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Peking Paris 2019 achieved ‘Motorsport Event of the Year’ prize at the prestigious Historic Motoring Awards in London on Thursday 17th October

105 intrepid competitors from around the globe took 36 days, crossing 12 countries and eight time zones, most finishing the 14,000 km 800 mile epic motoring adventure agreeing it had been the toughest yet. The seventh edition of the famous event first run in 1907, followed in the footsteps of the early pioneers. In adhering to the spirit of the original event which produced such an epic motoring experience, it clearly impressed the industry luminaries on the panel of judges for the International Historic Motoring Awards committee.

The ERA Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is often described as the world’s greatest motoring endurance event, but with this award it has now firmly set itself as the jewel in the historic motoring crown.

The Managing Director of HERO/ERA Events Patrick Burke took to the stage at the London Rosewood Hotel to proudly receive the award with HERO/ERA Chairman Tomas de Vargas Machuca; “ This award is a testament to the team work and the attention to detail of the numerous people that have been involved in delivering this event… a real life changing adventure and one of the last true motoring challenges for vintage and classic car enthusiasts. The award also pays tribute to the spirit of adventure of all those crews from around the world who took part” Patrick commented.

In keeping with P2P event history, records were also broken in the seventh edition in 2019. Mitch Goss and Christopher Rolph broke the world distance record for a steam driven vehicle by completing the distance and more, despite having to totally rebuild the boiler furnace three times on route in their 1910 White MM Pullman.

Anton Sr Gonnissen with Herman Jr Gelan navigating became the biggest story as they brought their 1907 Mototri Contal trike back to Paris finally laying the ghost to rest of original driver Frenchman Auguste Pons 112 years later! Anton vowed to complete the adventure Pons failed to do all those years ago, (the only vehicle not to finish) recreating the Contal then defeating many obstacles to make P2P history complete. Also keeping history complete was Prince Costantino Paulo Borghese, the great nephew of 1907 winner Prince Scipione Borghese. He was present in Paris to flag the competitors home.

Such is the draw of the Peking Paris Motor Challenge that the 2022 event has already received numerous entries and hundreds of expressions of interest. As HERO ERA Chairman Tomas de Vargas Machuca said; “ Whilst 2019 will go down in the archives as one of the toughest and best ever, we are already working hard on the 2022 event. We want to improve the experience to ensure it remains one of the world’s last great adventures.”

For further information please contact:

Tony Jardine | HERO/ERA Communications Director | +44 7989 408736 | [email protected]