RALLYE MONTE CARLO HISTORIQUE: UNITED KINGDOM START

PAISLEY, SCOTLAND, 27 JANUARY

Upwards of 10,000 people braved typically inclement late-January weather to watch 70 classics setting off from Paisley for the 1670-mile journey to Monaco on this year’s Monte Carlo Rally Historique.

The Scottish town joined Barcelona, Bad Homberg, Oslo and Reims as one of the international start points for the one-week event, which more than 300 crews from across Europe have entered.

Among the UK entrants taking part was Ranald White in his 1964 Rover 2000SC (below), who was hoping for a more successful campaign than last year, when the car was plagued by mechanical issues at both ends of the rally. The first car flagged away from the start was James Maggatt’s Chrysler Sunbeam (below right), specially decorated to promote Paisley’s bid to become the 2021 European Capital of Culture.

Douglas Anderson, co-ordinator of the rally’s UK leg says that more than 60,000 people have been to see the event since the Scottish start was introduced in 2011. ‘This year saw a new chapter written in the illustrious history of the Monte in Scotland, with a group of cars travelling down from John O’Groats, one of the original starting points for the rally,’ Douglas comments.‘Once again, the people of Paisley gave the drivers a wonderful send-off and I thank them and our colleagues at Renfrewshire Council for hosting another memorable start leg.’ Photography by Andy Thomlinson & Dougie Coull

It wasn’t just UK teams starting the rally at Paisley – Belgian entrant Jean-Marie Herman joined them in his 1951 Austin FX3.