Rally Nippon 2011 \u2013 From Japan\u2019s Modern to Ancient Capitals<\/p>\n
Report and photos by Len Clarke<\/p>\n
The 2011 running of Rally Nippon, quickly establishing itself as the last big event on the historic calendar here, went from Tokyo to Kyoto, making stops at some of the country\u2019s most beautiful temples and shrines along the way.<\/p>\n
First held in 2009, Rally Nippon has gained a remarkable amount of notoriety in the short time since its debut, and annually attracts some of the finest vintage cars in the country \u2013 and this is a nation with an almost unrivalled collection of the finest cars in existence.<\/p>\n
The competitive distance of this year\u2019s event was approximately 888km, though reaching the stages and getting back to the accommodation at the end of each day meant the drivers covered closer to 1200kms over the course of the event \u2013 not including the 500+km trek back to Tokyo after the finish for those entrants from the eastern side of the country!<\/p>\n
The 3rd running of Rally Nippon began at one of Japan\u2019s most famous locations, Yasukuni Jinja in central Tokyo. The start was conducted in excellent weather, cloud cover providing perfect light for the seventy cars competing on the four-day contest.<\/p>\n
Assembled among the stone lanterns, the works of automotive art were on display to the public before each was blessed by a Shinto priest on the starting ramp.<\/p>\n
Rally Nippon 2011 featured an eclectic mix of machinery: everything from the standout Bugattis and Bentleys of the 1920s \u2013 right up to domestic machinery from as late as 1974. It\u2019s this diversity that proves to be most interesting \u2013 and something of an antidote to other events featuring cars of the same calibre, in which we generally see far fewer Japanese-made entries.<\/p>\n
Obviously, legendary European machinery made up the lion\u2019s share of the list, though alongside them the small grouping of genuinely interesting Japanese beauties from the youngest period of the entry bracket created quite a stir.<\/p>\n
To that end, I\u2019m fully expecting one of my favourite Japanese cars of all time, Mazda\u2019s Cosmos (the maker\u2019s first model to use the Wankel rotary engine) to make an appearance next year. I can hardly think of a more appropriate Japanese car for this event.<\/p>\n
Back to more familiar territory and the trio of Jaguar SS100s, which were a knee-buckler early on; though I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t acknowledge the Maserati 450S (another absolute favourite \u2013 one of the most desirable cars on the rally in my opinion), sat amongst the exemplary early examples from Aston Martin and Ferrari, among others.<\/p>\n
However, it was the 1952 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT that had me swooning. Seeing what is arguably the origin of the GT breed was a huge treat in my opinion. Sadly, this beauty didn\u2019t make it through the event, retiring early on, to the dismay of many…<\/p>\n
The pace of Rally Nippon 2011 was surprisingly quick, being as it was a \u2018regularity\u2019 rally. Don\u2019t let the age of the cars fool you, the drivers weren\u2019t hanging around!<\/p>\n
Organization of the event was world-class, and each night\u2019s accommodation a pleasure after the typically long days.<\/p>\n
On the stages, the locations for rest stops couldn\u2019t have been better chosen. Among them, Sunday morning\u2019s visit to Ise Jingu (Ise Grand Shrine) was absolutely breathtaking. This shrine is an amazing 2015 years old, and only the Emperor and his family are allowed inside its hallowed grounds. The pictures show the area outside the main shrine buildings \u2013 themselves particularly impressive.<\/p>\n
Obligations in Tokyo meant I had to leave at the end of the third day of the rally, though the visit to Taga Taisha (a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine that exist on the same site) dating from 620 was the perfect way to end my glorious sojourn with the cavalcade of machinery I had so happily followed.<\/p>\n
Next year\u2019s route hasn\u2019t yet been finalized, but the direction will be the opposite to this year\u2019s running, beginning in Kyoto and ending in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
With the organizers eager to increase the number of foreign entrants, a car rental scheme is currently being worked out for those overseas guests who may be thinking of taking up the challenge.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no wonder this event has gained such a reputation in the short time it has been in existence \u2013 the cars, locations, backroads, sights and sounds simply cannot be beat. It\u2019s quickly becoming the most enjoyable historic rally in Japan. Bravo!<\/p>\n
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Rally Nippon 2011 \u2013 From Japan\u2019s Modern to Ancient Capitals Report and photos by Len Clarke The 2011 running of Rally Nippon, quickly establishing itself as the last big event on the historic calendar here, went from Tokyo to Kyoto, making stops at some of the country\u2019s most beautiful temples and shrines along the way. First held in 2009, Rally Nippon has gained a remarkable amount of notoriety in the short time since its debut, and annually attracts some of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":577460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[260,13063],"tags":[432,15234,17896],"class_list":["post-492108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-events","category-vintage-car-racing","tag-events","tag-events-vintage-racing","tag-vintage-race-rally-nippon"],"yoast_head":"\n