The Classic Val de Sèvre rally, and zealous Ford Falconry down under

Based on Pescalis and covering 360 kilometres of twisting roads, the 2017 Classic Val de Sèvre rally attracted plenty of newcomers, including a rare Peugeot and a barnfind Singer in a field of more than 70 classic cars.

1973 Peugeot 304 Coupé

This was the first outing for Peugeot dealer Bertrand Recullez’s 304 Coupé – he had finished restoring it the previous day. ‘I bought the car two years ago,’ he said. ‘It was in poor condition but wasn’t corroded beyond redemption. I started work on it last autumn in my spare time. It was stripped to bare metal, filled and resprayed at the garage. Then I rebuilt the engine and retrimmed the interior in my home workshop.

‘Corrosion means the 304 Coupé is a rare car nowadays, but I’m passionate about collecting these cars – I’ve got 15 classic Peugeots at home.

‘I think the 304 will be good for rallying, but this weekend I’ll get a feel for the car and then work on its tuning before its next rally.’

1969 Sunbeam Chamois

Another debutant was Jeanfrançois Lassaux’s Singer Chamois. ‘The Chamois was well regarded in France as a rally car when new, with light weight and exceptional roadholding,’ explained Lassaux, who has owned his Chamois for seven years. ‘I yearned after one in my youth, but had to await my second youth to buy one.

‘I tracked this car down to a barn in the Drôme. Exported new to France and laid up when the previous owner died, it was filthy and had a seized motor but the chassis and body were sound.

‘The basic restoration wasn’t complicated. What took time was meticulous preparation for classic rallying – installing a new motor, upgrading the suspension and a total interior refit. My 11th place here was good, but I think I should have done better.’