Around the World Challenge: Vintage autos roll into Duluth

Around the World Challenge

Vintage autos roll into Duluth

Grueling 80-day race sends drivers through Northland

By Craig R. Gustafson
News Tribune staff writer

The 1929 Bentley Speed Six of Helmut Karbe travels Duluth's Skyline Parkway on Thursday evening. There are three types of vintage car collectors: those who lock their precious cars in garages for none to see, those who take their vehicles out for a spin around the block on Sunday afternoon, and those who use the cars for their original purpose -- ripping it up.

Forty of the latter variety came roaring into Duluth Thursday night. They are the remaining contingent of classic automobiles taking part in the first-ever Around the World in 80 Days Motor Challenge.

More than 100 entrants began the rally May 1 at London's Tower Bridge, but the field has now dwindled to 40. The event is divided into four legs; participants can drive the whole distance or choose certain legs.

The cars pulling into Duluth range in age from a 1929 Bentley Speed Six to a 1968 Hillman Hunter. Some arrived with mud caked on the sides, windshields cracked and, in some cases, smoke slowly oozing from beneath the hood.

``It hasn't always been fun,'' said Bentley driver Donald Sevart from Los Angeles. ``It's been tough, but it's something you don't want to miss.''

The race is the resurrection of gentlemen's rallies. From the 1930s through the 1960s -- before Nascar and Formula One took the racing spotlight -- rich men would take expensive cars to places like Monte Carlo and London to tear up tracks.

``Back then, they were normal, everyday cars,'' said Bill Taylor, a member of the Arrowhead Sports Car Club. ``Today, in many cases, the drivers are reliving their youth.''

For many, this is the way these cars were made to live and, in some cases, die.

As the rally raced through Europe and into China, two support vehicles followed with spare parts and world-class mechanics. A Land Rover support vehicle didn't stand up as well as some of the older cars and blew its engine. Now it's being hauled along on the back of a truck, waiting for repairs.

The rally has only two major requirements. There must be two drivers in the vehicle at all times and they must follow the pre-determined route. The participants are given a destination and time limit each day; that determines the overall rank. The rules are few, so organizers strictly adhere to them.

On the event's first day, one of the drivers got too sick to start the race. Organizers told the team that they could not participate without a second driver. In need of a quick fix, the team selected a woman who volunteered from the London send-off crowd. She expected the driver would drop her off at the city limits. She made her way home from Greece several days later.

The trip has been full of similar quirks. For instance, when Claude Picasso, nephew of the famous painter, rolled his 1964 Mercedes 230 SL Pagoda into a Montana ditch, local police wouldn't let Picasso leave until he paid a $260 on-the-spot fine for a cracked windshield.

The roads for the journey were chosen on the basis of scenery as well as challenge; the cars rarely take interstates or other busy roads.

``Over here, the roads are quite good,'' said Englishman Michael Greenwood as he replaced the front suspension of his 1955 Chevrolet Sedan. ``But in Europe and Asia, the roads are so twisted that we've had problems we shouldn't have.''

Travelers have endured varying temperatures -- from 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the Middle East to below freezing in Canada -- yet keep plugging away on secondary roads.

As a result, the stop in Duluth is more than just for show. Participating vehicles arrived in various states of disrepair and local organizers have made contacts to accommodate each car's particular problems.

None is more pressing than Neil Baker's problem. The engine in the Belgrade surgeon's 1964 Facel Vega is on its last legs. A new engine for the rare car is being trucked in from Ontario to Duluth for replacement this morning.

Another engine replacement occurred just days ago. Drivers of the Lagonda M45 needed a new engine, yet only a half-dozen of the vehicles exist. A man from Anchorage, Alaska, heard of their plight and sent his Lagonda engine to the driving team, on the road somewhere in Canada. No cash was exchanged -- simply the driver's word that the engine would be rebuilt and returned.

Spectator Robert Johnson of Albert City, Iowa, was in awe of the older cars. He brought his whole family on vacation to Duluth just to see the vintage vehicles.

``I wanted to get a chance to see them before they got them all cleaned up,'' he said.

Of course, the cars can't be driven completely around the globe. Russian cargo planes carried the vehicles across the Bering Strait into Alaska; a similar airlift will haul the cars to Africa. The caravan then heads back to London for the July 18 finish.

Vintage viewing

Interested in seeing the roughed-up classics? These cars will be on display today from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fitger's Brewery Complex parking ramp. The rally participants will take off at 7 a.m. Saturday from the William A. Irvin. The route out of Duluth follows Railroad Street to Garfield Avenue, then across the High Bridge.

1929 Bentley Speed Six