1914 LaFrance, The Journey So Far

A 1914 LaFrance that was an American fire engine in another life, has been painstaking rebuilt by artisans who have crafted a 109 year old Pioneer Vehicle into a huge desert rally challenger set to take on 14,500 kilometres in the 2024 Motor Challenge from Peking to Paris, across the world’s largest landmass.

Before that, preparation and tireless testing. The intrepid crew of Tomas De Vargas Machuca (IT) and Ben Cussons (UK) tested the nine litre juggernaut through France and competed in the 2023 Flying Scotsman bringing the huge chain driven machine to the finish. As a further test, Tomas and the LaFrance preparer Josh Thompson of DT Vintage took on the gruelling Sahara Challenge in September 2022 beating soft sand, breakdowns, sand storms, blinding rain and fatigue to bring the chugging beast to the finish after 4500 kilometres in 11 days.

Now the journey and the adventure continue. Ben Cussons (Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club) and Tomas De Vargas Machuca (Chairman HERO-ERA) are on the final shakedown in the 1914 LaFrance Type 10 for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2024, the Badawi Trail to the Last Oasis in the Middle East.

With 44 other crews they will begin their 7500 kilometres of adventure from Jordan to Saudi Arabia (the first time Historic rally vehicles will have traversed Saudi Arabia), the UAE, Oman and Dubai, taking 17 days. The LaFrance and crew will be tested to their limits.