For 27 years, the RAID led from Switzerland to Paris, followed by two years with destinations on the Côte d'Azur, but in 2020, on the occasion of the 30th RAID, the organizers turned east. It was driven from Klosters to Vienna.
A long tradition
At the first RAID 30 years ago, the winners came from Neuchâtel and drove a Renault 4 CV. Since then, the cars taking part in the RAID have become much younger on average, but this did not prevent the team Andrea & Claude Schwegler from winning in the third oldest car, a 1930 Ford A Speedster, from August 22 to 25, 2020, and thus completing the 1000 km route with the lowest number of penalty points (97!) of all participants.
Around six dozen mobile cultural assets
The 30th RAID boasted a comparatively large field of pre-war cars. The oldest car was a Cadillac Type V-63 from 1924, followed by a Sunbeam 20/60 from 1925.
The starting field included practically all the major car brands, from Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz to Ferrari and Porsche.
The starting line-up included a spectacular Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from 1956, a Ferrari 330 GTC from 1968, a Lancia Aurelia and a Citroën 2 CV Charleston from 1970.
Rare and therefore special attractions were also an Oldsmobile Toronado, a Ford V8 Coupé, a Packard 120 Six or a DKW F12 Cabriolet, to pick just a few examples from the impressive start list.
However, there were also many younger classics on display, such as a BMW Z1 with retractable doors or a Mercedes-Benz 500 SL of the R129 series, both of which had only just switched from the youngtimer to the classic car camp.
Varied route
The landscape experience was in the foreground. Austria has a lot to offer here, as the rally participants were able to see. They drove through wonderful regions, starting in Tyrol, then through the Salzkammergut, finally to Upper Austria and along the Danube into the Wachau in the heart of Lower Austria, and finally through the Vienna Woods to the finish in Vienna. The roads were varied, diverse and impressive.
For the participants, most of whom came from Switzerland, it was mainly the side roads in Austria that were new territory and provided unforgettable riding experiences. It's not every day that you pass a ski jumping facility (Innsbruck), even if the weather didn't quite play ball here.
On the 1000 km ride, the cultural and historical aspects that have always characterized the RAID were not neglected.
In Innsbruck, Bad Ischl, Gmunden, Linz and Melk Abbey, the participants were able to admire the rich history and architecture from several centuries of tradition. Some participants were particularly impressed by Melk Abbey Church: "I've never seen so much gold in my life ... ."
The hotels at the day's destination were reached in the late afternoon. These hotels were large enough for all participants to be accommodated in the same hotel. In Vienna, we were welcomed in style in the palace courtyard, luxurious and elegant, just as you would imagine from a royal and imperial past.
And, of course, there was no shortage of culinary delights.
Challenging task
The route was driven according to the road book, with the inner tube and regularity tests as well as some navigation tests serving as a sporting challenge. There was a good balance of free driving without competition and stages with tests.
The fact that two pre-war cars were among the top three finishers is certainly due to the fact that this category had different cutting speed specifications.
Nevertheless, the success of Team Schwegler (Ford A) and Team Weber/Landolt (Rolls-Royce Phantom II from 1935) cannot be rated highly enough; after all, pre-war vehicles are usually at a disadvantage, especially in hose tests.
Three pre-war vehicles were among the top ten finishers, while the best post-war car was a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 220 S driven by Hanspeter and Cédric Schiess (winner of the Classic classification). In 8th place, Simon and Natalie Bundi in a 1982 Alfa Romeo Spider were the youngest car in the top ten.
Plenty of discipline available
"The fact that we were able to hold the event despite Covid-19 is due to the special measures that were taken in consultation with the authorities in Switzerland and Austria. And the participants adhered to the special regulations in an exemplary manner. This made the anniversary RAID an impressive and all-round successful rally, in line with the organizer's 30 years of experience," emphasized a RAID representative.
The participants were more than happy that the RAID was at least a major classic car event, as so many events had to be canceled in 2020.
