A packed crowd of intrepid motoring enthusiasts gathered at the Bicester Heritage headquarters of UK-based historic rally organiser HERO-ERA on March 26, 2025, for the official launch of the 2028 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge (P2P).
Marking the tenth anniversary of the modern rally, the June 4-July 16, 2028 edition promises to be the longest and most demanding yet, crossing 12 countries and covering 17,500km over 42 days. The original Peking to Paris event dates back to 1907, when French newspaper Le Matin dared adventurous motorists to prove the endurance of their new-fangled motor cars by driving across the world’s largest landmass.
“As we celebrate the tenth edition of the legendary Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, it is right that 2028 recreates the demands and endurance of the original Peking to Paris by being longer and more adventurous,” explained HERO-ERA chairman Tomas de Vargas Machuca. “It will be a rigorous test of human and machine in the spirit intended.”
As a result, the 2028 event is 2500km longer than the original Peking to Paris in 1907, when Prince Scipione Borghese claimed victory after covering 14,994km in 61 days behind the wheel of his 7.0-litre Itala. In a fitting tribute, Tomas de Vargas Machuca will take on the 2028 challenge in his own 1907 Itala – the sister car to the machine Borghese piloted more than a century ago.
Machuca’s car will occupy the special Tribute 1907 class that was created especially for marques that competed in the first P2P with the support of prewarcars.com. Additionally, HERO-ERA confirmed that pre-1921 Pioneer Class machines will be granted guaranteed entry.
Excitement grew with the announcement that the 2028 Peking to Paris route will return to Mongolia for the first time since 2019. Spanning 603,909 square miles and home to just 3.4 million people, Mongolia remains the most sparsely populated country on Earth. HERO-ERA collaborated closely with the Mongolian government to secure its return, following tightened restrictions on international adventure travel in recent years.
“Despite my years of experience in Mongolia, I yearn to return; it’s such a magical place,” said route coordinator Chris Elkins. “The desolate yet beautiful landscapes provide escape beyond imagination… to camp there is to be at one with the universe. One year, I sat there alone at a remote timing point in the vast open space for a day. You couldn’t hear a thing – no wind, not an animal, no living thing, no other sound anywhere – just total otherworldly silence. You have to pinch yourself at times as a reminder of just how lucky you are to be there,” he continued.
The gruelling route begins in Peking, China, before winding north into Mongolia’s vast Gobi Desert. It then heads west through the northern Chinese cities of Hohhot and Urumqi before crossing into Kazakhstan. From there, the classic car cavalcade journeys through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The European leg spans Bulgaria and Greece, then turns north through the Balkans, continuing across Italy and France en route to the Paris finish line. However, HERO-ERA has stated that the route may be adjusted if global geopolitical conditions – particularly regarding Russia – change.
Complementing the record-breaking route is the news that more vehicles will be eligible to compete in the P2P than ever before, following the introduction of additional classes for 2028. The headline category, Three Wheels or Less, is an invitation class reserved for classic motorcycles built prior to December 1975.
Three Wheels or Less was inspired by the world record-breaking exploits of Dakar Rally veteran and classic motorcycle adventurer Anton Gonnissen, who personally attended the launch. Gonnissen holds the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by three-wheeler, which he set during the 2019 P2P, covering a distance of 14,565km on his 1907 Contal Mototri three-wheel motorcycle. The same model of trike took part in the original P2P, but was the only vehicle that didn’t reach the finish line.
For his part, Gonnissen issued a bold challenge to adventurers aiming to break his World Record in 2028:
“I have a message – I thought about it yesterday. I hereby invite any brave competitor to break my Guinness World Record for the longest voyage on three wheels. With a new category available in 2028, the opportunity is there. To claim the record, you need to do just two things: first, show up on three wheels. Second, drive the full 17,000km-plus. If you do that, the record is yours. The gauntlet has been thrown.”
The other new classes for 2028 are the Solo class and five entries for pre-1986 4×4 vehicles, in addition to the 1907 Tribute class.
Applications for the 2028 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge are now open. For full details and to apply, visit HERO-ERA’s official website here.
