This is the off season for the classic car world and there are very few classic car events, except for historic rallying. During this downtime many classic car enthusiasts are preparing their cars and making plans for the next season. We like to use this time to bring you new challenges that you might not have considered before.
The Peking to Paris is one event that is not for the fainthearted and undertaking it as a solo drive is a remarkable challenge as undertaken by Tomas de Vargas. The gruelling route traversed 12 countries, halfway around the world at a distance of 14, 899 kms. From China, to Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, and then onward to Türkiye and the European leg through Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and finally France.
There were 10 border crossings and six nights under canvas. Tough roads on a route that spent much of the first three weeks taking in the southern reaches of the Gobi Desert. It was a major endurance effort, but it was also about survival.
Remarkably, Tomas also finished the 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in 14th place overall. He won a special award for his efforts after an Incredible journey, often in adverse conditions.
At the end of each day, whether recovering from driving in rain, heat exhaustion, or a battering by sandstorms which had blown tents away, repairs and maintenance had to be carried out on the 1926 Bentley no matter what time of day or night. Without the grit and determination to carry on, the Paris finish line and the record would not have been reached.
Not content with crossing the finish in Paris, as far as Tomas was concerned, the task was not complete. “It was incredible traversing China and the Gobi, the Aral Sea into the Caucasus, across Eastern and Central Europe, then the Alps in Austria, and through Switzerland and France. We enjoyed a wonderful celebration for the official end of the Peking to Paris, but I didn’t think the job was finished. Someone told me that in the old days, competitors used to drive to an event, and considered that you only really finished if you drove back home. So, I drove the Bentley home to London from Paris and then on to our HQ at Bicester Motion to complete the task.”
Tomas de Vargas Machuca set a record for the longest distance solo drive (single handed) by car (Vintage) over 14,889 kms in 37 days across the world’s largest landmass on the 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in a 1926 Bentley 3-4 ½ Litre. The official record application awaiting ratification by Guiness World Records.
The previous solo distance driving record in a competition event was set by Englishman Eddie Hall at Le Mans in 1950 driving his Bentley solo for the entire distance, despite having a co-driver in the pits ready to take over. He completed 236 laps, which equals 3,200 km (2,000 miles). Classic Yorkshire has previously covered this story of the Milnsbridge (Huddersfield) born racing driver.
“It was physical because you’re battling the car in deep sand, broken tarmac or the deep grooves of truck tyre tracks. From an upper body perspective, the long days and nights mean you are not really using all of your muscle or your glutes to rest evenly. So, you’ve got to change position and make sure you’ve got some circulation. The same with the vibration on the steering wheel, after a few hours you start having to shake your hands as you get pins and needles in your fingers, and you just find the sun beating down so hard you are always reaching for
the sun cream! I wore a much bigger hat just to make sure that my head was in the shade as you are always exposed in an open topped car.”
If you add the daunting task of trying to navigate on your own as you juggle road books and GPS calculations whilst on the move in difficult terrain, it brings inherent risks. But Tomas went back in time to find a solution. “We came up with the use a navigation scrolling system which is authentic Dennis Jenkinson of Motor Sport
Magazine for the Mille Miglia 1955. This is the scrolling box for road book information that ‘Jenks’ developed to use with Sir Stirling Moss to win the event for Mercedes.
“I know that a lot of people have been intrigued by the solo effort, which I find probably the biggest recognition. Now I want to source other people who are willing to take that solo challenge and help them. It’s a matter of finding a system, finding the process, and sticking to the process. That way, the hours and minutes just evaporate.
“You know, when you’re doing your own maintenance, you’ve got to be pretty organised. You can’t be getting in and out of the car and sliding underneath every time, or trying to find a spanner or whatever equipment, you’ve got to try to make sure that you plan what you’re going to do and then in the most efficient way possible, so you’re not losing time.