The Challenge
In May 1907, in response to a challenge by a French newspaper, five cars attempted to cross Asia and Europe, to prove the viability of the motor car as a means of long distance travel. There was one serious oversight – no British car participated, and this will be rectified on the centenary of the first event, as four intrepid adventurers will attempt the journey unsupported in Austin Sevens; the smallest and most versatile of cars.
How
This will be an unsupported trip, – with all tools, equipment, spares and luggage carried in the two small cars, including enough fuel and water for the tough Mongolian section of the route. The trade-off between being prepared for every eventuality and carrying too heavy a load for the cars to bear on unpaved roads will lead to some tough decisions. As was the case for the 1907 trip, there will be very little space for personal luggage!
The two Austin Sevens are both vintage, 1920s cars, with Chummy bodies. [A7 history/mechanical facts] One car, a well-known VSCC trials car, will be crewed by Sebastian Welch and Annabel Jones. The other, recently restored, will be crewed by Kip and Carmen Waistell.
The Route
The route will start in Beijing, covering the 350 miles to the Mongolian border. 400 miles across the Gobi desert to Ulaan Baatar, and then we will head west, past Mongolia’s ancient capital of Kharkhorin and through the Altay mountain range to arrive in southern Siberia. We then drive north to Novosibirsk and make our way Westwards to Moscow. Following the route of the 1907 victor, Prince Borghese, will take us north to Saint Petersburg, then through the Baltic states and Western Europe to Paris.