The elite of French rallying during the 1960s and 1970s lined up at the start. Bob NEYRET - whose glorious record included being a two-times winner of this event in 1969 and 1970, when it was part of the World Rally Championship, and a third win in its "Classic" form in 1997 - was driving a famous replica Citroen DS.

Jean-Pierre Nicolas, winner in 1968 in a R8 Gordini, was also back, this time with a Peugeot 504 Coupe.

Bernard CONSTEN, multiple French Rally Champion and a faithful competitor since the first edition of the "Classic" (which he won in 2003 with Jean-Claude MILO), was clearly in command of a Jaguar, in this case an E-Type V12. This illustrious trio had therefore opted for three different machines, but each selected his wife as a co-driver.

It was, however, a quartet of lesser-known teams who fought for victory over the special stages, which made up some 2,300 kms of the route. Previous winners Olivier LAZAR / Stephane AGOSTINI and Alexander ISMAIL / Mathias ISMAIL were quickly overhauled by the battle between Elmar WIEDERIN / Alexander HOEFER (Porsche 356) and Claude LAURENT / Dominique LAURENT (Lotus Elan); they were followed by Dafir ARRAKI / Karim TAISSIR (Triumph TR5), a Royal Air Maroc pilot whose impressive regularity skills overcame a gearbox failure, and Alexandre MERLE / Florent CARUANA (Jaguar XK150), leaders of the younger generation.

They were threatened by the charming Carine MERLE / Pauline MERLE (sister and wife respectively of Alexander), not only the most glamorous crew on the entry list, but also among of the best performers in their pretty little Alfa Giulia Spider. They had a brilliant event to finish fifth, behind their companions, while the Moroccans, valiant when it mattered, snatched third place behind Laurent, who made the most of his car`s wonderful agility, even on the occasionally rough roads of the Kingdom of Morocco.

None of this concerned the Austro-German crew in their convertible 356, who were unbeatable on their way to outright victory after 14 years of trying.

In the "Prestige" category - for modern GT cars - the Bordeaux crew Vincent REPOUX / Christian PATA -LAVIGNE dominated from start to finish in their Lotus Elite, ahead of the two-times Moroccan winners (in 2005 and 2007) Rafik LAHLOU / Dalila LAHLOU (Porsche 911). There was a notably good performance from Frederic O`NEILL / Anne-Sophie O`NEILL, who brought their beautiful Ferrari 430 Spyder to Marrakech without a single scratch, despite some sections rendered "very sensitive" by the heavy rain which had befallen the Kingdom.

This year, Jean-Fran�ois RAGEYS - the promoter and organiser of the "Classic" - and his team had decided to raise the pace a bit, to increase the sporting nature of the rally.

The enthusiasts driving their the old machines were well supported by the unparalleled effectiveness of the Royale Moroccan Police and did not complain! As for the "pleasure of the eyes", as they say over there: from the peaks of the Atlas to the shores of the Atlantic through the desert sands, and the quality of the welcome - all these remained incomparable. Crisis or not, "Formula Rageys" retained its appeal!

Finally, "The Road of the Heart", through which the Maroc Classic supports the social activity of the Happy Hour charity, this year celebrated its tenth year of existence.

Almost 5 Million Dirhams (roughly 450,000 Euros) have been collected during this decade, all invested in humanitarian projects to benefit families and children, mainly in rural areas. The outpouring by competitors, generous donors and corporate partners has not declined, despite the current circumstances. The exceptional 2008 figure of 579,000 dirhams ( over 50,000 Euros) seemed unlikely to be matched, but it will not only be reached, but is expected to total 700,000 dirhams (60,000 Euros).

Memorable contributions included an offer by Hassan El Glaoui for 120,000 dirhams (over 10,000 Euros) and the sale of the Le Mans 24 Hours starting flag by Bernard Consten, former President of the French Federation of Motor Sports, for 115,000 dirhams (over 10,000 Euros).

Truly, The Classic Rally of Morocco is indeed "The Road of the Heart".

FINAL RESULTS of the �CLASSIC� CATEGORY
1, Elmar WIEDERIN (AUT) / Alexander HOEFER (GER), Porsche 356, 72.3;
2, Claude LAURENT(FRA) / Mrs Dominique LAURENT (FRA), Lotus Elan S4, 87,6;
3, Dafir ARRAKI (MAR) / Karim TAISSIR (MAR), Triumph TR5, 88,2;
4, Alexandre MERLE (FRA) / Florent CARUANA (FRA), Jaguar XK150S, 99,4;
5, Miss Carine MERLE (FRA) / Miss Pauline MERLE (FRA), Alfa Romeo Giulietta, 104,3;
6, Dr E Michael FEICHTINGER (AUT) / Michael HABERL (AUT), Porsche 356 Carrera 2000, 104,3;
7, Mrs Claude CONSTEN (FRA) / Bernard CONSTEN (FRA), Jaguar Type E V12,110,7;
8, JosE ROSINSKI (FRA) / Jean-Claude THIRIET (FRA), Jaguar C-Type, 123,4;
9,RafaEl CEREZO (SPA) / Ramon CEREZO (SPA), Jaguar XK120, 129,1;
10, Alexandre ISMAIL (MAD) / Mathias ISMAIL (MAD), Porsche 911 2.4 S, 148,9;
11, Michel ANJORAS (FRA) / Jean-Noel TREILLES (FRA), Porsche Targa 2.4, 167,9;
12, Olivier LAZAR (FRA) / Stephane AGOSTINI (FRA), Ferrari 308 GTS, 183,0;
13, Christian DUMOLIN (BEL) / Luc VANOVERSCHELDE (BEL), Mercedes 300 SL Roadster, 187,0;
14, Jean-Pierre NICOLAS  (FRA) / Helene NICOLAS (FRA), Peugeot 504 Coupe V6, 205,9;
15, Bruno PITEL  (FRA) / Mrs Emmanuelle RANSON (FRA), Austin Healey 100/4, 228,7.

FINAL RESULTS of the � PRESTIGE� CATEGORY
1, Vincent REPOUX (FRA) / Christian PATA-LAVIGNE (FRA), Lotus Elite, 107,3;
2, Rafik LAHLOU (MAR) / Mrs Dalila LAHLOU (MAR), Porsche 911 C2, 127,3;
3, Nabil LAHLOU (MAR) / Mrs Selma LAHLOU (MAR), Porsche 911 Targa, 208,2;
4, Abdelmajid ALAOUI (MAR) / Mrs Karima ALAOUI (MAR), Lotus Super Seven, 363,3;
5, Frederic O`NEILL (FRA) / Mrs Anne Sophie O`NEILL (FRA), Ferrari 430 Spyder, 367,2.

DATE OF THE MAROC CLASSIC 2010 : 13-20 March

For further information, please contact:
D.R.O. / RALLYE CLASSIC
1, Avenue Mohamed Belhassan El Ouazzani
10000 RABAT Souissi (Maroc)
Tel: +212 5 2449 7409
Mob: +212 6 6115 1763
Fax: +212 5 2439 5793
Email: info@rallye-maroc-classic.com
Website: www.rallye-maroc-classic.com

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