for the first time this year on the Algarve’s newest motor circuit near Portimao. Just like at the Goodwood festival, there will be competitive races for cars in different categories. There are 16 different races for cars that don’t actually race, along with numerous exhibition spaces. Motor racing legend Sir Sterling Moss accepted an invitation to race his own car in 1956, when he celebrated his 80th birthday. Sir Sterling is known for not having a regular car, preferring to get around by public transport or scooter. Parades for Ferrari, Maserati and Osca cars are also planned, along with a charity parade celebrating the Mini’s 50th anniversary.
The Gambia is the final stop for a historic motoring event that sees a group of cars racing across Europe from Plymouth in England to the capital Banjul. This is an unusual event that started a few years ago, requiring drivers to leave their vehicles in Banjul after the rally to benefit the local community.
Another fairly low-key event is Volta a Madeira, an automobile festival held for the 22nd time this year on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Some of the vehicles featured in the latest version of this event included cars from Ferrari, Mercedes, Triumph, MG, Lancia and BMW. Volta takes contestants through the island’s beautiful mountain roads throughout the four-day event.
The island of Mallorca also has its own classic car rally known as the Rally Clasico Isla Mallorca, which challenges the driver on routes all over the island in the spring. This is a very popular event and more than forty cars have already participated in the 2010 event, the event’s sixth run. The oldest car ever to race is the 1954 Jaguar XK 140, which will join the others in various stages around this beautiful island. The most eye-catching of the 14 stages for the audience will be those that take the cars to the Tramuntana mountains, north of Palma. There is a stage between the northern town of Pollensa and Lluc, where one of Mallorca’s most famous old monasteries is located.
Another similar event is the Historic Commercial Vehicle Rally held on the island of Malta in March this year. Organized by the Malta Historic Vehicle Foundation at its Ta Qali location, the event is expected to become the largest automobile event in Malta. Surprisingly, around 120 vehicles were on display in the first race of the Rally, including vintage fire trucks, trucks, pickup trucks and military vehicles.
Finally, France has a great heritage in classic cars and has two similar events at two of its legendary venues. The Magny-Cours circuit hosts the biannual Masters Historic Festival in July, while the Le Mans Classic festival takes place in other years. Both events include competitive races for pre-1974 and pre-1966 race cars. Another French Classic Car event is the November Sun Run, which started on November 4, 2009 in the Champagne region of France, where the cars drove 1,400 kilometers south of France and ended on November 7 by competing on the famous mountain climb of the Alpine D.
Banjul, Portimao and Palma are just a few of the new locations that provide venues for vintage car festivals. The author covers unique events and