A Bristol IN PARIS As a handful of intrepid motorists prepare to drive their vintage cars across two continents, Paul Hickman tells Jacob Harris about the series of events that led him to be a part of one of the world’s most historic endurance rallies. superstitious person might RIGHT: The Bristol 403 and I were walking down a street corner playing away.” say it is fate that will lead (now affectionately in Sydney’s Newtown after seeing a Not long after this was Paul’s Paul Hickman to drive from known as Silvia) was movie. I heard a sound emanating 58th birthday. To celebrate, his wife AChina to France in a Bristol 403. found in a dilapidated from a dark doorway and said to my organised an impromptu get- Certainly, if it wasn’t for a series of condition in a shed in wife ‘bugger me, that’s a Mongolian together with live music and friends. serendipitous events it’s unlikely Dungog, NSW before throat singer’,” Paul says. And who should arrive but the Paul would be competing in what being stripped down Paul had become enamoured mysterious throat singer, Bukhu. is arguably the world’s greatest and painstakingly with Mongolian throat singing 25 “He’d been out here for two years. motoring adventure: the Peking to rebuilt from the years earlier when he saw a program He had come out with his wife, Paris rally. ground up by Paul and on the obscure artform in far north Chimka, to study English but she had Paul, who by day is CEO of ground his team. Queensland. So upon hearing the to return to Mongolia to try and sort engineering firm Mainmark, has long sound unexpectedly on an inner- out her visa. Bukhu was busking on had an interest in restoring vintage Sydney street, he doubled back to the street and doing what he could Bristols (the 403 he’s racing was built investigate. to earn a quid while living on a settee between 1953 and 1955) but this is “I went back and found an in Southerland. I just wanted to help not just a story about one man’s love amazing musician so I stood there the guy – he was such an awesome of motoring – it’s also a story about a and listened to his music. musician. Everyone who was playing chance encounter that led to a rather “ Two weeks later we were walking music that night deferred to him. It unlikely relationship. down the same street and came turned out he was actually a lecturer “Late one rainy night my wife across him again – on the same dark in folk music at Ulaanbaatar 22 MANSPACE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE WORLD’S BEST GARAGES, SHEDS AND MANCAVES University (Mongolia),” Paul says. ABOVE: Paul and second in charge of accounts. She’s Bukhu mentioned he had once seen time the event has taken place as Paul because after establishing BELOW: Silvia, the in 1896 there was a company called Paul helped Bukhu organise Sebastian will travel actually just been approved for a a bunch of people in strange cars the formation of the USSR prevented his love for the British marques he Bristol 403 has been Straker-Squire which became Cosmos Chimka’s return and – due to their approximately visa for people with extreme talent. driving through Mongolia, Paul did the race being held again until the discovered he actually had a family given a new lease on which became Bristol Aircraft accommodation falling through 12,250km across Australia only lets in about 40 (often some research and discovered the 90s. The rules stipulate cars that connection to the Bristol company. life - let’s hope she Company which in turn became at the last minute – also ended up some of the most world renowned) people a year on Peking to Paris. compete in the challenge must have “My grandfather was involved makes it through the Bristol. I didn’t realise there was such offering them a place to stay. remote parts of the these visas so it’s a pretty impressive The race first began in 1907 as been built either pre 1941 for the with the companies that preceded gruelling test ahead! a tie up between my family and the Paul and his wife agreed the pair globe. When they feat.” an open challenge to motorists to vintageant category or pre 1975 for the Bristol Aircraft Company. Back Bristol car until I actually bought one could stay in their studio for 11 finally arrive in Paris, the classic category. and started researching things. Now weeks. But before long, a strong they’ll be greeted by At first Paul didn’t even know the Rolls Royce Historical Association bond was formed between the 60 friends and family All I want to do is get to the other end. what kind of car he wanted, though is doing a retrospective on the two couples (Paul says he loves members for a well- it does seem somewhat unlikely he family - which is a result of me asking them dearly – as though they’re his deserved party. We’re not famous rally drivers or accomplished would have ended up with anything questions.” adopted children) and nearly six racing drivers of any sort. other than a Bristol. Paul knew they Indeed, Bristols seem to pervade years later Bukhu and Chimka have were fairly rugged – in the 50s a many aspects of Paul’s life. His only just moved out to buy their first lot of Bristols were used on farms co-pilot for the rally, long-time unit. As a result of the relationship, Paul drive unassisted, through remote, in Victoria because they could belt friend and North Riding (Yorkshire) “Chimka, who we hadn’t met became more and more interested often unmapped countryside from up and down the paddocks and tribesman Sebastian Gross is a before she moved into the studio, in Mongolia and was also doing an Peking (now Beijing) to Paris, the unpaved roads – and that as yet, recognised restorer of Bristols. So turned out to be absolutely brilliant. increasing amount of work on his reward being a magnum of Mumm a Bristol had not competed in the when it came time to locate a car to We employed her at Mainmark. She two Bristols. He felt compelled to do champagne. Peking to Paris. do-up for the rally, Sebastian was a started in marketing and she’s now something really obscure so when The 2016 race will be only the 6th This is especially significant for key member of the team. 24 MANSPACE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE WORLD’S BEST GARAGES, SHEDS AND MANCAVES INSIDE THE WORLD’S BEST GARAGES, SHEDS AND MANCAVES MANSPACE MAGAZINE 25 PowerMaxx BS Quick! “The car was found in a shed in ABOVE & BELOW: merely looked at – no matter their The Gobi Desert in Mongolia Dungog, NSW. According to the rego The finished product! inherent worth. will present some of the most sticker, the last time it had been on After countless man- “All I want to do is get to the other challenging terrain. There are no real the road was 1981. It was in bits and hours put into the end. We’re not famous rally drivers roads (a road that existed last year pieces when we found it but we restoration, Paul and or accomplished racing drivers of any won’t necessarily be there this year) actually managed to get the engine Sebastian celebrate sort. We realise that some people for about four days of the journey started – I think it was running on their achievement in classic motoring circles consider so drivers are working completely two cylinders but it was going! before preparing for this the motoring equivalent of off GPS. “It was full of rat and possum the journey ahead. sailing around the horn of Africa on “You’ve got to make your own way thanks to the metabo quick system crap and god knows what else – a yacht. In 2013 a woman died and - follow the telegraph poles if you get one tool gives you multiple solutions! 30 years of rubbish. We decided to several people were hospitalised. It’s lost, they’ve got to go somewhere,” rebuild the whole car so we actually not all doom and gloom but you do Paul laughs. stripped it completely down and have to be careful – so I’ll be happy Paul’s wife and Mongolian friends rebuilt it. just to get to the other end.” – as well as an old work colleague in “I counted 1000 hours I spent yet another Bristol – will be following At Home! stripping paint and polishing and the intrepid pair through Mongolia in the garage! cleaning things – I’m glad it’s over,” for two weeks before meeting again Paul says. in Paris. With all that time and effort put “I’ve got 60 people meeting me in in – and the stunning result – you Paris. We’ve hired a nightclub for a might think Paul would be feeling a party. It’ll be brilliant.” At work! little apprehensive about subjecting Paul and Sebastian will be his precious ‘Silvia’ to the inevitable using their adventure as a way to bumps, scratches and worse that raise money for the Bright Light will come from traversing such Organisation: a Mongolian charity wild country but the Englishman that helps disadvantaged women maintains that he believes living in shanty towns or slums by possessions should be used and not teaching them life skills. WWW.METABO.COM.AU 26 MANSPACE MAGAZINE INSIDE THE WORLD’S BEST GARAGES, SHEDS AND MANCAVES ManspaceDec14.indd 1 9/10/14 2:58 PM.