Tomas de Vargas Machuca on his solo Peking–Paris: “I just didn’t feel the job was finished”

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Most of you will already have read about it here on PreWarCar.com: the extraordinary solo drive of Tomas de Vargas Machuca during the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2025. At the time, it already felt like something special. Now, it’s official; his achievement has been ratified by Official World Record Europe as a world record: The first person ever to drive solo from Beijing to Paris in a pre-war car.

We caught up with Tomas to talk about the journey, the reality behind the headlines, and what drives someone to attempt something most would not even consider. The idea of tackling nearly 15,000 kilometres alone in a pre-war car wasn’t exactly encouraged.

“First of all, most advised against it,” Tomas admits with a smile. “But then you look at other disciplines — solo sailing across the Atlantic, around the world — and you think: why not in historic rallying?” 
And so he did. Over 37 days, Tomas drove his Bentley 3-4½ Litre (1926) across 12 countries, from Beijing all the way to Paris. Alone. No co-driver. No shared fatigue. No one to take over when things got tough.

The route itself reads like a test of both machine and human endurance: China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea crossing to Azerbaijan, then on through Türkiye and into Europe via Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France.

“There were days with rain, days with extreme heat, and then the sandstorms,” he recalls. “At times, tents were blown away. And at the end of every day, no matter how late — the car needed attention.”

Maintenance wasn’t optional. “Without that discipline, you simply wouldn’t make it to Paris.”

Six nights were spent under canvas. Much of the first three weeks were deep in the southern reaches of the Gobi Desert.

Remarkably, despite the solo effort, Tomas didn’t just survive, he finished 14th overall in the rally. But even crossing the finish line in Paris wasn’t enough “We had this wonderful celebration in Paris,” he says, “but I didn’t feel the job was finished.”

That feeling led to a final, almost old-fashioned gesture. “Someone told me that in the early days, you only really finished if you drove to the event and back home again. So I drove the Bentley back to London — and then on to Bicester.”

The official recognition from Official World Record Europe now places his achievement firmly in the record books. But for Tomas, the meaning runs deeper: “I’m delighted to receive this recognition. Just as I was inspired by pioneers before me, I hope this inspires others to go beyond their comfort zone.”

He pauses before adding something more personal: “I dedicate this to my late father, who played such a big role in building my passion for adventure — and for the motorcar.”

The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge has always been a stage for remarkable achievements. Previous editions saw records set by Anton Gonnissen and Mitch Gross in equally unconventional machinery. 

But this one feels different. “There was a method in the madness,” he says. “I just wanted to see if it could be done.” 

Now we know.

It can.

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