Classic cars depart from John O’Groats for Monte Carlo.
THE ANNIVERSARY MONTE 100 CLASSIQUE began on Thursday, the event marking 100 years since the first trip to Monaco from the commonly-thought-northernmost point of Scottish mainland.
Cars were waved off by Viscount Thurso, Lord Lieutenant of Caithness, to the tune of the Wick RBLS Pipe Band.
Around 40 classic cars were ready to leave on Thursday morning, all makes and models that would have competed pre-1986, six of them competed in period.
Competitors in the rally depart from six locations across Europe, converging along the way.
The first to leave were Neil and Cameron Oliver in a 1968 Volvo P120.
From Caithness to Casino Square, Stirling Castle’s vertical entry to Alpine climbs through thinning air – the cars will be tested thoroughly as they make their way to a black-tie celebration in Monaco.
I do wonder how one keeps a dress crumple-free whilst crammed into the back of a 1970s MG though…
Husband and Wife, Driver and Navigator, Jim Pohl and Dr Joyce Mordenti are on their third run of the Monte Carlo Classique and will be hoping for a smoother ride than their first.
“We finished the race, we finished last. To finish is to win, and we won with 543,000 points… I think the winner that year might have had nine points!” – Joyce Mordenti
Competitors aim to keep a low score, gaining points for anything that goes wrong.
“We are very excited to be in this year’s Monte Carlo Rallye, we’re driving a 1952 Sunbeam Talbot that Stirling Moss drove in 1953. So, we’re bringing it back 72 years later.” – Jim Pohl
“It’ll be back in the mountains where it first started it’s history.” – Joyce
The oldest car taking on the challenge is the 1934 Sunbeam 25 of James Mann and Richard Watton, first driven by James’ Grandfather in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, it now has over 470,000 miles on the clock.
The field was vast for the 2026 Historique, ranging from Ford to Ferrari and Lagonda to Lancia. The first checkpoint was Inverness, leaving Scotland on Friday, with ambitions to make Monte Carlo by Tuesday.
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