The gathering of several Rolls-Royce cars in any one location is guaranteed to draw onlookers, but the congregation of 47 magnificent machines in glorious morning sunshine outside the Panhans Grand Hotel stopped all local traffic with the gathering crowds. The palpable sense of achievement, celebration and of history being made sang through the crisp Alpine air.
The preparation for the final run followed the exacting re-enactment that had thread through the entire event, with the drive from Semmering back to Vienna mirroring the same journey exactly 100 years previously, on Saturday 29 June 1913. And so, with a sense of mixed emotions at the closing stages of this great event, the cars made their way in convoy to the historic capital city.
Wafting their way round the final glorious sweeping curves, as the cars reached the outer city carriageway they accelerated to a comfortable 100 km/h or more, easily matching the speed of more modern machines. Everyone present marvelled at the engineering prowess of the beautiful motor cars, many built more than a century before.
Wafting their way round the final glorious sweeping curves, as the cars reached the outer city carriageway they accelerated to a comfortable 100 km/h or more, easily matching the speed of more modern machines. Everyone present marvelled at the engineering prowess of the beautiful motor cars, many built more than a century before.
Onlookers clapped and cheered as the convoy approached central Vienna, and made their way to the final destination and scene of the start just 16 days previously, the Kursalon. A warm welcome from the Margraf Pallavicini and a glass of crisp Champagne followed, with the cars swamped by onlookers and members of the local media.
The spectacular finale took place at the Palais Pallavicini, with the sounds of clinking Champagne glasses mixing seamlessly with the celebratory tales from the road and the exquisite live opera pervading every corner of the historic building. The Radley car and the 2013 Alpine Trial Centenary Ghost sat side-by-side in the courtyard as stable mates, resplendent in their Works Team colours.
Amongst the awards given on the evening, The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 'Spirit of Adventure' summed up the atmosphere and ethos of the entire event. Bob Kilburn's 1921 Silver Ghost Tourer, with bodywork by Barker, had suffered a fuel tank rupture in the early stages of the Trial due to an accident caused by another driver. Undaunted, and with a stubborn persistence to refuse to accept that the car had 'failed to proceed', Bob rigged a temporary fuel system using jerricans and a fuel pump bolted to the running board, giving a maximum range of just 30 km per top-up.
Bob was presented the award, to a standing ovation by all those present, by Richard Carter, Global Communications Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Bob humbly dedicated the award to all those who had taken part in the Trial, and characteristically shrugged off the acclaim with a cheery smile.
The 1913 Alpenfahrt led commentators to declare that Rolls-Royce built the 'Best Car in the World'. The 2013 Centenary Alpine Trial reinforced that message, and demonstrated that the Company continues to do so to this day.
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