1929 Mercedes SSK driven by German ace Jochen Mass.
Story and photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
October 12-13, 2013
In only four years, the Zoute Grand Prix, Knokke-le-Zoute has become a traditional date on the Belgian calendar of classic car rallies and concours.
Scheduled just before winter sets in, it is a last occasion for enthusiasts to run their beloved classics on a two-day rally on the back roads of Knokke, in the region near the medieval city of Bruges, or to show their treasures at the Concours d’elegance, held at the Royal Zoute Golf Club.
But this year, winter came a bit ahead of its time; the Sunday Concours suffering so much heavy rain and blowing wind so that some cars didn’t show. That’s a real shame when you know that the quality of the field has been improving year after year.
Fortunately, the Zoute Rally enjoyed acceptable weather conditions with even sunshine on the second day. While the participant’s list remains mostly composed of Belgian teams, we do note the participation of no less than Derek Bell and Jochen Mass on respectively a Bentley Continental coupé and a Mercedes-Benz SSK.
The Rally
One of the most interesting cars was this Cisitalia 202 Nuvolari Spider s/n 002 S entered by Belgian collector Jan De Reu.
Start of the rally, from the boardwalk of Knokke-le-Zoute.
The Lancia Aurelia B24, here with hardtop, was a nice addition to the entry list.
A Maserati 3500 GTi Vignale convertible braved the weather with the top down. Approximately 245 were built.
The hippodrome of Ostend was one of the dedicated viewing points along the course where public could experience the rally from up close.
An Alfa Romeo Giulia in front of the old grandstands.
The participants had to take the gravel horse racing track to complete a dexterity test.
The Porsche 356 owners were out in force with no less than 34 examples at the start.
A Lancia Flaminia convertible on a typical narrow road of the ‘Polders’.
The pre-war era was represented by a 1934 MG PA competition.
1929 Mercedes SSK driven by German ace Jochen Mass.
Is there a better way to finish the rally than by receiving a cup of Champagne?
Derek Bell and the Bentley celebrate.
The Concours
This Bugatti Type 57 bodied by Gangloff was delivered new with a unique option, a safe deposit box!
Another Type 57, this one first owned by ‘Le Patron’, Ettore Bugatti himself.
Yet again a Bugatti Type 57, this one a supercharged Atalante coupé.
After 20 years of searching the history of the car and of restoration, this Talbot-Lago T150C Pourtout Special Roadster was first shown to the public here at Knokke.
Ferrari 225 Inter coupé Vignale s/n 0223 EL was a regular Mille Miglia Retrospective participant in recent years.
The Ferrari 250 Europa coupé Pinin Farina s/n 0305 EU features some unique details as special Pinin Farina badges on the front and rear and two tone paint.
No an easy task to judge the cars in these conditions … Here the Ferrari 512M s/n 1030 is back in Belgium as it was first entered in racing in 1970 by Ecurie Francorchamps.
The Porsche 917 dominated the Ferrari 512 in period. Here 917-021 is presented with the‘psychedelic’ livery it wore at the 1970 Watkins Glen 6 hours.
This Fiat 8V berlinetta by Rapi has been in the same ownership for 59 years and remains 100 % original and unrestored. Let’s hope it remain like that.
This unique Fiat 8V by Vignale was first shown at the 1953 Salon de Paris. It is now back in Europe after spending more than 50 years in the USA.
Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Maserati Boomerang was first shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show as a non-functional model. By the Geneva Show in 1972, it had been transformed into a fully operational vehicle.