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The 1st Alpine Trial - A new event for pre-war Vintage Cars

A surge in entries means that the 1st Alpine Trial is now fully subscribed.... Bill Cleyndert who put up a remarkably determined effort on the recent Peking to Paris is now fettling his alloy-bodied Model A Special and has entered with Matt Abrey;  an MG T-type has been entered from Germany by Peter Zernial;  from Holland Wim van Soest has entered his Lagonda 1936 Le Mans;  Peter Livanos has entered, he says it will be either his Alfa Zagato Type 8C or a Bentley;  Franco Lupi has entered a Bentley 6½;  William Ainscough and Jason Dearden have entered with a  Frazer Nash;  Martin and Olivia Hunt have entered their Bentley 4½, and Geoff Cook from Thames Ditton has entered but not specified a car. Another Bentley has been entered by William Medcalf, who runs the West Sussex Bentley specialists who have turned out some highly successful Bentley rallycars in recent years - William finished second on the 2010 Peking to Paris. 

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The Alpine Trial
Friday, 6th – Sunday, 8th June, 2014

The Endurance Rally Association is pleased to announce a new event with a difference – set over the second weekend of June next year the 1st Alpine Trial is an annual event for pre-war Vintage Cars. 

Three days of Alpine motoring will see competition similar to our Flying Scotsman rally, with the navigator using map-sections on Michelin and IGN maps which the Organisers will supply daily on large wire-bound route-books, and drivers and navigators competing for Alpine Cups, in a format very much in the tradition of the original Coupe des Alpes.

Our hotel will be the luxurious Impérial Palace set in its own parkland on the shores of Lake Annecy just a short distance from Geneva and perfectly placed for access to the finest Alpine roads. So, with no baggage-bus and no packing and carrying a suitcase every day – the three rally days are all loops centred around one very comfortable hotel.

The 1,000 kilometre route in the Rhone-Alpes region of France has been designed by Keith Baud, famous for our Monte Carlo Challenge routes who has a very extensive knowledge of the historic mountain climbs of the original Coupe des Alpes events.  Keith joins the highly experienced and much praised ERA 'Flying Scotsman' team to bring you a new, challenging and imaginative route specially designed to be within the capabilities of pre-war cars and, with Christine Arnal in Paris assisting us with permits and permissions from local prefectures and tourist boards, the planning is now well advanced.

Alpine Roads

These have been chosen as both interesting and exciting drives up little known Cols from the top of which there is always a spectacular view of the nearest lake or a distant mountain.

Day One - We head north-east over Mont Saleve towards Geneva, before driving through the Chablais region for lunch in the ski resort of Morzine. Returning via classic climbs like the Col de la Colombiere on the spectacular Route des Grandes Alpes.

Day Two - Plenty of Cols today as the route heads south east towards the Savoy Alps, with views of Mont Blanc and as far as Bourg-Saint-Maurice before turning north to Albertville, exploring testing little Cols just open after the winter snows.

Day Three - Today it’s west through rolling countryside of the Rhone valley. There will be the Col de la Biche and the Grand Colombier to climb before heading south towards Aix les Bains. The afternoon run includes Mont Revard and the Semnoz ridge before dropping down right into the centre of Annecy and the finish.

Navigating

The event will be a competitive challenge for the driver and will require a navigator comfortable following the route from maps. This does not imply it will be difficult, just that a bit more concentration will be required than following a Tulip route book where every distance and junction is shown. Using maps for the competitive sections enables the navigators to use their skills in finding the correct junctions first time and gain an advantage over their rivals. Whereas Tulip diagrams will be used to negotiate towns, clear large scale maps will be provided by the Organisers for the time control and average speed sections. It is also planned to include some speed based test venues and some manoeuvrability observed sections. Details of the route for each day will be issued each morning. 

If you would like to brush up on your navigating and co-driving skills with a spot of one to one personal tuition, contact Alan Smith via the Rally Office.

Winning

Everyone likes to be a winner and everyone could win an Alpine Cup. This means pitting yourself against the Organisers to minimise your penalties and remain within the Alpine Cup standard. More than a few minutes lost at a time control or more than a few seconds on an average speed section could be the end of the dream.

Preparation

Any car with a pre-war chassis and a pre-war engine design built before 1941 will be eligible with any modifications restricted to parts available in period. The use of later and performance parts that may be considered modern are outside the spirit of the event.

We are keen to attract the right pedigree of cars, and more importantly, we want crews with the right attitude. Driving a vintage car dressed in clothing appropriate to its age just adds to the enjoyment and atmosphere of the whole event, everyone is actively encouraged to join in.

A tripmeter and a stopwatch are vital to do well but there are no restrictions on other gadgets and navigational aids which you may feel will enhance your performance. Your car needs to be very reliable and to be prepared for climbing up and down many Cols of up to 5000 ft each day. However, experienced support crews will follow the route and be based at the hotel each morning and evening to help you resolve any problems with your car.

Getting there

Annecy is 35kms south of Geneva with its international airport and motorway connections. Annecy also has its own airport with links to Paris and beyond. Transport for your car can be organised by CARS UK,  01284 850950, plus Polygon and Straight-Eight companies who all run car transporters. CARS UK are our reccommended choice, these are covered trucks and specialise in the moving of competition cars to events. Or, it is an easy drive from Calais - we expect our team of officials to drive it in around 7 hours. 

Full Entry List

The 1st Alpine Trial entry list is now fully subscribed.

Contact the Rally Office on +44 (0) 1235 831221 or email us