The joys of reaching the summit

The Monte Carlo Rally is regarded as the birthplace of modern rallying: it was first held in 1911, having been founded by Prince Albert I. However, the Monte Carlo Rally is also considered one of the most challenging races on the rally calendar. Neither Prince Albert I nor the current head of the Grimaldi family, Prince Albert II, can be held responsible for this, however. It is simply down to the route, which takes in several mountain passes that have achieved legendary status thanks to the rally, combined with the capricious – because it is so unpredictable – weather of the French Alps. But without real challenges, legends simply don’t emerge. Just like the one from 1968, when Porsche claimed victory in the Principality for the first time. The duo of Vic Elford and David Stone won ahead of Pauli Toivonen and Martti Tiukkanen, both in Porsche 911 Ts. The 911s remained unbeatable at the Monte Carlo Rally in the following two years as well, thanks to Björn Waldegård and Lars Helmér.

So there’s plenty to tell about the French Maritime Alps. And these are stories that have been written on these winding roads, often enough with a Porsche as the star of the show. It’s the ideal setting, then, for a community event such as the Porsche Gipfeltreffen, which recently celebrated five days of passion, performance and shared moments in the south of France. In attendance: Porsche sports cars, as far as the eye can see, from air-cooled classics from the brand’s early days right through to the latest models. But perhaps most importantly: the Porsche family were there too. And this year, Walter Röhrl joined them as well. The former two-time World Rally Champion won the Monte Carlo Rally a total of four times. So he certainly had plenty of stories to tell.

→ porsche-family.de