Francisco Carrion
Between the 7th and 11th of May, the XXIII Tourist Rally “Ruta El Greco 2014” was held between Ciudad-Real and Toledo, reserved for “pre-war” vehicles. Organized by the Ciudad-Real Historic Vehicle Club, this spring event has now been 23 editions in which different parts of Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura have been visited.
Next to the II Tour of Extremadura, this is one of the few remaining exponents in our geography of the old "stop and inn" rallies, that is, of quiet routes and stops where good food is not lacking.
When the hobby began in the 60s and 70s these were the prototypical Spanish events dedicated to classic vehicles, but today they have been disappearing in favor of regularity rallies and other concentrations for more modern vehicles.
Even so, there is still a rally like this one in which it is possible to gather around 30 vehicles prior to World War II, with a few temporary exceptions.
Steep terrain
As the title indicates, these types of events are eminently touristy, since they are about visiting historical places or places of cultural interest at the same time as enjoying quiet walks at low speed in which it is a question of enjoying the old mechanics without existing any kind of competitiveness.
Focusing on this rally, although the base was in Ciudad-Real capital, he spent the night in Toledo and it was there that he spent most of the time to visit the monumental capital of Castilla-La Mancha.
The problem with this beautiful city is that it is full of steep slopes and its historic center has narrow and twisted streets, which together with mechanics from about 70 or 80 years ago led to the occasional traffic jam.
1- Veterans at the foot of the Cathedral of Toledo
2- In the foreground, Aston-Martin MkII from 1934
So much so that the Toledo police had to divert traffic when two of the participating cars resisted starting after being stopped on a significant climb on the way to the Cathedral, which was also visited.
And it is that the small breakdowns that are solved -for the most part- at the moment, are also characteristics of these pre-war rallies. Thus, several vehicles needed “refreshes” on the fly: The dynamo of the 1934 Cadillac refused to recharge the battery and had to be plugged in the caliper charger after each stop, the 8 Ford V1935 roadster suffered from constant hot flashes, the Ford T of 1922 whose exhaust pipe and fan belt fell out of place after a bumpy road, the 14 Citroën B-1927 that always had to be cranked due to a broken starter ...
The normal! Not in vain all the drivers of the 20s and 30s traveled equipped with complete toolboxes to save any unforeseen event, exactly as the seasoned owners of these colorful cars do now.
1- Ford and Buick at nap time
2- Rare Opel Regent Six from 1933
Diverse participation
As for the participating vehicles, the number of Ford stood out, with no less than 12 units present of different models: 2 model B, 2 model V8, 3 model T and 5 model A. No wonder, in its day half of the Spanish fleet was occupied by the North American brand, and that continues to be noticed.
Then there were the great American cars, always liked by the Spanish fans for their powerful mechanics and their showy appearance. There were two Buicks, a Cadillac, and two Chryslers.
Finally the European cars, of remarkable diversity: the Citroën B14 already commented, a very rare 1933 Opel Regent Six, three Mercedes of different eras, a Triumph, a Rolls-Royce 20/25 and a spectacular Aston Martin MKII from 1934, a "joy" for the eyes and ears although perhaps its tight mechanics required a bit more speed than it normally developed The caravan.
It should also be noted that some cars "escaped" the 1940 limit, although it was for forced reasons - cars replaced for reasons of breakdowns or similar impossibilities - and that they never exceeded the 1955 limit.
* Francisco Carrión is a member of the Ciudad-Real Historic Vehicle Club
