Although many of the 23 crews came from France, Spain, Germany and the UK, others travelled from as far afield as Hong Kong, the U.S.A and Mexico to take part in the event, which was staged purely to celebrate friendship and a mutual love of fine automobiles.
 

While there was no competitive element, the route mapped-out by top rally organiser Patrick Peter of ‘Peter Auto’ provided a challenging test for the drivers, navigators and cars, with day one covering a distance of 177 km and passing through seemingly endless olive groves to a height of 1,369 metres and the ancient town of Antequera. Here, the participants got to see the imposing Alcabaza Arab fort before enjoying an al fresco lunch at the foot of the Real Colegiata, the most magnificent of the town’s 30 churches.
 

After dropping back down through the imposing El Torcal rock mass to complete a scenic loop that returned them to base at the five-star Hotel La Bobadilla in Loja, guests were transported to the Alhambra where they were privileged to enjoy a private, moonlit tour of the remarkable, 13th century palace and its tranquil Generalife gardens before dining at the nearby Palacio Carmen de los Martires.
 

At almost 300km, the second day of the rally covered the greatest distance and proved rich in dramatic scenery as it ascended through the valley of the Rio Guadalhorce to come face-to-face with the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, a narrow gorge joined at either end by a century-old footbridge that came to be known as ‘El Caminito del rey’ or ‘The King’s Path’ after being used by King Alphonse XIII to inaugurate the vast dam beneath.
 

From there, the cars pressed on to the city of Ronda and a visit to Spain’s oldest bullring before threading through the back roads, past the troglodyte village of Setenil de las Bodegas - and on to the impressive Ascari race circuit where drivers were able to exercise their steeds with a few high-speed laps.
 

Throughout the rally, local people turned out in force to admire and photograph the cars as they rumbled, growled and purred through the region’s scenic villages - with automobile enthusiasts coming from far and wide to see the modern-day McLarens serving as course cars, as well as classic rarities such as a 1968 Porsche 911 R (one of 20 built), a Ferrari 365 GTB Competizione, an Aston Martin DB3S and not just one, but two Allard J2Xs from the 1950s.