All aboard the ‘Shanghai Express’ Words and images by Peter Baker. Click to view Gallery.
Red carpet departure ceremony from Beijing
The forty-two crews competing on the seventh Classic Cars Challenge China (4C) departed at one-minute intervals early on 12 October 2017 from downtown Beijing to begin stage one of the 1,400km regularity rally that was to end in Shanghai seven days later.
Cars ranged from a 1931 Rolls Royce Phantom II and 1931 Packard, to a pair of Jaguar E-types and rarities such as; BMW 2002 Turbo, Subaru Leane RX Turbo, a works ‘replica’ Lancia Integrale and, last but not least, a Volkswagen Westfalia Type 2 camper van complete with expanding roof and bed. But before you laugh, the VW not only lasted the course, but also arrived home in third place. Me, well I was navigating Leslie Yuen who had shipped his barn-find 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider out from San Francisco.
Third place for Leo Kan and Elsa Chu
Supported by FIVA and loosely run to European rules, rallying in China is a very different and more relaxed affair. Friends switch cars, as do navigators, while at least two drivers elected to complete the course solo, following the car in front from one control point to the next. Timing also takes on a whiff of the supernatural with each day’s finish always situated in a difficult to reach, city location. Running red lights just to save a couple of precious minutes, and thus avoid penalty points, does little to engender enthusiasm from the police.
The rally enjoyed stop-overs in Tiajan, Weifang, Qingzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi, with plenty of spare time for sight-seeing, first class dining and live ‘classical’ evening entertainment. Each morning began in true Chinese manner, with open-air departure ceremonies, primarily to meet the demands of local dignitaries and sponsors. As to be expected the event drew large crowds at every stopover.
The official route mixed super smooth highway with sections of traditional ‘A’ road, many of which, like the trucks that use them, were overloaded and in very poor condition. These evil-smelling vehicles were at the worst passing through villages, where insane scooter drivers, dogs and fearless old-age pensioners joined the melee. Police checks are a way of life right across China, everyone gets stopped, although to be fair, in our case, they were more interested in taking pictures than violation.
Hudson and Mary Lee brought their Mercedes-Benz 450SL as shakedown for 2019 Peking to Paris
Every foreign competitor has to obtain a Chinese Driving licence, not difficult. But more complicated, and because classic cars are importable only as static display items, there is a need for temporary Chinese licence plates. Enter the event organiser’s magic wand. Government event control by the way is severe, competitors are monitored via GPS and non-adherence to rally route can very easily lead to arrest.
Twenty-one-and-a-half million people live in Beijing and when we left the capital city on 12 October it seemed most were using the complex series of local ring-roads. Leslie followed Hudson and Mary Lee (Mercedes 450), who were treating the 4C as a ‘shakedown’ for the 2019 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, which proved a very good move, and one repeated several times over the next few days. Actually, this short run east to Tianjin (151.42km) proved deceptive and reality set in next morning with an alarm call at five-thirty. Breakfast and the briefing were over by seven and the little red Alfa was soon heading for Weifang (364.32km away). Broken roads, gullies and crowded villages dropped us time, while repairing a leaking water hose cost us a further thirty minutes.
The author celebrates with Leslie Yuen.
After this things improved, we settled into a rhythm and with just a couple of days left we worked our way into the top ten. A BMW 2002 Turbo was leading, the Lancia Integrale was in second with the hard charging Volkswagen camper van from Hong Kong close behind in third.
The rally continued following the East China Sea coastline via Wuxi before finishing with a final 100km dash into Shanghai. Thirty-five crews qualified as finishers, the BMW won and we finished 9th overall, at the same time picking up the ‘Most Classic Car of the Rally’ award. Could have been worse, at least I didn’t get arrested.
