Sep 05
Andrew Drinkwater, long time MSVCR member will be competing in the 2010 Peking to Paris in his Renault 4CV this month.
Running for 37 days and covering over 14,000 kms, the rally will be fun but surely challenging and tiring. Team and car are ready. They leave tomorrow for Beijing where the car now cleared of customs awaits them. Similarly another 106 teams from all over the world are making their way to the start line for the big day.You can follow the rally progress via a video journal and a blog, on www.pekingparis.com.
Andy and his co-driver Diana Cooper have also got a personal blog going at http://4cvcar89.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-move.html.
Andy supplied a few pictures of the finished car, taken on the day of shipment, including blessing at the Hindu Temple in Brickfields on the day.
Andy remarked "we need all the help we can get" The car has a name – “Hanuman”, as it has been a real challenge to prepare it for the rally, Team Drinkwater feel the car has had its own hand in this, so ‘mischievous’ seems appropriate! For all his mischief when young the original Hanuman went on to demonstrate phenomenal abilites when the time came. Lets hope this four wheeled version can do the same.
Andy has chosen his steed well, built between 1947 and 1961 the 4CV was at the time a popular four door family econo car running a 750 cc engine. The 4CV proved itself to be very versatile and was the base of many a modified rally and racing car not least the Alpine company who used the platform to build their cars for competition.
Last held in 2007, the Peking to Paris celebrates the original long distance run made originally in 1907 when 5 cars set off from Peking with four actually making it to Paris. Things have changed a bit with a few more roads in place now but the run is done entirely using historic vehicles the oldest this year being a 7 litre 1907 Itala 40.
