UK-based Historic rally organiser HERO-ERA has launched the 2026 Gaucho Trail Motor Challenge, a flagship event traversing six South American countries across 11,000km of challenging terrain.
The epic coast-to-coast motoring adventure was revealed in a live launch attended by Magneto at HERO-ERA’s headquarters at Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire, on October 31, 2024. Hundreds more watched the event online.
“This is going to be a demanding event,” explained HERO-ERA chairman Tomas de Vargas Machuca. “It runs from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast, from the Amazon rainforest up through the Andes, across 28 days.”
Scheduled for November 2026, HERO-ERA describes the month-long rally as a continent-spanning 'voyage of discovery'
He continued: “It wasn’t easy to come up with a name. With our extensive experience in South America, we’ve run events all over the continent. Some areas were inhabited by the Mayas and others by the Incas. Yet there was one part that we have never been to – Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – which is where the Gauchos existed.”
Scheduled for November 2026, the month-long Gaucho Trail Motor Challenge is described as a continent-spanning ‘voyage of discovery’, poised to rival HERO-ERA’s iconic Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. This event will mark the first Historic rally in a decade to traverse from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Historic rallying expert Kim Bannister, described as ‘the sport’s Amerigo Vespucci’, is meticulously planning the route over a two-year period. With decades of experience designing routes worldwide alongside ERA founder Philip Young, Bannister brings unique expertise to this ambitious event.
“Kim, together with others, is part of a pioneering group who invented classic endurance rallying as we know it,” de Vargas Machuca said. “Having organised multiple Peking to Paris events, it’s great to have him back to bring all his knowledge of South America.”
The route begins and ends in Montevideo, Uruguay, winding through Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Competitors will face diverse terrains, from the towering 5000-metre peaks of the Andes to the sparsely populated lowlands of Argentina’s Chaco Province. Along the way, they’ll traverse deserts, rainforests, mountain passes, pampas and vast salt flats.
“There’s around 3000km of gravel,” said Kim Bannister of the route, “But it includes everything from smooth asphalt to the soft sands of the Trans-Chaco, along with dirt roads, baked mud and more.”
Kim is working on the route alongside HERO-ERA competition director Guy Woodcock, who is taking the rally company to Paraguay for the very first time. “Kim’s South American experience makes him an expert in my book. Not only does he have great route-finding and organisational skills, but he is also an experienced navigator of old who recently competed in HERO Challenge Championships.”
During the launch, HERO-ERA was keen to emphasise South America’s automotive passion, particularly in the context of rallying and classic cars. This was proven by an emphatic welcome by the president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, in a pre-recorded video.
“Dear friends, I want to welcome you to my country,” said president Pou. “We are glad to receive people from many nationalities for such a wonderful Historic rally event. Here in Uruguay, we have a large tradition concerning Historic cars, and we’re looking forward to receiving you in Montevideo in 2026.”
Fittingly, the Gaucho Trail will visit various race circuits and retrace portions of the WRC Chile rally stages, and perhaps Paraguay, which hosts its first WRC event in 2025. South America has also previously hosted the famous Dakar rally, and is the homeland of five-time Formula 1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio and current Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
HERO-ERA says a maximum of 40 cars will initially be able to take part. Pre-1976 classic cars form the main contingent of the event, although pre-1985 models will be eligible via special invitation.
Keen to champion pre-war cars, the organisers have confirmed that the overall winner will be chosen from the Vintage and Veteran category. “We owe it to heritage motoring to ensure that we attract pre-war cars,” explained Guy Woodcock.
Woodcock then went on to explain the competitive stages of the event in more detail: “There will effectively be three elements. Depending on availability, there will be between five and ten special tests at race circuits. There will also be sporting time-control sections, which is something we introduced on the Peking to Paris in 2019, as well as regularities.”
HERO-ERA is also using the Gaucho Trail as an opportunity to continue encouraging younger members of the motoring community into the sport. Consequently, crews with a driver aged 35 or younger will receive a 30 percent discount off the entry fee.
A launch-week special means that entry fees are £55,500 until November 7, 2024, before rising to £58,400 thereafter. The return freight costs for cars is estimated at between £7500 and £15,000 depending on the place of origin.
For more information on the Gaucho Trail Motor Challenge 2026, click here.
