The heat may have been crushing, but the feeling was no doubt one of relief as the teams crossed the finish line of the sixth Peking to Paris vintage car rally sponsored by Frédérique Constant. Even with modern vehicles the 13,500 km route spanning two continents, in 35 days, would have been quite a challenge. But with pre-1975 boneshakers, and even some dating back before 1941, it classifies as positively superhuman. Which could explain why it takes place just once every six years...
Frédérique Constant and Bucherer consequently pulled out all the stops to provide a worthy welcome for the intrepid drivers. The finishers were greeted by an immense gateway on the Place Vendôme, followed by a private reception in the Bucherer boutique, a few hundred metres away. The atmosphere was relaxed, and drivers submitted good-naturedly to posing for selfies and giving autographs among the crowds of family, friends and motor racing enthusiasts who had gathered in the heart of Paris to celebrate the end of the trial of merit and endurance.
A sesquiannual limited edition
Bucherer unveiled a limited edition for the occasion: the Vintage Rally Peking to Paris, in celebration of its partnership with Frédérique Constant. The watch is driven by the automatic FC-303 calibre which runs at 28,000 vph, giving a 38-hour power reserve. Produced in a limited edition of 2888, the Vintage Rally Peking to Paris is engraved with the route map and the Peking to Paris logo, and comes in a presentation box bearing another depiction of the 2016 route. Apart from two watches awarded by Frédérique Constant to the winning team, the Vintage Rally Peking to Paris is available exclusively from the Bucherer shop in Paris, from 29 June.
Win for father-son team
A family duo from New Zealand won the event this year in their 1929 Chrysler 75 Roadster. Harry and Bruce Washington, a father and his 19-year-old son, came first out of the 110 competitors (large picture at the top of the page). Their epic journey took them through the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland, finishing in France. “It’s not for everyone, and it’s not for wimps,” noted the Kiwi, delighted with his trophy and magnum of champagne – these simple rewards a way of underscoring that the race is about merit and passion, not prize money.
Frédérique Constant was represented at the finish line by Peter and Aletta Stas, the company’s co-founders, who had made a special trip to Paris for the occasion. Several dozen vehicles paraded exuberantly around the Vendôme column, the drivers all buoyed by the sense of achievement at having crossed the finish line, which for some had seemed an impossible goal. Over the space of more than four hours the competitors went up in their finish order to receive a simple participation certificate, in recognition of their incredible accomplishment.
