Tour de Espana Classic 2001 (7-11 November) by Helmut Schnug / Classics in Camera

7.12.01

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On November 7th, Jerez de la Frontera, the home and heartland of Sherry, was invaded by 82 classic cars which came from all around the world (22 countries) to enjoy the last rays of sunshine before the winter. The weather tidings were not good as flooding from the previous week´s intensive rainfall could be clearly seen.

During the next five days the caravan of classic automobiles drove through some of the most beautiful countrysides and coastlines of Andalucia, experiencing its past culture and traditions and some excellent food specific to the region.

The grid, including 19 marques and numerous models of cars, had never been so varied in the two previous years.

Fabulous cars such as Alfa Romeo 33/2 Daytona, Ford GT 40, two Porsche 910, Aston Martin DB 3S and DB 3S Coupe, AC Cobra, Ferrari 166 MM and 225 S, Jaguar XK 150 and E-types gathered on the starting line of this third "Tour de Espana."

The entries were split into two sections as in previous years:

Competition Section: three racetracks (Jerez, Tabernas and Guadix) and ten road special stages with different degrees of difficulty which must been driven in the quickest possible time - nothing for slowpokes!

Sport Section: in this class the most consistent team will win the trophy.

Wednesday 7 November: Jerez - Cadiz
After some administrative matters and scrutineering in the morning in the palm fringed "Parque Goyales Hontoria" of Jerez (with 28C temperatures) the cars headed for the race track which is on the outskirts of the city.

Here at Jerez the GT 40 of Chiles/Mountford dominated the race and won with the Porsche of Connor/Sullivan in 2nd place. In the Sport Section the two-girl team of Milojkovic / Ljubisavljevic in the Porsche 911 RS were the only competitors to score a perfect "zero" score.

The superb Alfa Romeo 33/2 Daytona of Franco Meiners suffered a small technical problem and retired. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competition of John Bosch could not start due to a gearbox problem so he received a lot of penalty time. This dropped him into the last place, a position from which the crew never fully recovered.

At the end of the day the cars drove down to Cadiz which is built on a peninsular island. It has open squares, alleys, walls and high turreted houses. It also has a great atmosphere, slightly seedy, definitely in decline but full of mistique. The annual carnival in February is considered to be the best and wildest in Spain.

Thursday 8 November: Cadiz - Antequera - Malaga
The second day had three road special stages on the programme. "Alcala de los Gazules" (SS1=9,5kms), followed by "Ubrique" (SS2=6,1kms) and the famous "El Chorro" (SS3=6,2kms).

Once in the hills and mountains some breathtaking views were experienced. Driving to the Ubrique stage the road corkscrewed around the mountainside until the snow white vista of Ubrique was clearly visible.

The rally then headed 40km to Malaga, the smallest of Andalucia´s eight provinces and its most populated. The day ended with a dinner party at the "Parador del Golf". The Ford GT 40 crew had set the fastest time followed closely by the track-prepared Grp.4 Ferrari 308 Michelotto of Entremont/Entremont.

Friday 9 November: Malaga- Motril - Roquetas de Mar
The third day also had three road special stages on the program. "Casabermeja" (SS4=25kms ) followed by "Rigordo" (SS5=5kms) and finally "Motril" (SS6=5kms).

The convoy passed by Colemar, another fantastic hill town, a centre of honey production thanks to the rich variety of plants and shrubs. A stop at Motril consisted of a typical Spanish Paella concoction which the competitors ate outside under temporary white awnings as the first drops of rain splashed down - a clear warning of what lay ahead.

The day nearly ended in disaster: a middling tornado with heavy rainshowers and cold temperatures came up and the dinner party on the beach was cancelled, but the organizers found an alternative dry and warm place to serve dinner.

The Jaguar E-typ of Monteverde/Franklin headed the results with the GT 40 (Chiles/Mountford) following closely, and keeping them very much in their sights with closely matched performances on the stages.

In the Sport Section the Porsche 911 S (Bohrer/Giminez) led, closely followed by the Mercedes 300 SL driven by Raposo/Raposo and the well driven Cobra 4.7 of Walduck / McSwan in third.

Saturday 10 November: Roquetas de Mar - Cordoba
The fourth day included two race tracks and one road special stage. The convoy started early in the morning and arrived at the "Circuit of Tabernas" - a great experience with a series of long and fast sweeping bends.

John Bosch´s enthusiasm wasn´t broken and he won the race in his Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Comp. He revelled in some great power slides and definitively was the master of his Daytona and, similarly, Chiles showed everyone how the slightly more nimble GT 40 could perform. It was a great driving display with Sullivan (Porsche 911) and Franklin (E-type) demonstrating equally impressive skills.

The official route to the second race track of the day had to be changed because of snow and low temperatures in the "Sierra de los Filabres", so the cars arrived at the racetrack of "Guadix" from the south. At Guadix circuit the 275GTB of Pozner / Aarons scored its first zero together with Walduck (Cobra), the Belgian Ferrari team Verbeeck/Van Looy (Ferrari 275 GTB) and also another Ferrari team of the Argentinian Sucari. The Ford GT 40 crew won the race in a superb performance followed by Daytona racer John Bosch, who never gave up.

After having a delicious lunch the competitors left Guadix to reach "Los Frailes" (SS7-9kms). The long stage completed, the rally headed once again for Cordoba and dinner at the Parador de Cordoba.

At the end of the penultimate day the GT 40 was still in the lead challenged by David Franklin (E-type). The Sport Section was led by Bohrer and Gimenez (Porsche 911S)

Sunday 11 November: Cordoba - Cordoba
The final day saw three special stages. "Trassierra" (SS8=11,5kms), located only a few kms outside the city of Cordoba, was a very steep and narrow route winding up to the top. The following two special stages "Los Arenales" (SS9-9,4kms) and "Villaviciosa" (SS10-6kms) were located in a very wooded area and then a delicious lunch was served at a "Cortijo" where a young bull tested the agility and quick reflexes of several young matadors as competitors looked on under a warm sun and sipped chilled champagne.

The last hundred kilometres back to Cordoba were completed very quick and so the remaining 64 cars (which is a survival rate of 78%) reunited in the parc ferme in the centre of Cordoba welcomed by hundreds of Spanish classic-car enthusiasts.

A visit to the Mezsquita was optional that evening, the grandest and most beautiful mosque ever constructed by the Moors. Finally the event finished in Cordoba, a city of immense charm, trickling fountains and a profusion of flowers.

The dinner party and prize giving was presented by the Deputation of Cordoba at the "Cercle de l´Amitie", a grand imposing building of ornate marble and glittering chandeliers.

It had been a remarkable event in the classic car calendar, congratulations and thanks to all who helped to make it possible, in particular: The "Federation Andaluza de Automovolismo", Patrick and Sylviane Peter and their crew, Carlos de Miguel and the large number of stewards. Also thanks to Anthony Pozner for his help in preparing this article.

The fourth version of the "Tour de Espana" will be held in mid-October 2002 - please make your entry request as soon as possible. Contact: Peter Auto / Paris phone: +33(0) 1.42.59.73.40 or fax: +31 (0) 1. 42.59. 48. 28

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