The challenge: drive 730 kilometers in 3 days with an 1899 Amedee Bollee!

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If you have to drive an 1899 car for 19 hours a day, for 3 days in a row, would you do it? The PreWarCar.com team can proudly say, WE DID IT! Not only to drive the car but we also had to push it uphill, walk behind it, maintain it, grease it, etc. A review of an epic rally from Paris to Amsterdam.

In the original rally, in 1898, Mr. Amedee Bollee participated as well and so when the rally organisation Classic Events announced a revival after 120 years, we quickly said: "if they could do it in 1898, it will be easy in 2018". So the preparations started. But when the event finally started we weren't that confident anymore... We looked at the route map and saw the number of kilometers, we heard about the hills and about the average speed necessary to be present at all stops... We knew we would spend a lot of hours on the car and would have not that many hours of sleep.

When we arrived a day before the start at the hotel in Chantilly we were drooling over the beautiful cars present. From a 1904 Rambler to a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C Monza, and from an Austin Seven Saloon to a 1910 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. The other PreWarCar.com team drove a 1909 Knox Type R and would have much less problems getting in time to the finish line. But we were in for a long journey.

The next morning we left the hotel at 5.00 o'clock. Still very dark, we had our candle lights on (and a little bit of help from a modern iPhone light) and drove into the beautiful Chantilly. The roads around the Chateau were very bumpy with the solid tyres of the Amedee Bollee but it was fantastic to drive there.

After 2 hours of driving, we found out the leather drive belt was slipping. We cut a part out of it and fitted them together and drove further. As it was just a new one, we knew this alteration was necessary from time to time. We needed to do this 3 times in total.

The route was stunning when the sun came up and as we weren't driving that fast, we enjoyed every bit of the surroundings. Around 10 o'clock, we had our first stop to get a stamp. We had driven just over 90 km's and mentioned that we had our first "London to Brighton" of the day. Here, the first other competitor passed us. A 1902 Peugeot that left an hour later than we did.

We filled the water tank, got a cup of coffee and hit the road again for another 75 kilometers to the lunch at Circuit de Gueaux. Before we reached the lunch, already all the other participants passed us. Normally, this would not be as much fun. But as it is just a fantastic sight to see all the Alfa Romeos, Bentleys, Alvis, Bugatti's hit the throttle in the Champagne area, we enjoyed it very much.

After a long drive, it became darker again and we still needed to drive 50 kilometers into the night. We got tired and grumpy but the car never gave any bad sound. We received a phone call that there was a steep hill for 4,5 kilometer long and that we needed to search for another route. But as the organizer was using mostly the old route from 1898 we wanted to do what Mr. Bollée did. It took us an hour to get to the top of that hill. We were getting bored and got cramp so we started to walk beside the car. But we made it to the top!

Still after that, a long way to go into the dark and cold forest. But finally, after 19 hours of driving, we made it to the hotel and a big group of other participants were waiting for us with a cold beer and were cheering. This made it all worth it! Half an hour later, we went to bed for a few hours of sleep.

The next morning, at 5 o'clock again, we had to prepare the car for this day. Although still 165 kilometers, it would be only half the distance as the day before. So we hoped to be in time for dinner. And so we were! The route was beautiful, the people on the side of the road enthusiastic and the car performed great. What a joy. We arrived first at the last stop and drank a beer in the sun. We enjoyed seeing all the other cars and people and even made it in time for the reception and dinner.

Next morning, last day of three, we had to conquer another 250 kilometers and left the hotel early. This way, we were able to pass a few big towns (with traffic lights) before it got busy. We skipped lunch and drove directly to the finish at the beautiful Castle of Haarzuilens. We already got excited about getting there first, just like in 1898. But just 10 kilometers before the finish, the first cars passed us. An Alvis Speed 25, an Alfa Romeo 8C and an Alfa Romeo 6C. Well, not that bad of a view.

And then we saw the finish line! We finally made it! After 730 kilometers, 43 hours of driving, and 9 hours of sleep we got to the finish without any trouble! The Amedee Bollee did it! Yessss! What a fantastic car!

Next year, Classic Events will organize another interesting Revival. And in 5 years another Paris to Amsterdam rally. We can highly recommend it. We would like to challenge every other person with a pre-1900 car to participate! You won't regret it afterwards!

Words by Laurens Klein. Photographs by Laurens Klein, Hubertus Hansmann and Luuk van Kaathoven.

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