Bespoke Rallies is renowned for its mould-breaking international classic car rallies, but the recent Imperial Rally was ambitious even by its standards, especially in the current climate. Nevertheless, over the course of a month 26 eager crews were successfully guided no less than 8,000km through 10 countries. Starting in Oslo, Norway, the unprecedented tour progressed through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia to a grand finale in Portofino, Italy.

Said Bespoke Rallies Director John Brigden: “This was arguably the first month-long classic car rally to be organised anywhere in the world since the onset of the pandemic, and it wasn’t without its challenges. The biggest was that, for obvious reasons, we had to drop Russia from the schedule. However, far from being a disappointment, our re-route through Finland proved very popular, as did the Eastern European destinations, which were completely new to most of the participants.”

Having negotiated northwards through Norway by using the Hurtigruten ferry as a floating hotel, this unique event included countless other unforgettable experiences from a river trip in Budapest to a train ride through the ancient caves of Slovenia, not to mention the sobering sights of Auschwitz. The crews were amassed from seven different countries and the superb selection of cars ranged in age from a 1933 Alvis Speed 20 to a 2010 BMW 635 convertible, and included no less than four E-Type Jaguars and three 1965 Ford Mustangs.

The remaining Bespoke Rallies events for 2022 are the Picos 1000 (Sept 6-10) and Dakar Enduro (Nov 6-27). Further details of these and the company’s full roster of exciting automotive adventures for the next two years are available at www.bespokerallies.com, while those attending the Goodwood Revival are invited to visit the company on stand 293.