Plymouth Dakar 2003
The inaugural year with just 1 group of 55 cars although only 52 started and 48 finished. The Team Unknown Hillman Hunter was the star of the show (maximum number of breakdowns) and the marquee of choice was the Lada with a dozen examples of this fine rear wheel drive steed taking part. A small article in the Daily Telegraph was followed by a piece in The Independent and soon the crap car svengali Julian Nowill found he had started something that might run and run. Team Heavey did the website and indeed Drew Heavey handled the website on a part time basis until 2010. Filmed by Andy Pag, the run appeared endlessly on Men & Motors. The run appeared in magazines from Top Gear to lurid wank mags,the car section of course. Many long term friends were made and Team Unknown started www.extremetrifle.com which continues to this day offering the maddest of mad capers. The term 'banger rally was' coined and the 03 run has spawned a thousand bastard children from hard money grabbing sites stealing our pictures and ideas to gently mocking low rent affairs such as the once only T4 (www.theindependentandgloriousrepublicofnowillistan.co.uk) where teams hit Timbuctu after 800 miles offroad in crap Volvos.
Plymouth Dakar 2004
Year 2 saw the run split into 3 groups with a total of 88 cars, with Britcrap replacing Commiecrap cars..with a fleet of Montegos, a Herald, Ford Corsair,and even a Wedgie Austin Princess and Triumph Acclaim. About 75 cars made the Gambia while 4 died en route and 4 died en route. What happened to the rest...we have no idea! The first Trabant made the finishing line and was promptly ignored in the charity auction. About £26,800 raised in the charity auctions which brings on the dilemma ,do you paint up a car for the run or leave it stock and increase the value in the auction. The originality of team names is always amazing from 'Four weldings and a funnel' to Ministry of Sand' .
Plymouth Dakar 2005
A massive 176 vehicles this time. The logistics were creaking badly with border delays and bursting campsites.The international element grew with teams from everywhere from the US to Kaliningrad. As ever,the worlds greatest travellers and Good Samaritans, the Latvians came up trumps helping other teams. The run began to attract oddballs like Chris Denham from the West Country in an Icecream van along side with that bloke with a Bolton accent from Top Gear who was into mororbikes. The old ways of cars without MOT and the smell of cannabis in the campsites sarted to retreat as the quality and the age of teams gradually increased. With respectability brings ordanineryness but as the spirits sag, along comes a smoky LDV Sherpa laden with red diesel and life looks better!
The charity auctions raised almost £150,000 with prices ranging from almost mnothing for a Citroen BX and the lovely Citroen Arcadiene to £3650 for a Pajero. It became clear that classics fetch little in a country where the car is a beast of burden. A separate run to Central Asia saw 17 teams braving the mad bad dictarorship of Turkmenistan.
Plymouth Dakar 2006
Up to 204 vehicles this time. Prices at the charity auction a little lower as Gambia becomes saturated with motoring icons ranging from the Citroen CX (a snip at £295..the cheapest car this year) to the leather luxury of the Rover 800. Highest prices car..a Jeep at £2755. Total raised £138,000 at the charity auction with more by the teams themselves for their own chosen causes.
Plymouth Dakar 2007
To relieve congestion and as Mali is unbelievably beautiful and friendly, the Bamako run is launched. Entries for Gambia totalled 190 and 27 brave souls started the first run to Bamako. Cars this year included more Trabants, a hearse, London taxies, and a Lincoln Town car limo. Sadly the GMC school bus never made it beyond Dakhla and is still there to this day. A new record high for a vehicle( LandRover Disco at £4485) and a new low (£107 for a SAAB) £109,000 raised in Gambia and £13,000 in Mali. This year saw the arrival of uber-organisor Sunny Akuopha who handled the Mali end via the Bamako Rotary club. Bamako saw its first Icecream van which dispensed Mr Whippys on the finishing line before going on to Timbuctu.
Plymouth Dakar 2008
This year saw about 100 cars to each finishing line. Fewer classics this year although there was a lovely round headlight Lada from Latvia.
Plymouth Dakar 2009
This year saw the launch of the Dakhla Challenge with a roadbook penned by Sahara guru Chris Scott. Four French tourists were murdered on the road to Mali but most teams pressed on and a small number took the chance to switch to travelling around Morocco.
Plymouth Dakar 2010
The 2010 Challenge was called off after a heightened threat level in Mauritania. However 10 teams decided to do it anyway lead by the maverick Dr Neil Rushden from Devon. All made it without any problems and while Ceri was tempted by an offer of marriage from a tall Mauritanian, she returned a single girl. Easter saw another Dakhla Challenge probe rarely visited corners of Morocco and thanks to the stunning Chris Scott roadbook,both 2WD and 4WD vehicles were well catered for. The summer saw the launch of the first Murmansk challenge and a heady mix of Reindeer,the Midnight Sun and Russian Nuclear Submarines along with a Lithuanian Country & Western Festival ensured a high level of interest in the 2011 run.
DAKAR CHALLENGES 2011
The runs to Mali and Gambia successfully completed in January as did the Morocco run around Easter. One team was arrested for spying on the Murmansk Challenge but released by the Russians. Must remember not to take photos in a military zone! We launched a free of charge run to Petra in Jordan and received a warm welcome in Syria from both government and opposition forces. We were after all,the only tourists. This year saw the re-launch of the website and a new logo but still featuring the much loved Lada Niva.
DAKAR CHALLENGES 2012
Another trouble free start to the year with teams making it to Mali and the Gambia. We can now source cars for teams from outside Europe on a not for profit basis so they can compete. So what do you guys want launched this year? Just ask! I would like to do some shorter trips but just find anywhere within a few days drive of the UK just a bit dull.