- Title: LAOS: START OF FIRST ASIAN HIGHWAY MOTOR RALLY
- Date: 17th April 1969
- Summary: LORD ERRINGTON CHECKING MGB (NO. 26); ALL-FEMALE CREW OF CAR NO. 35 CHECKING CAR; PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA CHECKING CAR; CROWDS; BUS AND TRUCK FIRST VEHICLES AWAY; VARIOUS CARS START; CARS ON ROUTE; CUSTOMS CHECK-POINT; CARS ON FERRY. Initials LD/VS/CR/PC SPORT: CAR RACING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd May 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VIENTIANE, LAOS
- Country: Laos
- Reuters ID: LVAC90U3928EASOC0YG4Q4AVLAUY
- Story Text: THE COMPETITORS IN THE FIRST ASIAN MOTOR RALLY LEFT VIENTIANE IN LAOS, ON TUESDAY (15 APRIL) ON THE START OF THE 1,800-MILE (2900 KMS) ROUTE WHICH WILL TAKE THEM ALONG THE ASIAN HIGHWAY TO SINGAPORE.
BEFORE THE START THE DRIVERS CHECKED THEIR CARS - AMONG THEM LORD ERRINGTON, SON OF THE FORMER HEAD OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND, DRIVING AN MGB FOR THE THAI TEAM. ALSO FROM THAILAND - AN ALL-FEMALE CREW, WHICH INCLUDED PRINCESS ARUNEE BHANUBANDH, IN A MITSUBISHI COLT.
ON THE LOATIAN TEAM, PRINCE PANYA SOUVANNA PHOUMA, THE PRIME MINISTER'S SON, DRIVING AN AUTOBIANCHI.
NOT ONLY CARS, BUT BUSES AND TRUCKS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE RALLY WHICH WILL GO THROUGH LAOS, THAILAND, MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE.
THE FIRST CAR AWAY, WAS NUMBER 16 FROM THAILAND - A HOLDEN DRIVEN BY MRS GLADYS LOURVANIC (AN AUSTRALIAN MARRIED TO A THAI). FORTY-THREE DIFFERENT MAKES OF VEHICLES ARE TAKING PART - WITH FIAT AND TOYOTA SHARING THE HONOURS, AT 15 EACH, OF BEING THE MOST POPULAR CHOICE AMONG THE NEARLY 180 PARTICIPANTS WHICH RANGED FROM A 1934 LAGONDA TO THE LATEST 1969 SPORTS MODELS, REPRESENTING ALMOST EVERY ASIAN AND EUROPEAN COUNTRY.
DURING THE RALLY, WHICH IS HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE FAR EAST AND THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE COUNTRIES THROUGH WHICH THE ROUTE GOES, THE CARS MUST AVERAGE 45 MPH (72 KPH) AND BUSES AND TRUCKS 35 MPH (56 KPH).
THE FIRST STAGE IS THE CROSSING FROM LAOS TO THAILAND ON THE FERRY TO NONG KAI - AND THE DRIVERS HAVE A BRIEF RESPITE BEFORE CONTINUING THE GRUELLING CROSS-COUNTRY DRIVE WHICH ENDS AT SINGAPORE WHEN THE FIRST CARS ARE EXPECTED TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE EARLY TOMORROW (FRIDAY) EVENING.
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