They battled desert sandstorms and rough terrain in some of the farthest-flung corners of the planet in a vintage car rally – and they did it in a vehicle made almost 100 years ago.
Scotland’s dynamic duo, Andy Buchan, 57, and Mike Sinclair, 58, emerged champions in one of the world’s toughest vintage and classic car endurance rallies.
The epic 14,500km (9,000-mile), 37-day Peking to Paris endurance race began at the Great Wall of China on May 18, spanned 10 countries, and crossed six time zones before culminating at Gendarmerie National in Paris on June 23.
It was only the eighth event since the race began in 1907.
Driver Andy, a retired businessman, and navigator Mike, a retired oil industry field manager, completed the HERO-ERA-organised challenge in Andy’s 1928 4½ litre Le Mans Bentley, known affectionately as Crunchie.
Motoring across the world
They were among 80 crews from 26 countries that motored through China, Inner Mongolia and Kazakhstan, before ferrying their vehicles across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, and pushing overland through Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Italy and San Marino, with the Aberdeenshire dads first over the finish line to the popping of Champagne corks and the cheers of family, friends and spectators.
Pals since serving an apprenticeship together 40 years ago, the duo are now back on home turf.
Andy, from Hatton of Fintray – who in 2022 completed the gruelling Sahara Challenge as part of his training – told The Sunday Post: “It was on my bucket list to do the Peking-to-Paris rally in an open-top Bentley. I bought the car in 2020 but the race was delayed for two years because of Covid.”
He revealed: “It’s a matching numbers car, meaning it has all the major components it had on the day it left the factory. Its first registered keeper was the marketing director for Bentley, Hugh Somerset Kevill-Davies, who had been a captain in the 3rd Gordon Highlanders, and who served during the First World War.
“It’s a very special car. There was an agreement when I bought it that I wouldn’t tell my wife or anyone else what it cost, but it was a big number.
“When we set off our goal was just to get to Paris, that in itself is an achievement. We were a few days into the rally when we realised we could be in contention for a bigger award. We were delighted to win. It’s fantastic.”
Dad-of-two Mike, from Balmedie, said: “We worked hard to prepare for the race, but we would never have expected to win. We are absolutely delighted.”
Charity challenge
Their efforts have so far raised more than £2,600 for the charity Cash For Kids. But the challenge was greater than either man anticipated.
Reliving the experience, Andy said: “Massive parts of Kazakhstan were desert, and we were following pipeline routes and driving along rough, unpaved embankments that were three or four metres high. All my car wanted to do was to escape left or right and fall off the embankment. We drove the equivalent distance of Aberdeen to Manchester in one day. I had to hold the steering wheel tightly and my body was sore.
“We camped overnight in the desert and were hit by a sandstorm. It was hard to keep the tents up. In the morning, we were absolutely covered in sand. We were running in temperatures of 40˚C and over at times in an open-topped car.”
At one point on the Kazakhstan leg, they experienced a punishing tail wind. Andy, who with wife Marion has daughters Katherine, 24, and Rachel, 22, explained: “It was blowing our own dust cloud into the cabin of the car, and it made visibility and breathing very difficult.”
He added: “The banter and fun we had all the way through was great. We had so many laughs – competitors and support crew – and there must have been about 200 of us travelling on the rally. Everybody gets into a bit of trouble, and every-body helps each other out. It was superb.
“We are so delighted to have won. My family and friends from Houston in Texas, Tenerife and Aberdeen travelled to Paris, which was a surprise to me. It was an emotional moment.”
Driving Crunchie
Mike – dad to Alexander, 24, and Matthew, 22, and a volunteer for Blood Bikes Scotland, who provide a free transport service to the NHS – was also joined at the finish line and for the presentation of the trophy by his wife Rachel.
Andy chuckled: “When I bought the car from a specialist Vintage Bentley dealer in the south of England, they told me I should give it an affectionate nickname. By the time I had driven it to Aberdeen I realised that changing gear took a little bit of skill I hadn’t quite mastered, so I named the car Crunchie.”
Now gearing up for the Pearl of India event in February, Andy smiled: “I feel very privileged, with Mike and Crunchie, to be the eighth winner of the Peking to Paris event.”