The French Revolution Rally is a classic car event combining an exciting week of old- fashioned regularity rallying with elegant hotels and fabulous countryside. Running from the

The French Revolution Rally provides great historic rallying through spectacular countryside; definitely a treat for all classic car enthusiasts. Join us in 2012 – You’ll enjoy every minute.

What’s included in the Entry Fee?

This bespoke event provides 5 days tremendous rallying, picturesque routes and time to socialise, six nights bed and buffet breakfast accommodation (twin/double room), and dinner on three nights with wine, water and coffee.

Mercure Royal Fontainebleau*** is located in just a few minutes walk from the Royal Palace and the centre of town. It has bright modern bedrooms and will host the Welcome Pre Rally Dinner on Sunday 3^rd June.

Hostellerie d’Aussois*** is set in the quiet Côte-d’Or countryside, overlooking the historic town of Semur-en-Auxois and will be our base for Monday 4^th and Tuesday 5^th June. The good-sized bedrooms have had a recent makeover and there is an inviting outdoor swimming pool and a very welcoming bar. On Monday we will dine in the hotel’s gastronomic restaurant.

Hostellerie Le Cèdre**** is a former wine grower’s villa situated opposite the ramparts and just a few steps from the centre of Beaune. We will stay at Hostellerie Le Cèdre on Wednesday 6^th, Thursday 7^th and Friday 8^th June. The French styled bedrooms are very comfortable and the new Japanese chef hopes to have a Michelin star soon! On Friday the Prize Presentation and Candlelight Gala Dinner will be held in the Caves du Clos.

The cost to join the French Revolution adventure is £1250.00 per person,

plus £375.00 Entry Fee per car.

Entry Details.

Sunday saw crews arrive for signing on, calibrating their trips and enjoy the pre rally dinner at the Hotel Hermitage, Montreuil sur Mer.

Leaving the sea air behind, TC2 saw most crews arrive a little late, but the marshals at TCs 3 and 4 failed to see any cars at all!  A tricky sign into Rue d’Enfer was missed by absolutely everyone as they steamed past the junction!  Most blamed it on the rain obscuring their view and at coffee crews agreed that the cobwebs were now well and truly blown away.  Section 5 ran along the gentle Somme valley with teams glimpsing First World War memorials in the distance, nevertheless navigators still had to look for a clue to answer and keep their drivers on time.  After pausing a while for lunch at Auchonvillers (Ocean Villas, as it was called by the WW1 soldiers) the tempo increased as precise navigation and timing were required to achieve low scores, but some orange arrows erected by a long forgotten cycle race tempted many experienced crews off into the wide blue yonder and they scored another max or two.

Following two further timed sections and 25 kms of non-timed Passage Route some of the sportier cars were running on air after their unscripted forays off route, so it was a relief to find petrol in the town of Ham.  The rally route now wove over canals and streams, through pastureland to a great little hill climb up to the final control within the medieval walls of Coucy le Château.  With scores usually found at the end of the rally week Anthony and Julia Cohen topped the leader board as tired competitors arrived at Hotel du Golf de L’Ailette to chill out and enjoy dinner overlooking the tranquil lake.

Tuesday 21st June

Tuesday and a very compact circular route south of Chamouille beckoned.  A secret control, just 7 kms from the start caught out those still asleep, but Duncan and Kay Hopkins were wide awake as they scored the first “Spot On” of the event.  Despite light rain, cars zigzagged through the lanes and navigators relished finding the route until on Section 15 a sign indicating the Route Touristique de Champagne was misread by all except for Edward and Lesley Behrendt and Klaus and Hildegard Mohr.  As crews cut and ran to TC17, the sun came out and now the roar of engines could be heard as the route climbed through the vines and drivers relished the undulating roads.

Wednesday 22nd June

Wednesday, and having taken over first place, Geoff and Keitha Insley (MGB GT) threw down the gauntlet with two zeros by the time the rally reached Forges les Eaux, but the day was not without drama for some.  Four crews failed to see a neatly hand painted sign “église“ and picked up a couple of maximums, and the gearbox in the Porsche 356 of Crissy Smith and Lauri Frost died.  No more comments about lady drivers, please!  Meanwhile, the Hopkinson’s Jaguar 3.4 Mk1 lights started shorting out, but thanks to fellow competitors Chris Collingham (Triumph TR4A) and John Ball (Corvette Indy Pace Car) they avoided a fire.

Having skirted Compiegne and sorted a route through some complicated road works, route designer, John Walsh now increased the rally average speed by 2 kph as the afternoon’s route sliced through open country.  A carefully placed “NO!” Board was seen by most drivers, as their navigators had missed to find a junction identified with a well-hidden (but at least 12 ft high) cross.  After three more timing points the buzz in the bar that evening was all about today’s heavy rain, wiper performance and if preventing Cathy, an experienced marshal, from wearing her shorts again, then tomorrow surely the sun would shine!

Thursday 23rd June

Thursday saw the road signs to identify junctions get smaller and the hairpins tighten.  Although the Normandy lanes can cause confusion, Carol and Gerald Westcott (Healey 3000) kept their nerve and twice correctly negotiated a 7 road crossroads.  Others though, spooked by rally traffic had a spirited drive catching up time before reaching TC36, where the locals showed off a concourse Triumph Spitfire and Daniel Lequeux chatted to the Jaguar drivers about his experiences as a mechanic on Jim Clarke’s Jaguar XK120 in the 1960’s.

Friday 24th June

It was all action from the word “Go” as the final day’s competition tested crews’ observation skills with two similar junctions with similar signs.  Only the Mohr’s (1969 Alfa Romeo) spotted that the first junction with a “Bosc Regnier” sign was a 90-degree left turn and the correct junction (a crossroads) was 200 metres up the road and the sign had no accents or hyphens.

The rally route now weaved in and out of the Foret de Lyons and after an exciting tight section through the villages of Bineaux and Le Hameau there was time for coffee and cake where the final 4 sections of rally route were issued.  Crews now had to find the route without the aid of some tulips, which gave another dimension to proceeding and kept everyone on their toes.  A cunningly designed loop on the penultimate section, with a speed change and question to answer piled on the pressure, and only the winners Anthony and Julia Cohn (Jaguar XK150) drove the correct route in lonely isolation and answered the question.  Geoff and Keitha Insley were just 22 seconds behind them, whilst Gerald and Carol Westcott finished third.

The Prize Presentation Cocktail Party and Celebration Dinner were held in the glamorous Forges Casino followed by some good old fashioned 60’s hits to rock and roll to.  A terrific end to a tremendous weeks rallying.

Visit the Results Page to see how the crews finished on the French Revolution Rally 2011.

Visit the Gallery Page to see photos of the 2011 French Revolution Rally Cars en route in France.

FIRST Anthony and Julia Cohen

SECOND Geoff and Keitha Insley

THIRD Gerald and Carol Westcott

CLASS PRIZES

CLASS 1 Robert and Elizabeth Blumson

CLASS 2 Duncan and Kay Hopkinson

CLASS 3 Klaus and Hildegard Mohr

CLASS 4 Peter and Rayna Jackson

TEAM PRIZE

Jonzy Jokers

Peter and Rayna Jackson

Gerald and Carol Westcott

Anthony and Julia Cohen

SPIRIT OF THE RALLY

Robert and Elizabeth Blumson

KNOCKOUT WINNER

Anthony and Julia Cohen

SPOT ON AWARDS

TUESDAY

Anthony and Julia Cohen

Duncan and Kay Hopkinson

Peter and Rayna Jackson

Francis and Caroline Roberts

Peter and Esmé Hacket

WEDNESDAY

Crissy Smith and Lauri Frost

Chris and Michele Collingham (x2)

Geoff and Keitha Insley (x2)

THURSDAY

Terry Bown and Robert Frost

Gerald and Carol Westcott

FRIDAY

Edward and Lesley Behrendt

PRIX DES DAMES

Crissy Smith and Lauri Frost

Sunday 19^th June

Signing on and pre rally checks were done at the Hôtel Hermitage, which is just an hour’s drive from Calais.  As is the tradition, the French Revolution Rally began with the very social Welcome Pre Rally Dinner.

Monday 20^th June

Leaving the sea air behind a combination of regularities and non-timed sections took crews to the Hôtel du Golf de L’Ailette along the gentle valley of the Somme.  With the cobwebs blown away, the tempo increased as precise navigation and timing was required to achieve low scores as we neared Laon.  However, there was time to pause a while for lunch before it was all action again.  Dinner was in the restaurant overlooking the tranquil waters of Lac de l’Ailette.

Tuesday 21^st June

A circular route today will saw crews heading out into attractive farmland and vine-clad hills where there was plenty of opportunities to get their speed changes “Spot On”.  Having navigated numerous junctions and arrived at all the controls, the afternoon and evening were free to explore the medieval cobbled streets of Laon.

Wednesday 22^nd June

Today we headed west, but before reaching the Forges Hotel there were many little known villages and grand châteaux to discovered.  Having meandered along the River Aisne, and skirted Compiegne drivers were in for a real treat as route maker, John Walsh had a surprise or two up his sleeve.  Tonight’s Dinner was a casual buffet in the hotel’s contemporary dinning room.

Thursday 23^rd June    

After a relaxed start an exciting day was planned, as the rally route delved deep off the beaten track to discover the Eure department.  The Normandy lanes challenged everyone, and only those who can kept their heads spotted a well-hidden Secret Control or four!

Friday 24^th June

It was all action from the word “Go” as the final day’s competition tested crews before the evenings Prize Presentation Cocktail Party at the Forges Casino.  After a Celebration Dinner, we rolled back the years to rock the night away with plenty of 60’s hits and reflected on another memorable week of classic motoring.

FIRST Peter & Rayna Jackson

SECOND Geoff & Keitha Insley

THIRD John & Margaret Ball

CLASS AWARDS

CLASS 1 Robert & Lauri Frost

CLASS 2 Klaus & Hildegard Mohr

CLASS 3 Duncan & Kay Hopkinson

Class 4 Peter & Clemency Upton

Bon Viveurs Gareth & Ursula Firth

DAY PRIZE

MONDAY Anthony & Julia Cohen

TUESDAY John & Vicki Venn

WEDNESDAY Barry & Tina Joyce

THURSDAY Tim & Penny Somervell

FRIDAY Edward & Lesley Behrendt

TEAM PRIZE

Joncy Jokers
Gerald & Carol Westcott

Peter & Rayna Jackson

Anthony & Julia Cohen

SPIRIT OF THE RALLY

John & Margaret Ball

KNOCKOUT WINNER

John & Margaret Ball

SPOT ON AWARDS

MONDAY

Terry Bown & Crissy Smith

TUESDAY

John & Margaret Ball

Barry & Tina Joyce

Tim & Penny Somervell x2

WEDNESDAY

John & Vicki Venn x2

Robert & Lauri Frost

John & Margaret Ball

Edward & Lesley Behrendt

Chris & Val Harbridge

Pete & Clemency Upton

Chris & Michele Collingham

THURSDAY

Geoff & Keitha Insley

Peter & Rayna Jackson

Tim & Penny Somervell x2

Barry & Tina Joyce

Laurence & Brenda Sims

FRIDAY

Klaus & Hildegard

MohrJohn & Margaret Ball

Tim & Penny Somervell

Ken Chisholm & Barbara Jones