Rally the Globe’s aces epic Austria to Athens adventure

Rally the Globe’s year of epic driving adventures reached a fittingly triumphant crescendo with the conquering heroes of its spectacular Austria to Athens Challenge being crowned in the ancient capital of Greece.

After two weeks of memorable motoring from the snow-capped Alps through the less explored parts of the Balkans to the warmth of the Aegean Sea, this time the spoils were hard-earned and well-deserved.

Top honours in the Pre-War category went to Shane Houlihan and Andrew Boland in their indomitable 1936 Ford V8 Convertible, while it was the white 1965 Porsche 911 of Clint Smith and Martin Jones that finished first among the more modern Classics.

While both crews led almost from the outset in what were often demanding conditions, they were under pressure throughout.

The Ford was pushed hard by the experienced pairing of Graham and Marina Goodwin in their 1929 Bentley 4½ Le Mans while, having supplanted the early leading 1973 Escort RS1600 of Ean and Ali Lewin, the Porsche still never had any breathing space. It was first chased hard by the 1968 Morris 1800 Mk2 shared by Roy Stephenson and Peter Robinson and thereafter by the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SLC of Reto Mebes and Mark Bramall. Victories were thus hard-earned and all the more rewarding for it.

Rally the Globe’s 21^st event started on 29 September in the magnificent Schloss Pichlarn set beneath the massive bulk of Grimming, the highest freestanding mountain in the Alps, and concluded ­– hundreds of hairpins later – with a prize-giving dinner more than 4,000kms and 14 contrasting days later on 13 October in the Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso on the shores of the Mediterranean.

The high-quality 22-car entry list was as eclectic as ever, ranging from a pair of iconic Bentleys from the 1920s to a quintet of Mercedes-Benzes from the 1970s.

Adding real spice to the mix, those between included a couple of American muscle cars from the 1960s as well as a contrasting pair from the 1950s: a stylish Aston Martin DB2/4 and a plucky VW Beetle. The distinctive Morris 1800 Mk2 was also worthy of note ­– it was one of seven originally built for the 1968 London to Sydney Rally.

As a ‘Challenge’ style rally, the spectacular route featured no fewer than 44 Regularity and 16 Speed sections staged on both gravel and asphalt… and just about everything in between! These were liberally interspersed with 80 Timing Points – the most ever on a Rally the Globe event – to keep trusty navigators on their toes, all set on some of the finest traffic-free roads the rugged region has to offer on what was to be one of the club’s toughest rallies to date.

After a first day high up in Austria’s majestic mountains, the expertly chosen itinerary headed south via Slovenia to the Adriatic in Croatia. From there participants turned inland to the historic city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and onto a welcome rest day back on the coast in Porto Montenegro.

Once refreshed, cars and crews then savoured a truly breathtakingly beautiful day of picture-perfect rallying on the aptly named Panoramic Roads in the mesmerizing Montenegrin interior and Durmitor National Park before travelling through the wilds of Albania and towards the ancient oracle at Delphi in Greece.

Despite snow in the Alps, floods in Bosnia and a small earthquake in Greece, it all added up to a driver’s dream trip and yet another truly extraordinary Rally the Globe success story brimming with excitement, camaraderie and jaw-dropping landscapes.

Smith was understandably delighted to have won a Rally the Globe event for the very first time. “We had no expectations to do well and I’ve been trying for a long time – it’s our first win and it’s great,” he grinned. “The pressure built as the days went by but remarkably we managed to hold it all together. It has been an amazing event and I’d like to thank the Rally the Globe team.”

If anything Houlihan was even more thrilled with his victory – not least as he only got the call up when Boland’s wife, who normally navigates, could not make the event. Despite having no previous experience on the maps, Boland switched seats and invited Houlihan to drive.

“We thought we’d be at a disadvantage with two ‘drivers’ in the car but Andrew was brilliant,” praised Houlihan. “It’s been a steep learning curve for both of us and we are delighted to have won.”

“It’s our first time together and my first time as a navigator, so it’s great to get the win,” concurred Boland. “We saw some fantastic scenery and got through some awful weather but the route was superb, so hats off to the organisers for putting it all together.”

Indeed, Rally the Globe’s inspired route planner Anthony Preston was the pleased recipient of numerous plaudits. “We wanted to build on the success of the 2022 Ypres to Istanbul Challenge, with a slightly shorter event that showcased the best that this part of the world can offer and test the competitors against it,” he explained. “We spent more than a month recceing the route through seven countries and I’m delighted that it’s been so well received.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Mark Appleton, Rally the Globe’s Chief Operating Officer. “Yes, it’s been tough, but it’s also been a lot of fun,” he agreed. “It’s great that everyone has risen to the challenge, whether against the clock, the dramatic landscape or the weather. The whole Rally the Globe team worked really hard on this event, and it’s great to see that it’s been so well appreciated.”

In addition to the overall and class winners, two discretionary awards were also presented. The ‘Spirit of the Rally’ prize went to Peter Spak and Lisa Snell who had thrown themselves into everything they faced and embraced the enjoyment of the event in their intrepid Beetle. The ‘Against All Odds’ went to David and Jo Roberts for nursing their 1968 Triumph TR250’s wheel bearing, brakes and gearbox mountings to the finish.

With the conclusion of the Austria to Athens Challenge, Rally the Globe is already well-advanced in planning the four sparkling events that grace its calendar for 2025.

Next year kicks off in familiar fashion with the fourth edition of the not-for-profit club’s award-winning Generations Rally (28-30 March), which moves to a new base in the iconic rally town of Harrogate. Next up comes the sixth running of the hugely enjoyable Vintage Shamrock (12-15 May), organised in conjunction with Irish Racing Green. Underlining their proven popularity both Generations and Shamrock highlights already boast full entries, though waiting lists for both are open.

After the double-header within the British Isles, the focus then switches further afield. First up is sunny Spain and then onto the many wonders of far-away Japan.

Starting and finishing in Málaga, the Carrera Andalucía (22 June – 3 July) will tackle wonderful, smooth, traffic-free roads through olive groves and over the high sierra in southern Spain with stunning overnight stays in Granada, Carmona and Córdoba among others.

The year then concludes in truly incredible fashion with the Islands of Japan Marathon (18 September – 16 October), an amazing month-long journey of discovery navigating the four main islands of Japan from Hokkaido in the far north, through Honshu and Shikoku to the finish in semi-tropical Kyushu.

Saving the best for last, entries are still open for both the Carrera Andalucía and the Islands of Japan Marathon.

2024 AUSTRIA TO ATHENS CHALLENGE: TOP RESULTS

Pre-War Category

1. Shane Houlihan & Andrew Boland (IRE/IRE) 1936 Ford V8 Convertible 5m:17s (time penalties)
2. Graham & Marina Goodwin (GB/GB) 1929 Bentley 4½ Le Mans 5m:48s
3. David Long & Paul Bareham (GB/GB) 1934 Talbot AV105 21m:50s
4. Tony Rowe & Mark Delling (GB/GB) 1939 Ford DeLuxe V8 91A Coupe 49m:49s
5. John Carr & Colin Dougherty (GB/USA) 1926 Bentley 6½ 1h 27m:06s

Classic Category

1. Clint Smith & Martin Jones (GB/GB) 1965 Porsche 911 3m:57s
2. Reto Mebes & Mark Bramall (CH/GB) 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SLC 4m:59s
3. Roy Stephenson & Peter Robinson (GB/GB) 1968 Morris 1800 Mk2 7m:24s
4. Keith & Norah Ashworth (GB/GB) 1967 Ford Mustang 15m:42s
5. Danny Day & Ron Doyle (USA/USA) 1975 Mercedes-Benz 280 16m:22s