Today in Mongolia (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Early this morning in Ulaanaabatar, I was very excited to check out the amazing caravan of old cars making the long trek this summer from Peking to Paris. Since I used to go to old car shows as a kid, I was delighted today to see two of my passions combined on the steppe — Mongolia and vintage cars.
Waking up in UB (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge began on June 12th at the Great Wall of China outside Beijing. I was lucky to catch the cars while they were still in the beginning stretch (and not yet in pieces — though some axles were in need of repair). Organized by the Endurance Rally Organization, the race will finish on July 17th at Place Vendome after passing through 11 countries.
Behind the wheel (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
I had the chance to speak with some of the drivers, and they told me that they really enjoyed driving through the Gobi desert. Having driven through the Gobi desert myself last year in a 4×4, I have a hard time imagining these vehicles surviving the desert’s razor-sharp rocks. “Didn’t your cars break down in the sand?” I asked. “Of course, but that’s part of the fun!” one replied. The cars will now be making their way into Russia and Belarus on their way to the Alps.
Vintage dream (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
Though the terrain is truly treacherous, participants are not allowed to tack on modern-day contraptions to hold spare parts — all cars must appear in period-style. There are 50 cars in the 8,500 mile race dated pre-1942 in the Vintageant class, and 60 cars in the Classic class dated pre-1977. Competitors in this unusual event hail from 24 different countries, with the largest number coming from the United States (21 teams!).
Sukhbaatar Square (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
The cars stayed in the heart of Ulaanbaatar for less than an hour this morning before continuing onwards. I was very grateful to catch a brief glimpse of the race and the adventurous competitors — along with a crowd of intrigued Mongolians on their way to work and college graduation. Best of all was getting to hop behind the wheel of one of the cars — a unique and thrilling way to start my day in Mongolia.
Mongolian dream (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
