Three men in vintage cars, 13 countries, three months, 19,000km: there were bound to be a few mishaps along the way from Buenos Aires to New York…
Words and photography Richard Cunningham
Back in 2008 I heard Philip Young, the father of modern long-distance rallying, being interviewed on the radio. He was describing the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, and by lunchtime I had spoken to him, sent a cheque and was signed up to the 2010 event – having never owned a classic car nor carried out more maintenance than topping up oil or changing a tyre. I bought a 1933 Lagonda M45, seized its engine on the first day in China, quickly learned to rebuild things on the hoof, and 16,000km later reached Paris. My love of long-distance adventures was established.
Nigel Gambier’s 1933 M45 has been in the family since 1939 (his grandmother drove it daily) and he’d completed the Peking to Paris event in 2007 and 2010. Lifelong petrolhead Chris Evans owns a 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost; only he would have thought it appropriate to bring three tons of car, designed in 1907, on a near-20,000km journey across the highest mountains in South America. It would be just us, our cars and a retinue of co-drivers.
I was helped on the Peking to Paris Rally by the godfather of Lagonda M45s, David Ayre. He had guided my rebuild of its engine in Ulan Bator and since then has advised and prepared my M45 for all its subsequent outings. Nigel’s Lagonda is one of the first 30 M45s produced, built with the marque’s own 3.0-litre engine, so Nigel and David upgraded it to the 4.5-litre Meadows. Both cars received alternators and stiffer suspension, reconditioned carbs and reseated valves, while mine received a new head gasket. Chris had his Silver Ghost prepared in similar style. And then we were off.
Our plan was to ship the cars to Ushuaia, the most southerly town in South America, but the cars were delayed in Buenos Aires, so that’s where our adventure began, back in February. Our first destination was Mendoza, 1057km away. For the next two days it was hot and the going was flat. The Silver Ghost wasn’t happy, and Nigel’s Lagonda had been struggling with fuel deprivation and kept fouling its plugs, which didn’t bode well for the High Andes. We learned as we went, and nevertheless made it across the Pampas to Mendoza before climbing up to the kite-surfing lake at Rodeo and the traditional asado, a superb meal of beef roasted over
