javier romagosa
El Barcelona-Sitges International Vintage Car Rally will celebrate its 55th edition this weekend, organized, as usual, by Sitges Tourism Promotion.
Born in February 1959, it is currently one of the few tests of its kind that take place in southern Europe. This event will bring together a good set of cars from all over Spain and from abroad, all of them manufactured before 1928 and grouped into four categories, according to the year of manufacture. And its drivers and passengers will dress in period clothing, creating the impression of having traveled back in time to gift us with a piece of History.
The event takes place over three days, although the last one, on Monday, is private. For this reason, the public enjoys the test especially on Saturday, when the vehicles are exhibited in Barcelona, and on Sunday, when the rally itself is held.
As in 2012, the concentration and subsequent exhibition of the participating vehicles will take place on the first day, from 10 am to 17 pm, in front of the L'illa Diagonal shopping center in the Catalan capital.
The test, as is tradition, will start at 11 am on Sunday from the central Plaza Sant Jaume. After touring some of the most emblematic streets of Barcelona, the caravan of cars will head towards Sitges, crossing the municipalities of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Viladecans, Gavà, Castelldefels, and will cross the twisty Costas del Garraf.
When the caravan of historic cars reaches its destination, specifically Port d'Aiguadolç, the fishing village will turn to the celebration. After another parade through the different important streets of the municipality, the vehicles will be exposed again in the enclosure The Frigate.
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GROUP I: UNTIL 1908
| No. | VEHICLE | YEAR |
| 1 | DARRACQ | 1905 |
| 2 | PANHARD-LEVASSOR | 1907 |
| 3 | WOLSELEY | 1908 |
| 4 | ROCHET-SCHNEIDER | 1908 |
GROUP II: FROM 1909 TO 1914
| No. | VEHICLE | YEAR |
| 7 | KING-ROLE | 1909 |
| 8 | MORS | 1911 |
| 9 | RENAULT | 1912 |
| 10 | OVERLAND 69T | 1913 |
| 11 | FORD-T | 1913 |
| 12 | SHARPENER | 1913 |
| 14 | RENAULT | 1914 |
GROUP III: FROM 1915 TO 1920
| No. | VEHICLE | YEAR |
| 16 | HISPANO-SWITZERLAND T16 TORPEDO | 1917 |
| 17 | LOCOMOBILE | 1918 |
| 18 | RENAULT USA | 1918 |
| 19 | FIAT | 1918 |
| 20 | ROCHET-SCHNEIDER | 1919 |
GROUP IV: FROM 1921 TO 1928
| No. | VEHICLE | YEAR |
| 23 | FORD-T | 1920 |
| 24 | PACKARD | 1921 |
| 25 | AIRCRAFT-VOISON | 1922 |
| 26 | HISPANIC-SWITZERLAND | 1922 |
| 27 | NASH | 1923 |
| 28 | HISPANIC-SWITZERLAND | 1923 |
| 29 | HISPANO-SWITZERLAND T48 | 1924 |
| 30 | ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST | 1924 |
| 31 | BUICK | 1924 |
| 32 | FORD-T | 1924 |
| 33 | Maxwell | 1924 |
| 34 | CITROEN B10 | 1924 |
| 35 | DONNET ZEDEL | 1924 |
| 36 | TALBOT 11 SIX | 1926 |
| 37 | FORD-T | 1926 |
| 38 | DARTMON SPECIAL | 1926 |
| 39 | PACKARD | 1926 |
| 40 | FORD | 1927 |
| 41 | ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM I | 1927 |
| 42 | FORD | 1928 |
| 43 | FORD | 1928 |
| 44 | CHRYSLER | 1928 |
| 45 | FORD A DOUBLE PHAETON | 1928 |
| 46 | FORD | 1928 |
| 47 | FORD | 1928 |
| 48 | CADILLAC | 1928 |
| 49 | MORGAN | 1928 |
| 50 | NASH | FC |
| 51 | FORD | FC |
| 52 | HISPANIC-SWITZERLAND | FC |
| 53 | ROLLS-ROYCE | FC |
| 54 | BENTLEY | FC |
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[su_spoiler title = 'FULL PROGRAM' show = 'false']
Saturday March 2
From 10:00 a.m.,
- Arrival of all participants at Avenida Diagonal, in front of the L'illa Diagonal Shopping Center in Barcelona.
- Verification and exhibition of the participating cars until 17:30 p.m. (approx.)
Sunday March 3
From 08:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.,
- In Plaça Sant Jaume, arrival of the participating cars with their occupants in period clothes.
- Typical chocolate at the Barcelona City Council.
At 11:00 h.,
- Departure of the Rally from Plaça Sant Jaume, to go down Calle Ferran, Rambles, Pl. Catalunya, Ronda Universitat, Ronda Sant Antoni, Sepúlveda, Paral.lel, Plaça Espanya, Gran Via, c / Badal, Constitució, (L 'Hospitalet de Llobregat), Santa Eulàlia, Enric Prat de la Riba, c / Barcelona, l'Hospitalet road, Av. De la Fama, c / Tirso de Molina, Av. Baix Llobregat (Cornellà de Llobregat) junction with the C -245, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Viladecans, Gavà, Castelldefels, go to C-246, Costes de Garraf, Port d'Aiguadolç (Sitges).
At 12:30 p.m. (approximately),
- Arrival of the Rally in Sitges. Concentration in the Port of Aiguadolç and reception offered by the management of the port.
At 13:30 h.,
- Departure of the cars from the Port of Aiguadolç to go to the Plaza de la Fragata, crossing the center of Sitges: Av. Port d'Aiguadolç, Emerencià Roig i Raventos, Av. Balmins, Port Alegre, Rafael Llopart, Jesús, Cap de la Vila, Parellades, Bonaire, Pg. de la Ribera, La Fragata.
Monday, March 4
At 10:00 h.,
- Visit to the Romantic Museum of Sitges.
- Lunch at the Clos La Plana farm.
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A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE RALLYE |
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The Barcelona-Sitges vintage car rally was born in 1959 thanks to the initiative of Foment del Turisme de Sitges, an entity that knew how to recognize and fill the void of social events during the winter months in the coastal town. With this, incidentally, he delighted the fans of yesterday and today.
The first edition took place on February 8, and 23 cars participated in it. From that moment, the initiative had a wide resonance, not only among the lovers of these cars, but also among the general public and among the Catalan institutions, which have allowed the Rally to be carried out uninterruptedly, with a frequency annual, to this day. Its first editions were held on Carnival Sunday, although as of 1988 the date was set at the first weekend of March. The «Sitges rally» is one of the most outstanding events of the winter. The departure, from Barcelona, brings together hundreds of people, who admire some vehicles that are authentic History of the automobile. Regarding registrations, with the passage of time they have exceeded our borders, with French, German, Andorran, English, Belgian, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish and even American participants signing up. Within Spain, Catalonia is the community that contributes the most vehicles, although a significant number of cars also come from Zaragoza, Teruel, Logroño, Madrid, Valencia, Cadiz, Segovia, Seville or Vizcaya, among others. |
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The number of participants has increased in the same way as the quality and age of the cars entered, and in recent years has ranged from 80 to 100 cars. The importance of this test justifies that vehicles that are museum pieces are rolling again for a few hours and face the challenge posed by the roads of the Costas del Garraf without complexes.
The rally is not only a test of mechanical resistance for cars: its occupants make the journey dressed in period clothing, competing for the Grand Prize for Elegance. Sponsored for a few years by Audi, the award is awarded by a jury made up of professionals from the world of fashion. The best-preserved cars and those restored with the greatest fidelity to their original specifications are also awarded, giving exactly five prizes for each category. The awards are courtesy of the town councils, the Generalitat, the Provincial Council, the Sitges Tourism Promotion, other sponsors and Sitges entities, as well as associations related to the motor world. Finally, the reader should know that the Rally Barcelona-Sitges is a festival declared of National Tourist Interest. |
