From Beijing to Paris for the eighth time
For the eighth time since 1907, the journey leads from Beijing to Paris. The 110 vehicles for the rally from China to France (May 18 to June 23, 2024), which begins in 75 days, are currently somewhere on the high seas heading to the Far East. For some of the Swiss participants (six vehicles), transport has been organized from Oberohringen to Amsterdam for shipment. As a corresponding transporter is well utilized with six vehicles, this is also reflected in the price. The pick-up date had to be postponed several times due to uncertainties during transportation through the Red Sea and other circumstances. The vehicles were then picked up in Ohringen at the end of January and shipped to China via the Cape of Good Hope.
The rally route for this year had to be moved further south as a result of the war in Ukraine, so this year the rally will be driven via Baku (Azerbaijan) through Turkey and Greece. Switzerland will be skipped for once, as the convoy will drive through northern Italy directly to France.
The oldest participating vehicle dates back to 1914, is an American LaFrance Type 10 and is driven by an English team. The youngest participant from Austria is a Ford Fairlane from 1975, but the start list also includes brands such as Anadol, Austin, Bentley, Bristol, Citroën, Datsun, DeSoto, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Sunbeam, Studebaker and Rolls-Royce to illustrate the breadth of the field.
Joe Dillier will once again be at the start with his brother Chris in the 1930 Chrysler 70 Roadster (picture above).
Let's see what surprises the teams have to contend with this year.
