The convoy of classic cars, including 26 vehicles from brands such as Porsche, Ford, Chevrolet, Bentley, Mercedes, Fiat, Aston Martin, aged 50-97 years, started from HCMC on Jan. 28, passing through Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and ending in Hanoi on Feb. 23.
"Road to Hanoi Marathon" saw members of the Rally the Globe club conquering four Southeast Asian countries for the first time.
The PV544, from 1961, has a 1.8L engine, 90 horsepower, and a 4-speed manual gearbox.
The convoy included three Volvo cars, including two PV544s and one PV144 from 1973.
Two members of the convoy celebrated with a Rover V8 upon reaching the finish line.
Rover was a high-performance car manufacturer in England, established in 1878 but became defunct in 1967. Rover also created the current Land Rover brand.
A Ford Escort Mark 1, produced between 1967-1975. The Escort was the best-selling car in the U.K. during the 1970s.
During the journey, the Escort encountered a collision on the right front mudguard.
Members of the convoy left a note and signed the damaged part as a memory.
According to the organizers, Rally the Globe, a U.K.-based non-profit vintage and classic car club, three cars were damaged and had to return to their country during the journey.
The 1932 Rokne Six 75 was the most severely damaged, with a gearbox failure on the journey from Binh Duong to Da Lat. Although the Saigon Vintage Car Club supported repairs, the car encountered further issues in Cambodia and had to stop. The other two were a 1934 Aston Martin Mark II and a 1964 Jaguar Mark 2.
The oldest car in the convoy was a Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Le Mans, with a 3-cylinder engine, 110 horsepower and a 4-speed manual gearbox.
The car was manufactured in 1927, but it still runs smoothly.
Members of the convoy also tested their skills on the F1 racetrack in the My Dinh National Stadium.
Pictured is a 1953 Bentley R Type driven by two members from South Africa.
The car is equipped with a 4.6-liter, 6-cylinder engine, 150 horsepower, a 4-speed manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive. The convoy also included a 1967 Speed 8 from Belgium and a 1936 DHC from the U.S.
Daniel J. Sauter, the owner of a 1938 Chevrolet Fangio, said he was very happy and excited to participate in the journey through Southeast Asia.
Besides the Rally the Globe classic car convoy, several classic car owners in Hanoi were also eager to attend and interact with the convoy.
There were more than 10 cars, including a Volkswagen Type 181, Mercedes W123, Land Rover Series II, BMW 3.0 CS E9, Nissan Datsun Sport 2969, Triumph Spitfire, and Volkswagen Beetles.
There was also the appearance of a 946 Porsche 911 upgraded with a Backdate package by a Hanoi car enthusiast.
The car uses a 3.8-liter, six-cylinder engine, 300 horsepower, and a five-speed manual gearbox. The car took many years to restore and is the only 911 Backdate in Vietnam.
