July 2, 2007Print this page
All eleven Chevrolets that left Beijing on May 27, arrived in Paris last weekend and made Chevrolet the winning brand of the race. Of 135 historic vehicles that participated in this year’s “Peking to Paris Motor Challenge”, 125 arrived on Place Vendôme with exhausted but very happy crews. The three Chevrolets, that took the 3 lead positions in the vintage category early on, arrived in Paris in first, second and fourth position.
The Chevrolets clearly demonstrated how robust they were constructed, particularly on gravel roads. Irishman Michael Bailey, who drove a 1929 Chevrolet roadster, confirmed that the Chevrolets were doing extremely well. Although they were not the fastest, they had much less incidents than most of the other vehicles, thanks to their solid build quality. “On my car, the steering wheel only broke twice, which is quite good for this type of race!” said Bailey.
On arrival, it was not easy for the participants to explain in a few words their feelings after their extraordinary performance. Irrespective of their results, it is quite an achievement what they experienced during this very long journey of 12,700 kilometers. Chevrolet WTCC racing driver Alain Menu added a special and personal touch to the welcome in Paris when he and the Chevrolet team received the drivers and co-drivers with flowers and Champagne.
Chevrolet dealers along the way had offered the participants their workshops to themselves perform repairs on their cars and provided tires, batteries, and all sorts of parts. This support was highly appreciated by the Chevrolet teams.
When a journalist asked winning Chevrolet driver David Williams back in Beijing what he was the most afraid of about this race, he replied: “Being with my wife in a car for five weeks!” Having safely arrived in Paris, his wife Sadie confirmed that it can sometimes be quite stressful to be the co-pilot and having all responsibility of which road to take or where to turn. Sadie said she was really happy to go home now and joked that, despite all the stress, she’s still talking with her husband.
At the gala event that was organized later that day for the participants and their families, Michele Shapiro, driver of a 1930 Chevrolet Coupe, said: "After 35 days on the road, I can't wait to step into a pair of heels and my stunning new Yves Saint Laurent gown. Nevertheless, this trip was a unique experience, not least due to the fact that Chevrolet supported us so well during this adventure and that we were given such a warm welcome by the Chevrolet teams in all the countries we crossed."
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The Chevrolets clearly demonstrated how robust they were constructed, particularly on gravel roads. Irishman Michael Bailey, who drove a 1929 Chevrolet roadster, confirmed that the Chevrolets were doing extremely well. Although they were not the fastest, they had much less incidents than most of the other vehicles, thanks to their solid build quality. “On my car, the steering wheel only broke twice, which is quite good for this type of race!” said Bailey.
On arrival, it was not easy for the participants to explain in a few words their feelings after their extraordinary performance. Irrespective of their results, it is quite an achievement what they experienced during this very long journey of 12,700 kilometers. Chevrolet WTCC racing driver Alain Menu added a special and personal touch to the welcome in Paris when he and the Chevrolet team received the drivers and co-drivers with flowers and Champagne.
Chevrolet dealers along the way had offered the participants their workshops to themselves perform repairs on their cars and provided tires, batteries, and all sorts of parts. This support was highly appreciated by the Chevrolet teams.
When a journalist asked winning Chevrolet driver David Williams back in Beijing what he was the most afraid of about this race, he replied: “Being with my wife in a car for five weeks!” Having safely arrived in Paris, his wife Sadie confirmed that it can sometimes be quite stressful to be the co-pilot and having all responsibility of which road to take or where to turn. Sadie said she was really happy to go home now and joked that, despite all the stress, she’s still talking with her husband.
At the gala event that was organized later that day for the participants and their families, Michele Shapiro, driver of a 1930 Chevrolet Coupe, said: "After 35 days on the road, I can't wait to step into a pair of heels and my stunning new Yves Saint Laurent gown. Nevertheless, this trip was a unique experience, not least due to the fact that Chevrolet supported us so well during this adventure and that we were given such a warm welcome by the Chevrolet teams in all the countries we crossed."
Chevrolet teams results:
Vintage Category – 1921-1940 (76 participants)
| 1. | #88 | David Williams (GB) / Sadie Williams (GB) | 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe |
| 2. | #85 | Xavier del Mármol (B) / Catherine Janssens (B) | 1937 Chevrolet Convertible |
| 4. | #87 | Paul Merryweather (GB) / Sandra Merryweather (GB) | 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe |
| 18. | #79 | Richard Taylor (USA) / Antoinette Taylor (USA) | 1940 Chevrolet Coupe |
| 30. | #26 | Andrew Bailey (IRL) / Michael Bailey (IRL) | 1929 Chevrolet Roadster |
| 33. | #90 | Richard Curtis (GB) / Tengku Idris Shah (MY) | 1940 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe |
| 37. | #89 | Alain Grisay (B) / Tracey Curtis-Taylor (GB) | 1941 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe |
| 49. | #34 | Dan Rensing (USA) / Michele Shapiro (USA) | 1930 Chevrolet Coupe |
| 70. | #29 | Barrie Frost (AUS) / Lynn De Lacy Frost (AUS) | 1928 Chevrolet AB Roadster |
Classic Category – 1941 – 1960 (34 participants)
| 6. | #109 | Phillip Haslam (GB) / Ivonne Haslam (GB) | 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air |
| 26. | #97 | Teresita Aguilar (UY) / Haile Aguilar (UY) | Chevrolet Coupe TC |
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