By Andrew Wallace
Former Stonehaven man George Topp and his wife Rosalind are amongst 60 crews from around the world taking part in a tough European rally this month.
The 31st Classic Marathon, based on the famous endurance rallies of the fifties and sixties, starts on the shores of Lake Geneva on September 13.
For cars built before 1991, the 2000 km six-day regularity rally finishes in Biarritz on the French/Spanish border.
George and Rosalind are driving car 37, a yellow 1973 Saab 96V4 Sport, one of the lowest powered cars in the event.
They are not the only Scots in the event – also competing are Irvine Laidlaw/Annabel Jones in a 1973 Porsche 2.7RS, and Jeffrey and Claire Clark in a 1969 MG C GT.
The rally’s oldest car is a 1955 Triumph TR3, while entrants are coming from as far afield as Brazil, Switzerland, Denmark, New Zealand, Indonesia, USA, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany.
The couple already have a Volvo Amazon kept for British rallying and bought the Saab last summer mainly for use on European rallies. This will be just the third, and by far the toughest, rally with the Saab. If the 1500cc car survives the mountains they will be contesting January’s Monte Carlo Historique Rally, opting for the John O’Groats start. Scotland’s most northerly point was used as a Monte start 100 years ago in January – and was won overall by Britain’s Victor Bruce in an AC.
The Marathon features the twisty mountain roads of France and Spain taking in the Jura Mountains and the Ardeche, driving on roads made famous by the Monte Carlo Rally, then into the Massif Central of France, before the last 3 days in the Pyrenees.
This rally holds endurance at its core – driving and navigating across some of Europe’s finest roads and mountain passes, including the ultimate classics such as the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet, made famous by The Tour de France.
George and Rosalind, who now live near Bordeaux, are back in the UK in November, tackling the tough RAC Rally of the Tests, a 4-day 750-mile event from Kendal to Llandudno which includes speed tests on military and forest roads as well as regularity sections.
