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Located in our Benicia, California Showroom 707.748.4000 For our entire inventory, additional pictures and information go to www.specialtysales.com Collectible 1950 Ford Flathead. Finished in White. Raced in the "Peking to Paris Challenge" Incredibly the generator on this car converts to a welding machine which can come in handy in the middle of nowhere. Own a piece of history!, Peking To Paris Rally In 1907 And In 1997 Driving from Peking to Paris, then and now., BY Cliff Gromer , 90 Years Later, Ninety years later, the sequel: The Second Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, celebrating the epochal race of 1907. This time the field was made up of 94 vintage automobiles ranging from a 1907 LaFrance Hooper to a 1978 BMC 1800. In between were a trio of bare-bones Citroen 2CVs and a couple of Buicks. The field also included several Roll-Royces and Bentleys, and Charles Kleptz from Ohio driving the only 5.7-liter Marmon of its type in existence. Kleptz broke three axles before leaving China, the rough roads knocking him out of the race., Shipping entrants cars to China was no cheap undertaking. The cost by boat from California was close to &2000, and last-minute-Charlies had to dig deep to come up with the &12,000 air freight ticket., , The 100 drivers from 22 countries made up a cast of characters equal to that of the original event. There was a duke, a prince, a member of Parliament, and a brain surgeon or two. The rally supplied doctors and official mechanics but prohibited any other outside support. Navigation was by map and compass., , When the flagman signaled the start of the 45-day rally, the drivers headed westward from "Peking,"–actually the Great Wall–and into the semi-desert landscape of Inner Mongolia and past the giant sand dunes that line the Yellow River., , Once through the magnificent scenery of the Tibetan plateau, the drive became more challenging–up the Kunlun Pass to an altitude of 17,000 feet, past snow-covered peaks to the very roof of the world–and on to Lhasa, Tibet. , , The racers drove through the Himalayas, over twisting dirt and gravel roads, near the base camp at Mt. Everest. Then it was into a gorge, through dense vegetation, to the Friendship Bridge at Nepal. , , Once they descended into the valley at Katmandu, the drivers headed through the plains of northern India, past the Taj Mahal, and into the deserts of northern Pakistan before reaching Iran and trails traveled by Marco Polo., , Beyond Tehran, in northern Iran, the roads got much more crowded. The racers drove along the coast to Istanbul and on to Greece before taking a ferry ride into Italy. Then it was a sprint through the Alpine passes and on to Paris., , First to cross the finish line was the British team of Phil Surtees and John Bayliss driving one of the more uncomfortable entries–a 1942 Willys Jeep. They were followed by Americans Ted Thomas and Vic Zannis in a 1950 Ford Club Coupe. Third place went to the British father-and-son team of John and Simon Catt, driving a 1965 Ford Cortina. , , It marked the end to the first-ever rally to cross Tibet, go through the Himalayas and over three deserts–the longest-ever motoring challenge for vintage and classic cars to mark a famous anniversary. And it closed a page in motoring history that celebrated a journey of scope and imagination, an adventure of motorcars and the human spirit., , , , , , Cars and crowds at the Great Wall prior to start of the 1997 Rally. , , 1948 Buick coupe in the moutains of Tibet.