Before heading off to Goodwood’s recent Revival to compete for the Brooklands Trophy with his 8C Triumph Dolomite, Jonathan Turner hosted a nostalgic reunion for more than 100 fellow adventurers from the historic 1997 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge (above, Tim Hardy photo courtesy of Endurance Rally Association). Turner’s 1929 4.5 litre Bentley and a host of cars from fellow entrants were displayed on the 28-acre grounds of Bowcliffe Hall, outside Wetherby, West Yorkshire. It was the first time since the event that the drivers from all over the world who took part in the grueling 11,000-mile road race have gathered together.
Turner, who undertook the challenge with fellow driver Adam Hartley, said: “The rally dramatically changed my life. The opportunity to travel across so many glorious countries and two continents in a vintage car, and meet fellow passionate enthusiasts from around the world was a big game changer for me. The highlight was the Himalayas, and camping while looking at Everest. That thought still brings tears to my eyes.”
The 1997 event celebrated the world’s first international motor rally, in 1907, when Prince Borghese encouraged a few pioneer motorists to race halfway around the globe to prove to the world that the motorcar was an alternative form of transport to the train. The Prince and his fellow motorists made a triumphant entry into Paris.
Marking a series of milestones, the 1997 race was the first time since the Chinese Revolution that westerners had had the freedom to drive across Friendship Bridge into Nepal from Tibet — and the freedom to drive in Iran since the fall of the Shah in January 1979.
Added Turner, “It was an emotional reunion. When you go through a dramatic and dangerous journey like that, you forge close bonds. It’s tremendous that so many came from so far and brought their precious Peking-Paris cars with them. We drank a heartfelt toast to Philip Young, the inspiration who started it all.”
For more information on the history of the Peking to Paris rally please visit www.endurorally.com/pages/peking-to-paris-1997
