A major challenge
Let me be clear, there is a challenge in every rally. Some are tougher than others, often determined by the road conditions. Today, I discuss with Patrick Debusseré the mother of all rallies. We are talking about the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge that Patrick and Bernard drove together in 2019. Patrick wrote a wonderful book about this rally that we would like to discuss here.
I had arranged to meet Patrick at his home where I was kindly received with a delicious cup of coffee. The conversation quickly started and Patrick told me that as a young boy at eighteen he bought a Willy’s jeep.
Willy’s Jeep
When in 1997 a Willy’s Jeep won the first Peking to Paris re-enactment my attention was immediately drawn. During the next years I started to collect everything I could find about the rally. And on the other hand I started looking for my first Willy’s Jeep. About ten years ago I managed to get it back (laughs).
The collection of books on the rally is impressive with the showpiece being a first edition of the book by the Italian Prince Scipione Borghesese who won this first edition. He won the rally with an Itala car and managed to drive the rally in two months. This was no less than 20 days faster than the second.
The more memorabilia I collected from this rally, the greater the urge to drive it one day. My dream was to be able to do this at 55.
Polly
Finding the right car was one of the most important tasks in the 5 to 6 years of preparation. The choice finally fell on our 1933 Dodge Roadster which was nicknamed Polly.
Why did we choose this car? Well, we wanted a car that referred to the initial spirit of the race. So it would be a pre-war and preferably an open model. That limits your choice because not every pre-war can handle a rally like that. It is generally known that especially the American pre-war cars are among the most solid. We were also looking for an elegant car and so we ended up with the 1933 Dodge Roadster.
This was a conscious and calculated choice. The Dodge had a reinforced chassis because they were also used as utility vehicles. Our Polly was built in Australia by TJ Richards who had placed a very light bodywork on it. The very solid engine, the reinforced bodywork and the light body proved to be the perfect combo for us. Knowing that Polly had already successfully participated in the P2P rally in 2007 confirmed our choice.
Preparation
It took me about two years to get the car completely in order. For this I went twice to the USA. The successful Bonnevile ‘Montana Dodge Boys’ racing team helped us with the engine and drivetrain.
Even though the rally is one of the toughest on the planet, there are more applications than participation places. In 2019, there were around 800 applications for a good 100 starting places. This means that the organisers can be selective, and that is a good thing. Starting this rally without very good preparation is madness and that is also what is selected for.
Apart from numerous local rallies, we have also driven several multi-day rallies but mainly in Europe. We have also driven the Mille Miglia and the combination of all these rides gives you some experience.
Technical problems
When I asked if they had had breakdowns, Patrick laughed and told me that 98% of the participants had had technical problems. When I said that +/- 16000km was not that much, Patrick immediately took me to his iMac and showed me some videos of the ride. This explained a lot. On a large part of the route there is simply ‘no’ road. So you ride over totally unknown and often very rough terrain. If your wheel ends up in a deep well, it is not unusual for something to break.
The Peking to Paris ride is ultimately a rally and an important question in this rally is “Peking to Paris is a race against time, it’s just a mather how slow you dare to go”.
Patrick tells me that this is more than just another rally, this is a life changer, he says. This is a rally that grabs you by the neck and does not let go. Ego’s, status and origin are completely smoothed out here. Everyone needs each other because if you break down, you hope that someone will stop and help you. So you do this because, as always in life, you get what you give.
Lifelong friendships
Friendships have been made at this rally that I am sure are for life. This is so intense that nothing compares.
We also talked about logistical support. A rally like this requires a lot of preparation, as I said before. But also during the rally support is indispensable. During the day you drive reasonably individually. There is a fuel supply at designated places.
Every evening, you come back together to spend the night and have dinner together. Of course, the stories of the day are told. The tents are set up by the organisation, but the organisation does much more than that. They take care of the road book and they are an important link in the border crossing procedures.
Accidents
There have been several accidents during the rally. Fortunately not too bad. When on day four during a time trial the Porsche number 87 hit a deep pit in the steppe grass, the unimaginable happened. The car turned over and tumbled around six times. Fortunately, another competitor was nearby who was able to notify the organisation via satellite telephone. The car was picked up and the necessary medical care was provided (broken wrist and damage to the right ear).
However, the drive to continue was so great that after a medical procedure in Belgium, the team rejoined the rally with a replacement car and eventually made it to Paris.
Even if you have a road book, navigation tools are still indispensable. Thus, in addition to the road book, we also used a classic GPS and a Tripmaster. This way, we also recorded the route we travelled. Above you can see an extract of the Peking to Paris Journal which is published by the organisation.
Go-Pro & Youtube channel
We had also placed a Go-Pro in a self-designed stabiliser on the car. This way, we collected a lot of video content. You can find some of the montages on our You-Tube channel “The Belgian Dodge Brothers”.
As a participant, you will also receive a beautiful custom-made watch from Blancpain, a set of cufflinks and several cups. This and many other things make the Peking to Paris rally an unforgettable trip that we will still enjoy years later.
The book
If you have seen the photos and the videos by now, you will see that this has been a fantastic adventure. To let everyone enjoy it, Patrick Debusseré and his co-pilot Bernard Vereenooghe have published a book of the rally. Of course, they did not do this alone. Many of the photos come from the photographer Gerard Brown who travelled with them, but also from the participants. Just like the many stories that have been collected and neatly written out. The result is a beautifully documented reference book: “Peking to Paris The Ultimate Motoring Challenge”. The book has 396 pages and hundreds of pictures. You can order the book under ISBN nr: 9789464071474 or via the website of Peking to Paris.
Report: Patrick Verheeken
Photos: Patrick Verheeken & other photos by Patrick Debusseré.
