Peking to Paris Motor Challenge Reaches Conclusion After 37 Days

The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2025 finished on Sunday afternoon, in the grounds of the Gendarmerie National, in Paris. The event began in Beijing, 37 days and 14,889 kilometres ago, and was won by Tony Sutton and Andrew Lawson in a 1939 Chevrolet Master Coupe.

Fangio Triumphs after Other Chevy Demise

During the early days of the competition the eventual winners were top of the leaderboard but were soon surpassed by P2P debutants Jorge and Cristobal Perez Companc, in another Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe. The Argentinian Father and Son pair were imperious in the red number 20 car, and by midway through the rally had pulled out a lead of several minutes, over the chasing pack. There was trouble ahead though, when an engine fire caused them to be late to a control and pick up a thirty-minute time penalty. Such was their lead, this only dropped them to third, but their chance of winning was over. Tony Rowe and Mark Delling, in a Ford Coupe, inherited the lead, and began a tussle with the reliable Sutton and Lawson in the Fangio. Ultimately, the Aussie pair kept the mistakes to a minimum and once they took the lead, never let it go.

The top three in the end were car 21. Tony Sutton and Andrew Lawson, in their Chevrolet Master Coupe, car 23. Tony Rowe and Mark Delling, in the Ford Coupe 91A, and car 20. Jorge Perez Companc and Cristobal Perez Companc, in their Chevrolet Master Coupe.

Tony Sutton: “It’s fantastic, extraordinary! It’s been tight the last few days, but we’ve just been chipping away, and we got there. We’re so relieved, and still shaking! The car has been unbelievably robust; it’s been quite remarkable.”

Andrew Lawson: “We’ve fought our way back up inch by inch. You just have to keep going, keep having a crack. It’s hard to describe the feeling, it’s an ecstatic feeling and we’re so happy to have a win, surrounded by all the friends from the rally.”

Peugeot Power at Top of Classic Category

In the fight for the win in the Classic Category there was another late change of leadership, after several cars shared top spot at different periods of the rally, including Gerd Bühler and Laurenz Feierabend competing in an orange Porsche 911. Another 911 would take command at the top, crewed by Harold Goddijn and Corinne Vigreux, but after some costly mistakes as the event approached Europe, they lost the lead. Steve Osborne and Rob Smith, driving and Escort, were in a group of five cars that could have won, along with experienced Aussie competitors John Henderson and Lui MacLennan in their Volvo144 DL. In the end though, Brian Palmer and David Bell took the lead on day 29, as the rally reached Istanbul, and the Peugeot retained the lead to the end. The top three Classics were car 61. Brian Palmer and David Bell, in a Peugeot 504 Coupe, car 75. Harold Goddijn and Corinne Vigreux, in their Porsche 911, and 65. Steve Osborne and Robert Smith, in the Ford Escort RS1600.

Brian Palmer: “Delighted and relieved. It’s been an epic event, really tough at stages and we’re delighted to be here. There’s been so many good bits, but the highs that followed the lows are probably the best ones.”

David Bell: “We’re exhausted, it’s been a stressful 48 hours wondering what will break. We had to get the wheel welded when we ran out of wheels, got back in at 2am after our suspension collapsed, it’s just so great to get here”.

 By Any Means

It was a rally that featured high drama, and tight competition, but for some just making it to the end was achievement enough. The oldest car in the competition, a 1917 American LaFrance, crewed by Alan and Leigh Maden, father and son, and later navigated by Alan’s brother Peter Maden, took the longest route to Paris, having to skip large parts of the off-road driving. The car was slow, and their days were long, especially when they had to navigate around the Kazakh Steppe to reach the Caspian Sea crossing on time, avoiding the Steppe but also the shorter route that was completely off-road.

Regardless of the story the leaderboard told, each competitor will have their own stories to tell, the story of their rally. As the competitors crossed the line in Paris, there was an emotional reunification with family and loved ones, and however their rally went, whatever challenges they faced, to finish is an incredible achievement. The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is unique in so many ways, and to compete is to join an exclusive club of those that know what it means to take on the toughest endurance rally for vintage and classic cars, in the world.