Driving like God in Franconia was the motto at the weekend at the Franconian Classic Oldtimer Rally. After a one-year break, 130 teams registered with their vintage cars for the two-and-a-half-day event with start and finish in Bad Kissingen. On Friday afternoon, a short prologue led to Hammelburg. On Saturday we went east through the Steigerwald and the Haßberge to Bamberg and Bad Staffelstein.
On the route leading roughly south to Würzburg, the participants were on the road on Sunday morning from Neubessingen near Arnstein to Retzstadt, also in the Main-Spessart district. For some teams it was almost a home game. For example for Peter and Sigrid Heßler from Karlstadt with their BMW 327/28 convertible built in 1930.
Like her, a total of four duos start for the BMW Köhler team from Karlstadt, the others are Alexander and Barbara Köhler with a BMW 2002, Philipp and Florian Heßler in a small BMW 1600 GT built in 1968, and Markus and Petra Köhler in the sedan BMW Csi built in 1968 1976.
You probably already knew the grandiose views of the Main Valley when you examined them through the Stetten vineyards. It should have been a special highlight for everyone else. Rally organizer Karl-Heinz Schott not only attaches importance to luring vehicles that are as old as possible to the start, the oldest car was an Alvis experimental built in 1928, the youngest were built in 1985 (Ferrari 308 GTB QV, Alfa Romeo Spider, Porsche 911) , but also to integrate stretches beyond major roads, where driving is still fun. The DMI Racing Team from Schwebenried once again made it clear that Walter Münch is a passionate fan of the rally legend Walter Röhrl.
The two replicas of the two legendary Group B vehicles, an Audi Sport Quattro S1 / E2 and an Audi Quattro A, as well as the rally version of a Fiat 131 Abarth with the legendary names Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer on the door. Peter Riegel and Lena Etthöfer from the team Weingut May Classic from Retzstadt drove one of the deepest cars, a Triumph GT6 MK3, built in 1972. For them, the special stage in Retzstadt, where two and a quarter laps of a 350 meter long course had to be completed in 135 seconds, was something special.
Many of the residents of Retzstadt were also happy that the classic car rally did not just drive through the town for a moment, some sat with chairs and benches as well as wine or beer in front of the houses to watch. A resident from the start criticized the fact that none of the 101 classic car drivers who started on Sunday switched off the engine while waiting for the start, which caused noise and stench in the street.
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