The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Bella’ makes it the full Monte as Angus crew complete rally
Trio drive 2,000 miles to south of France in restored 1950s saloon
Angus rally first-timers have managed the full Monte with a flawless run to the glitz and glamour of Monaco in a major international motoring event.
Five days after setting off from Paisley Abbey as part of a convoy of classic cars on the historic Rallye Monte Carlo, friends David Tindal, Alan Falconer and Stephen Woods cruised across the finish line in the principality after a troublefree run in their 1956 Ford Prefect.
The Angus crew were participants in the classique category of an event which involves start points across Europe for enthusiasts in an array of machinery from the golden era of the original Monte Carlo rally.
David’s 19-year-old son, Craig, is the owner of the Prefect which the team agreed to restore in return for being able to tackle the event with it, and hours spent burning the midnight oil at the Tindal family firm of Carnoustie Tyres paid off on the 2,000-mile trip.
The Angus men ran under the Kilts to Carlo banner to raise both funds and awareness for Prostate Scotland, with well over £1,000 raised so far, and David said the whole experience had been excellent from start to finish.
“It’s been absolutely great – the car never missed a beat,” he said.
“It was a full-on competition and there was one day we were driving non-stop for 24 hours, but the sense of camaraderie on the rally was great.
“There were very few breakdowns, but if someone had a problem there was always someone there to help get them going again. We did carry quite a lot of spares and tools but never had them out of the boot.”
The rally took in snow-covered alpine roads including the 5,272ft Col du Turini pass, but the family saloon, christened ‘Bella’, cruised to her parc ferme position alongside Monaco harbour.
Big crowds saw the field depart from Paisley and the crews enjoyed a similarly enthusiastic reception in the south of France, before a celebration dinner in the Automobile Club de Monaco.