Algarve Classic Cars celebrates its 20th birthday this year with its annual classic car rally which will be held from today (Friday) until Sunday.
Around 150 cars are expected from the 1920s to 1980s. Included in the line up will be a 1968 Mini Cooper S, which was national champion in 1969 in Portugal and has recently been restored to its original rally specification.
Perhaps the rarest car participating, however, will be a 1937 Edford, which is the only known Portuguese make of car. This is a V8 3.6 litre sports car with a light weight aluminium body giving the car a top speed of around 190kph.
Also included is a rare 1935 Triumph Gloria Southern Cross, one of 14 surviving worldwide. Other cars include a 1935 Mercedes 500K, 1928 Packard Roadster and a 1938 Citroen 11 BL Cabrolet.
The event starts at Vilamoura Marina outside the Tivoli this afternoon. At 7.10pm the cars take part in a slalom at the front of the casino.
Tomorrow (Saturday) at 9.30am, the cars depart on a route that will include various time trials and slaloms. The cars will pass through the centre of São Brás at around 10.30am, Loulé at 11pm, Armação de Pêra at around 3.30pm.
On Sunday, the cars leave Vilamoura Marina around 10am and will be passing through Lagoa around 10.45am.
Luis Brito, head of Algarve Classic Cars and head of the organising committee of the event, said: “We are holding the 20th edition of the Algarve Classic Cars this year. It is for us a matter of great pride and a sense of gratitude to everyone who made it possible to achieve, with a main focus on all competitors who gave us the pleasure in participating during all these years.”
