Historic Motoring Holidays



Posted: Wednesday, January 06, 2010

by Mark Bartley

The pinnacle of motorsport may be the Formula One race series and millions of fans follow the explo
its of the twenty or so driver that sit on the grid throughout the season and drive those multi-million pound cars around some of the world's best racing circuits. Many dream about driving for a Forumla One team and for almost all of them it will always remain a dream, but competing in an historic motor sport event is quite achievable and some truly remarkable experiences can had in the world of vintage and classic motoring and for very little financial outlay. Combine that with a visit to an idyllic holiday destination and the experience of a lifetime can be had for a fraction of the cost you would have imagined.

Historic motoring is a form of motorsport that caters for older vehicles. True, some of these cars may be as out of reach financially as a Formula One car, but we're not talking about purchasing a million pounds Bugatti to compete in one of the celebrity showcase events. No these historic motoring events are much more accessible and rather than a cherished Frazer Nash, you could be tackling the stages in a vintage Porsche or a classic Datsun 260Z from the seventies. Unlike the current day Mille Miglia which is now more of a showcase procession rather than a real competition (the original Mille Miglia was prohibited in 1957 after an unfortunate accident killed two competitors and thirteen spectators).

Historic Rally events in European holiday areas include events in Gran Canaria, Madeira, Mallorca, France and on the Algarve in Portugal.

Mallorca has seen two historic motoring events in recent years. The first was in 2007 when the vintage car clubs of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza decided to host an annual get together and drive their vehicles around a route of one of the islands. In 2007 the Trobado Balear Vehiculos saw the inaugural rally of 87 vehicles drive around a 90km route on Ibiza. In October 2008 Mallorca was the second host and on the second day two a 128km journey saw the cars passing through Palma, S'Esglaieta, Santa Maria, Binisalem, Lloseta, Biniamar, Selva and Inca. In 2009 Menorca held the event in October. Starting from the Plaza d`es Born in Ciutadella, the route passed through Es Migjorn, Mercadal, Monte Toro and Martorellet. A more gentle cruise to Mahon made up the next day's challenge.

Mallorca's more famous historic car event gained its status following the participation of the presenters of the UK's hit motoring programme Top Gear. Clarkson, Hammond and May all took part in different vehicles in the Rally Isla Mallorca. The event can be seen during March and attracts all kinds of drivers from retired motoring racing aces to celebrities. The 2010 event runs between 25th and 27th March and already has almost 100 cars on its start list including several Porsches, a Lancia Stratos, Jaguars, Fords, MGs and BMWs. The oldest vehicle is a 1952 Aston Martin with a more modern Japanese rally car from the 80's being the newest.

On the island of Madeira the 22nd Classic Car Rally took place on 24th, 25th and 36th June and attracts all kinds of cars. This annual event for vintage and classic cars takes competitors all over the island on a route of 400km over three days.

Tenerife also has it's own classic car rally that sees cars arriving from nearby islands and mainland Europe. In November the Rallye Isla Tenerife Historico sees various cars starting from the race headquarters at Parque Maritimo in the capital to tackle the 400km route.

Portugal also hosts a classic car event at its new motor racing circuit close to Portimao. Its event sticks to the track rather than the road, with cars competing in various races} defined by age and vehicle class. In 2009 Sir Sterling Moss took part in his own 1956 Osca. Competitors and those there just to watch particularly enjoyed the two hour endurance race for two driver teams that finished as the sun set on the course and headlights were required. Fans and drivers were able to enjoy the wonderful Algarve weather both during the event and afterwards if the had decided to spend more time in the Algarve on the beach.

So if you like your classic cars and you need a holiday, the holiday destinations of Madeira, Mallorca or Portugal could be perfect solutions.

With a cheap flight to Madeirayou could be in the right place to witness one of Europe's best vintage sports car events while at the same time enjoying a welcome break in the sun on this pretty island in the Atlantic.
Mark Bartley is a well respected writer on consumer affairs and a customer champion. He has experience in several industries including travel, finance, retail and leisure. He seeks to provide useful information from an unbiased viewpoint and helps people understand complicated market areas and find the best deals or services available.
This Article has been viewed 136 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.