Three hundred and thirty teams will be setting off from five European cities for the start of the 11th Monte Carlo Historic Rally. As in previous years, interest was so great that the Selection Committee were obliged to turn down a good 100 applicants.
At 2:30 p.m, on Thursday January 31, thirty competitors will leave from Copenhagen, arriving on Saturday February 2 in Valence, which is the assembly town for all competitors. The remaining teams, starting in the other European cities will only leave on Friday February 1.
7:00pm: 75 cars will leave from the Place de la Cathedrale, Reims
7:14pm: The 112 competitors who have chose Monte Carlo as their departure town will leave from the Place du Casion
8:00pm: 59 cars will leave the Catalan capital Barcelona
9:00pm: 54 cars will leave Turin, marking the final departure ceremony.
In all, an impressive 24 nationalities and 40 makes of cars will be represented, a fitting illustration of the great scope of this race.
Michel Ferry, Event Director and Chairman of the ACM Historic Car Commission, was very pleased with the number of cars entered and only regretted the fact that not all vehicles could be accommodated. A high point will be the 30 competitors leaving from Copenhagen – this is the first time since the event was first held in 1998 that so many competitors have left from a North European city.
Three former RAMC champions have entered: 1968 winners, Vic Elfort and David Stone at the wheel of their orange Porsche 911; 1978 winner, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, driving his “Gitanes” Porsche 911; 1988 winners, Bruno Saby and Jean-Francois Fauchille, will be behind the wheel of their cheeky Fiat 500, and Carlos, the 1998 winner.