Chalky is car number 11 on our rally and his owners Alan and Jan say this about him:
This car can make your dreams come true!
Well, that’s what the advert said, the accompanying photo showed the car, a classic Porsche 911 ex-stage rally car, set in front of a mountain range, which turned out to be the Andes no less.
We were looking for a classic car to compete in regularity road rallies and being petrol heads as well as confirmed VW/Porsche fanatics, this car seemed to be the perfect choice
Having met the charming owners, tested the car and heard great tales of amazing adventures with Global Rally Organisation a deal was done and this outstanding car joined our family in 2013, to be named Chalky.
A few days after we competed in our first event, the Beaujolais Rally, we were hooked. The car was just amazing, fast, sure footed and strong, a joy to drive. We didn’t do so well, but there’s a lot to learn. Regularity rallies in North Wales and Iceland were great fun and the car ran perfectly.
We are not quite sure how, but with a few mods to the car and growing confidence, we managed to win a rally, the Devon Classic in 2015, by just 1 second over 2 days of competition no less, this was mostly down to the outstanding navigator and an amazing car of course!
Having researched the car’s history, we discovered just why it was so capable. Converted into a stage rally car in the USA, she was imported into the UK prior to 1998 then worked on and improved by Tuthill Porsche, the World’s leading Porsche historic rally car company over a 20-year period and 3 owners. In fact, she was 5th overall on the London – Sydney Marathon in 2000 with only 2 days to go when an engine fire demoted her down the rankings, that’s motorsport for you.
Good results in 2 historic rallies in Barbados, then outings in the Isle of Man, Ypres and the British Historic Championships followed. The car then came back to Tuthill and was campaigned by a Global Rally participant in stage rallying, before passing to the owners we purchased her from, so she’s been about.
Chalky’s adventures continued with Rally Med in 2010 (circumnavigating the Mediterranean) and La Gira Andina in 2012 (top to the bottom of South America). So, Chalky is very, very well-travelled and has great provenance and pedigree.
Now it was time for our first Global Rally organised marathon, the Pan-American Rally 2016, 10,500 miles, 27 states in 9 weeks, what an adventure. Well prepared and looking better than ever Chalky’s luck ran out when her shipping container took a tumble on the dockside in San Pedro, resulting in major chassis damage before she even turned a wheel.
But, with the aid of Global Rally’s amazing mechanic Paul, a great local garage and some improvisation from us, she was back in one piece after 4 days and racing to catch the other cars. See how strong she is.
What an outstanding experience, great roads, amazing sights, a wonderful crowd of people and fantastic driving experiences. We loved it, Chalky was perfect, even after that impact, she performed amazingly well and was still quick.
Pikes Peak, Mokee Dugway, Tail of the Dragon, Mount Washington, all epic roads that a Porsche 911 was made for and she didn’t disappoint.
Completely rebuilt for Vietnam to Myanmar and back, she is now even better than ever and ready for more exciting adventures.
So as advertised, this car has made our dreams come true!
*****
As Chalky is travelling solo to Vietnam he gets his own updates on the ship tracking site. As of Friday afternoon this is where he was, definitely catching up the main ships that left a few days before him
Herman, the Mercedes 300SE — Car number 9