An impressive 70 classic rally crews are heading for Copenhagen and the start of the inaugural Baltic Classic Rally, which kicks off on Sunday 28 May.
Starting from Copenhagen’s Clarion Hotel, the 4200km route winds through Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland before finishing in Berlin on 10 June. As well as taking in a number of attractions such as the Saab Museum in Trolhatten and the Riga Motor Museum, competitors will traverse the Oresund Bridge – the longest road and rail bridge in Europe – before crossing the Stockholm Archipelago, where daylight remains even in the small hours.
Entrants will descend upon the start from all corners of the globe and in all manner of vehicles, ranging from the youngest car – a 1978 Opel Kadett Coupé – through to the oldest, a brace of 1925 Bentleys. Rally favourites such as the Volvo Amazon and Ford Escort with be in evidence, as will a few classics less suited to historic rallying, including an Aston Martin DB5.
Winners of the inaugural European Cup on the Peking to Paris 2016, Bill Cleyndert and Jacqui Norman are sure to be in contention in their Bentley Super Sport, as will Jim Grayson and Simon Spinks in the 1969 London to Mexico Ford Escort. Ludovic Bois and Julia Colman’s Peking to Paris Volvo Amazon will also be one to watch.
“This is a new adventure for us, with a fantastic entry list, and we think this is going to be one of the highlights in the Endurance Rally Association calendar for years to come,” said rally director Fred Gallagher. “While we have explored some of the territory covered before in an early outing of the Peking to Paris, this is a lot of exciting new territory which we’re keen to share with our competitors.”
