paris AMsterdam A classic regularity rally and reliability trial for the Charles Jarrott Trophy, celebrating the anniversaries of the world’s fi rst long-distance car journey and the fi rst international motor race 17TH-23RD JUNE 2018 The 2018 Paris Amsterdam rally

AMSTERDAM

SPA FRANKFURT SEDAN PARIS STUTTGART

Schedule* An event to remember Sunday 17th June INSPIRED BY THE PIONEERS OF MOTORSPORT, Paris (Chanti lly) Rally Round’s short summer events are highlights Sign-on, Scruti neering, Competi tors’ of the vintage and classic motoring calendar, and Briefi ng and Welcome Dinner in June 2018 we will celebrate two very special DAY 1 - Monday 18th June anniversaries. It will be 120 years since the running Chanti lly to Sedan (375km) of the fi rst internati onal motor race, the thrilling DAY 2 - Tuesday 19th June Paris-Amsterdam-Paris Trial, and 130 years since Sedan to (370km) Bertha Benz (left ), wife of automobile inventor DAY 3 - Wednesday 20th June Karl, made the world’s fi rst long-distance journey Hockenheim to Stutt gart (260km) by motor car. Rally Round will honour and evoke DAY 4 - Thursday 21st June the spirit of both these historic achievements on Stutt gart to Frankfurt (315km) the Paris-Amsterdam Rally, an exciti ng regularity DAY 5 - Friday 22nd June (Time-Speed-Distance) competi ti on and reliability Frankfurt to Spa (350km) trial exploring the scenic delights of France, DAY 6 - Saturday 23rd June Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Spa to Amsterdam (260km) Rally Finish, Gala Dinner and Prizegiving Covering 1,990km (1,236 miles) in six days, the TOTAL DISTANCE 1,990km (1,236 miles) event is open to any veteran, vintage and classic * All details are provisional at the ti me of printi ng car of a type in producti on before 1969, and the The 2018 Paris Amsterdam rally

Spirit of adventure - John & Catherine Harrison aboard their 1917 American LaFrance on our 2017 Paris-Prague Rally

pre-war categories will once again compete for record, which is second to none, there will be no the presti gious Charles Jarrott Trophy, named in hazardous speeds, car-breaking secti ons or night honour of Britain’s fi rst motor racing hero. The driving. There will be no tricky map work, either; rally is designed for crews of any experience level, the route will be set out in a detailed roadbook and our expert team will off er every assistance to containing writt en instructi ons, tulip diagrams and make your parti cipati on as easy as possible; we distances in kilometres and miles. We will hold a will be accompanied by fully qualifi ed medical special briefi ng for novices, and we are always and mechanical support, plus a luggage transport happy to advise on rally ti ming and navigati on. service, and we can off er advice on everything from crew and car preparati on to shipping and Above all, Paris-Amsterdam will be a supremely insurance. You will need a tripmeter but you do sociable and enjoyable adventure. Clerk of the not require competi ti on licences, helmets or Course Fred Bent has plott ed a fabulous route fi reproof overalls - indeed we encourage you exploring some of Europe’s fi nest roads and to wear period dress in keeping with your car. motorsport venues and along with an account of the historic events that inspired it you will fi nd an The schedule will be reasonably relaxed, with outline of the rally on the following pages; do leisurely lunch and refreshment halts, luxurious please contact us if you have any questi ons. We accommodati on and plenty of ti me for socialising look forward to hearing from you - and to seeing with friends old and new. Preserving our safety you on the start line at Chanti lly! Sunday 17th June Paris (Chantilly)

On a summer morning in 1898 the world’s fi rst internati onal motorsport competi ti on started from Villiers-sur-Marne, to the east of the French capital. The organising Automobile Club de France chose this locati on for eminently practi cal reasons - see page 17 - and although we are not threatened by armed troops we intend to do likewise - avoiding the modern army of motorised commuters by starti ng the Paris-Amsterdam Rally on the outskirts of the city, at the truly magnifi cent Chateau de Chanti lly. Renowned for its racecourse and the spectacular Grand Stables built in 1719 for the personal use Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon (who expected to be reincarnated as a horse), the Chateau is easy to reach - just 25 minutes by train from Paris Gare du Nord or 2.5 hours drive from Calais. Signing-on and scruti neering will take place on the aft ernoon of Sunday 17th June, followed by tripmeter calibrati on, a competi tors’ briefi ng and a welcome dinner where you may meet your fellow parti cipants and the Rally Round team.

Monday 18th June Chantilly to Sedan (375km) From the rally start on Monday morning we initi ally shadow Tuesday 19th June the route taken by the racers of 1898, although they would surely have envied the well-surfaced roads that take us Sedan to Hockenheim (370km) through the vineyards and villages of Champagne. Skirti ng the original home of the French Grand Prix, the notorious Reims- There will be plenty of entertainment in wonderful rally Gueux road circuit, we turn north-east towards the lovely territory this morning as we explore the picturesque lakes, landscapes and quaint litt le towns of the Ardennes, perhaps hills, forests and pastures of northern Luxembourg, one of Europe’s best kept motoring secret. The racers of 1898 ended Europe’s least-populated areas. Leaving the Ardennes and their day at the Chateau d’Ardenne but in order to pay homage entering Saarland, Germany’s smallest state, we plan to stop to Bertha Benz in a couple of days’ ti me we must turn off the for lunch at one of the region’s many beer gardens, renowned original race route towards our overnight accommodati on in for their friendly and relaxing atmosphere. Suitably refreshed, the great medieval fortress at Sedan, which dates back to 1424 we then motor on through the charming scenery of the and is sti ll the largest fi ed castle in Europe. Today has been Rhineland-Palati nate region to the legendary Hockenheimring the longest of the event, and you may look forward to relaxing in Baden-Wurtt emberg. Originally constructed in 1932, this at the bar with your fellow rallyists aft er dinner in one of the daunti ngly fast race circuit through forbidding forests was used castle’s impressive private rooms. as a test track for the pre-war Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union PHOTO: ERIC KOCH the 2018 paris-Amsterdam rally

teams and has been much modifi ed since, for the benefi t of spectators and drivers alike; motorsport historians may remember it for the deaths of and . Nevertheless as a regular venue for the , it remains a paradise for petrolheads, and we shall have some fun here before reti ring to our overnight hotel, which is actually part of the main grandstand. Wednesday 20th June Hockenheim to Stuttgart (375km)

From Hockenheim we travel west across the Rhine to the charming litt le town of Bad Dürkheim and Germany’s fi rst and most famous scenic drive, the Deutsche Weinstrasse. Snaking through vineyards and winemaking villages amid the hills of the Palati nate Forest, our route mixes history, culture and magnifi cent scenery on quiet roads that are ideal for regularity competi ti on. Of course as responsible motorists you won’t be popping any corks - any wine you acquire may be laid down in the back of the car for later enjoyment - but you will certainly get a taste of the region’s 1,000-year old viniculture. Thanks to the mild, almost Mediterranean climate, exoti c fruits such as Porsche have their headquarters and where we come across fi gs, lemons and kiwis are also culti vated here and you’ll see the Solitude street circuit, named aft er the nearby Schloss many small roadside stalls selling wine, fl owers and a variety Solitude. Established as a motorsport venue as early as 1903, of local produce. We will enjoy a leisurely lunch halt at the it was regularly used by motorcycles and even F1 and F2 southern end of the Wine Road, marked by an imposing cars unti l the mid-1960s; winners here included the likes of gatehouse in the litt le town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach. Our , Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, and Hans aft ernoon drive follows the La Lauter river, passing through Herrmann. We will then enjoy aft ernoon tea at the fabulous charming villages steeped in history as we head for Stutt gart, Mercedes-Benz Museum before reti ring to our comfortable Germany’s ‘Motown’, where both Mercedes-Benz and hotel in the heart of the city. Thursday 21st June mother - see page 9. As a tribute to the fi rst lady of motoring we shall follow her wheeltracks on the Bertha Benz Memorial Stuttgart to Frankfurt (260km) Route, perhaps calling in to the Wiesloch chemist shop that served as the world’s fi rst fuel stati on. Leaving the Memorial Day three is relati vely short but packed with interesti ng Route near the old university town of Hiedelberg, you may experiences. We begin with a visit to the Porsche test track take a deep breath before we embark on the next stage of our on the outskirts of Stutt gart, then drive on through lovely adventure, heading north through the woods to the notorious countryside to the town of Pforzheim. This was the birthplace Castle Frankenstein. The fortress was constructed in the of Berthan Benz (née Ringer) and therefore her desti nati on 10th Century aft er a knight by the name of Arbogast von when in 1888 she and two of her children quietly climbed Frankenstein won the land in a tournament, and members of aboard the Model 3 Benz Motorwagen and set off on the very the von Frankenstein family occupied the castle unti l the late fi rst long-distance automobile journey, ostensibly to visit her 1600s. It is thought to be the inspirati on for author Mary PHOTO: RUDOLF STRICKLER The 2018 Paris-Amsterdam rally

Shelley’s famous horror story and although much of it now lies in ruins you can sti ll see two impressive towers that suggest the monstrous proporti ons of the original edifi ce. From the castle it is just a short drive to our reassuringly luxurious hotel in the heart of Frankfurt, and you may survey the city’s sights in comfort as we enjoy dinner on a private river cruise. Friday 22nd June Frankfurt to Spa (350km)

If you enjoyed yesterday’s castle visit you are in for a treat today. There are some 20,000 castles dotti ng the splendid German landscape so it is hardly surprising that we pass many more on our morning run through the Rhine and Mosel valleys, both clutt ered with fairytale fortresses. By the banks of the Rhine we encounter Marksburg Castle, crowning a hillside above the picturesque town of Braubach. Built in the castles, then turning inland we reach the majesti c Eltz Castle, 12th Century, it remains intact and is appropriately the offi ce owned by the same family since the 12th Century and a truly of the German Castles Associati on. Across the river opposite breathtaking sight as you suddenly come upon it in the forest. Koblenz is Solzenfels Castle and on a high mountain top nearby This will be our morning coff ee halt so you may grab a slice is the strategically important Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Crossing of apple cake and a cup of coff ee and indulge your romanti c the Rhine to follow its Mosel tributary we pass through the fantasies. Conti nuing west through the wooded foothills of the litt le town of Kobern-Gondorf, which has not just one but two Eifel nati onal park we will pause for a leisurely lunch before leaving Germany, rejoining the 1898 Paris-Amsterdam-Paris PHOTO: NATHANAEL MAJOROS race route as we head for our overnight halt in the Ardennes. You may recognise several place names as we approach the world-famous circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, known for some of the most spectacular corners in motorsport - Blanchimont, La Source and Eau Rouge. The current 7km track is but a fragment of the original 15km circuit designed in 1920, but it is sti ll possible to follow secti ons of the old public road course. Saturday 23rd June Spa to Amsterdam (260km)

Leaving Spa we will explore the winding lanes on the western fringes of the Hautes Fagne (High Fens) nature reserve. This upland plateau stretches north of Malmedy to Eupen and marks the end of the Ardennes; there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in Belgium. In the late morning we cross the border into the Netherlands, of which it has been said, “The tulips grow, the windmills turn, the breakfast is chocolatey, the people industrious, and the sea tries to drown it all.” There is more to the country than this, of course, as you will discover or travel into Amsterdam tomorrow, but fi rst we will enjoy a on our entertaining route north. We naturally meet tributaries supremely sociable evening, celebrati ng the end of our week- of the Rhine and we will cross the river Waal at Nijmegen, just long adventure with a splendid gala dinner and prizegiving as our forerunners did in 1898. They paused overnight here ceremony in the company of friends old and new. We should but we will press on to the rally fi nish in a delightf ul rural certainly raise a glass to the memory of Fernand Charron, resort amid the prett y woodland and meadows to the east of winner of the 1898 race, and of course to Karl and Betha Benz, Amsterdam. You may relax and take ti me to explore the area who made everything possible... The 2018 Paris-Amsterdam rally

A double celebration With a deep-rooted passion for veteran and vintage machinery, Rally Round has traditi onally run a period-dressed event each summer to celebrate the heroic pioneers of early motoring, and in 2018 we will have two parti cularly signifi cant anniversaries to commemorate. It will be 130 years since Betha Benz, wife and partner of automobile inventor Karl Benz, made the world’s very fi rst long-distance journey in a motor car, and 120 years since the running of the fi rst internati onal motor race, from Paris to Amsterdam and back.

Mother of inventi on - Bertha Ringer in 1871, Bertha Benz shortly before her marriage to Karl Benz

Bertha Ringer was born in 1849 to a wealthy family roads previously used only by horse-drawn in Pforzheim, and in 1872 she married Karl Benz. traffi c. With no fuel tank and only 4.5 litres in the She had already used her dowry to support his iron carburett or, she had to fi nd the required petroleum constructi on company and she conti nued to fi nance spirit, ligroin, at chemist shops (a shop in Wiesloch the development of his Motorwagen, the world’s thus became the world’s fi rst fuel stati on). She fi rst automobile, although the law denied a married cleared a blocked fuel line with her hat pin, used her women any rights as an investor. garter as isolati on material, summoned the help of a blacksmith to mend a broken chain and instructed The Patent Motorwagen was unveiled in 1895. In a shoemaker to repair the failing wooden brakes August 1888, without permission, Bertha borrowed with leather, thereby creati ng the world’s fi rst brake it and with two of her children, Richard (13) and pads. She had to fi nd water to cool the motor at Eugen (15), drove the 106km (66 miles) from every stop, and persuade her teenage sons to push Mannheim to Pforzheim, ostensibly to visit her the car up hills. She reached Pforzheim in the dark, mother. In truth she had other moti ves, not least noti fying her husband of her journey by telegram, to prove to Karl that the machine in which they had and drove back to Mannheim via a diff erent route both invested so heavily could succeed if marketed (to avoid steep climbs) a few days later. as a useful device for the general public. In so doing she was the fi rst person ever to drive a car over a Several observers were frightened by the sight of signifi cant distance, as previous outi ngs had been a woman and two young boys on a plainly infernal nothing more than brief test runs, accompanied by machine. Nevertheless Bertha’s journey drew a several mechanics. great deal of publicity, just as she had hoped, and prompted new developments such as brake linings Bertha left Mannheim at dawn, queitly pushing the and a third gear for climbing hills. car away from the house to avoid waking her husband. She overcame countless technical On her 95th birthday, in 1944, Bertha was awarded problems en route to Pforzheim, following rutt ed the ti tle of Honourable Senator by the Technical who dared to start with half a squadron of the 23rd Hussars and two cannon placed in the middle of the road. Undeterred, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) moved the start to Villiers-sur-Marne, which was just outside M Bochet’s jurisdicti on.

The race itself was a thriller. Fernand Charron was fi rst away on a Panhard et Levassor, closely pursued by Gilles Hourgieres (also on a Panhard) unti l an engine seizure cost him 15 hours, promoti ng Leonce Giradot (another Panhard) to second. Hourgieres was fastest on day two but could not recover the ground he had lost, and Giradot overtook Charron to reach Amsterdam three and half minutes ahead. The return leg was equally exciti ng - a hard-fought Driving the future - Bertha & Karl Benz batt le between Giradot and Charron with Eti enne with the Motorwagen Giraud close behind on an Amedee Bollée. Charron University of Karlsruhe. She died two days later. As dropped back to third for a while, leaving Giradot Karl Benz subsequently wrote: “Only one person with a nine-minute lead over Giraud, who lost more remained with me in the small ship of life when it ti me when he overturned. seemed desti ned to sink. That was my wife. Bravely and resolutely she set the new sails of hope.” Meanwhile in Paris, M Bochet had recovered his composure, and declared that anyone driving a car In 2008, the 194km Bertha Benz Memorial Route that had not passed his original inspecti on would was offi cially approved as a route of the industrial be arrested on arrival. However, the ACF outf lanked heritage of mankind, following her groundbreaking him again, moving the fi nish to Montgeron, on journey through the wonderful scenery from the outskirts of the city. Here it was Charron who Mannheim via Heidelberg to Pforzheim and back. arrived fi rst, having suff ered fewer punctures that his rivals on the fi nal day; he had covered the race distance in 33 hours, 4 minutes and 34 seconds, at Paris-Amsterdam-Paris

Just 10 years aft er Berha Benz’s 106km drive, the Paris-Amsterdam-Paris Trial of July 1898 was the world’s fi rst internati onal motor race, covering 1,431km in seven days including a rest day in the Dutch capital.

The race generated huge excitement, yet almost failed to proceed when the chief engineer of the Paris police, M Bochet, demanded a certi fi cate of roadworthiness for every new vehicle, to be issued personally by him. The technical regulati ons he referred to were already obsolete - the Panhard et Levassor, for example, sported a newfangled steering wheel, rather than the traditi onal ti ller - and M Bochet declared the vast majority of cars Le jour de gloire est arrivé! Fernand Charron wins unfi t to be driven on public roads, threatening any the Paris-Amsterdam-Paris Trial for France the 2018 paris-amsterdam rally

Running repairs - headed by Fernand Charron’s Panhard et Levassor, crews fett le their cars outside the Café de de la Renaissance on the 1898 Paris-Amsterdam-Paris Trial an average 43.4km/h (27mph). Girodot and Giraud a car capable of such performance.” In fact, a came second and third to complete a French 1-2-3. month aft er the race, Jarrott had that opportunity Anther notable arrival was George Heath, the fi rst when Charron took him for a spin in the winning American to race abroad, who drove his Panhard to car through Paris and the Bois de Boulogne, in the 13th place. Of the 25 starters, 10 failed to fi nish. dark, and without lights. With characteristi c Briti sh understatement, Jarrott described the experience as There was one fi nal humiliati on for M Bochet. “somewhat nerve-shatt ering.” Large crowds had gathered at the offi cial fi nish in Versailles and implored the ACF to allow the race winners to complete the course. Accordingly Charron and Giradot motored on into Paris, and M Bochet was obliged to withdraw, fearing a riot if he moved to arrest these new nati onal heroes.

What what like to drive such machines fl at-out on unsurfaced roads? A few years later, Briti sh racer Charles Jarrott wrote of the winning Panhard: “For a car to be fi tt ed with an 8hp motor and four cylinders seemed to be tempti ng Providence in regard to the speed which it would att ain, and when Charron averaged forty-three kilometres an hour we almost came to the conclusion that fi nality had been reached in the matt er of speed. I have no doubt that many enthusiasts at that ti me would Cover star - Alfred Levegh fi nished ninth on his Mors, have given much for the opportunity of a run on fi ve hours behind Charron SUPPORTED BY The Studio│Coachman’s Lodge│Frensham Lane│Churt│Surrey│GU10 2QQ +44 (0)1252 794100│[email protected]│www.rallyround.co.uk