When the first major classic car event of the new year takes place from January 8 to 10, solid records will be broken!
Participants from 8 nations, driving 66 vehicles, will start in January under what are expected to be ideal winter conditions (there is already snow all the way down into the valley!) at Austria’s best-known winter rally – never before have there been so many! And there is no shortage of automotive prominence in the starting field either: the oldest car dates back to 1924, making it 102 years old.
Behind the Bentley 3/4.5 Red Label Speed of Shaun Harborne, which will lead the field, a true armada of venerable pre-1945 classics assembles: Bugatti T35 (1928), another Bentley 3/4.5 Litre (1929), Sunbeam Super Sports, Austin Seven Ulster Special, Frazer Nash, Bugatti T51, Delage D6-80!
The range of automotive rarities stretches all the way to 1976, encompassing a total of 24 different car brands.
The starting signal for the Planai-Classic will be given on Thursday, January 8, traditionally with the Dachstein Prologue. Before that, the unique starting field gathers at the main square in Schladming, where the vehicles can be admired up close from 4:00 p.m. during the starting lineup.
On Friday, January 9, participants tackle the Schladming–Dachstein panorama route before the day reaches its sporting highlight with the Night Challenge at the Gröbming trotting track.
On Saturday, January 10, the special stage at the Niederöblarn alpine airfield and the legendary Planai hill climb are on the program.
In total, 42 demanding special stages covering 280 kilometers await the participants, making the Planai-Classic one of the most challenging winter rallies in Europe.
All information and the starting list can be found at www.planai-classic.at