16,000 Miles to Mexico City

Imagine driving 16,000 miles in 25 days over some of the roughest terrain in the world, at altitudes up to 16,000 feet, where engines and lungs gasp for air. Imagine 500-mile speed trials over rocky mountain tracks, racing against the clock and 95 other cars. Imagine attempting this more than 50 years ago, without GPS or cell phones or modern safety equipment. In April 1970, 241 men and women from more than 20 nations did just that, setting out from London in cars ranging from a dune buggy to family sedans to Porsches, Rolls-Royces, camper vans and a Jeep Wagoneer, determined to get to Mexico City. Drawing on personal recollections of competitors, organizers, marshals and mechanics, this book recounts the ecstasies and agonies of perhaps the toughest endurance motorsports event ever–the London to Mexico World Cup Rally.

Robert Connor has had a life-long passion for all things automotive. He lives in Herefordshire, England.

Robert Connor
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 371
Bibliographic Info: 125 photos (41 in color), maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6967-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4578-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi

Preface 1

Introduction 5

 1. Getting Organized 9

 2. The Adventures of Speedy 14

 3. Where Are We Going? 21

 4. Shocks and Surprises (Part One) 27

 5. Rules and Regs 35

 6. Shocks and Surprises (Part Two) 39

 7. If You’re Not on the List… 50

 8. El Vocho Abandonado 56

 9. Tortoises and Hares (Part One) 68

10. A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One 74

11. Tortoises and Hares (Part Two) 82

12. A Series of Unfortunate Events (Part One) 87

13. Cast and Crew (Part One) 95

14. A Series of Unfortunate Events (Part Two) 103

15. Cast and Crew (Part Two) 109

16. Puff the Magic Maxi (Part One) 114

17. Miles to Go Before the Start 125

18. Puff the Magic Maxi (Part Two) 129

19. And They’re Off! 138

Between pages 146 and 147 are 20 color plates containing 41 photographs

20. A Private Enterprise (Part One) 147

21. Three Wheels on My Wagon 155

22. A Private Enterprise (Part Two) 164

23. Two Primes in One Day 179

24. Potatoes and Emeralds 185

25. All in the Family 194

26. Bangs and Whimpers (Part One) 201

27. There Go My Pants! 210

28. Bangs and Whimpers (Part Two) 215

29. Driver, Navigator, Filmmaker, Spy (Part One) 220

30. Rio to Montevideo 232

31. Driver, Navigator, Filmmaker, Spy (Part Two) 238

32. Trans-Argentina 247

33. The Beauty Box (Part One) 252

34. Triumph and Tragedy 260

35. The Beauty Box (Part Two) 270

36. Driving on Top of the World 279

37. So Close 288

38. The Show Must Go On 297

Epilogue: None Tougher, None Rougher 306

Appendix 1. The Entrants 313

Appendix 2. The Scoreboard 319

Interviews 326

Chapter Notes 327

Bibliography 331

Index 333

“Exceptionally well organized and presented, 16,000 Miles to Mexico City: The 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally is a truly extraordinary, detailed and documented account that will be of special and intense interests to car rally racing fans.”—Midwest Book Review