Chopard

Chopard Moscow Classic Weekend Rally 2015

On Sunday, 31st May 2015, Moscow hosted the 13th L.U.C Chopard Classic Weekend Rally. Classic automobiles adhered to a complicated driving itinerary from TSUM to Barvikha Luxury Village. L.U.C Chopard Classic Weekend Rally has been held since 2003 with the support of Chopard. Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and his father Karl III also competed.

The 2015 rally attracted unusual automobiles renown for their technical and historical significance.
The oldest entrant was a Renault EF from 1914.

Richard Charleswort & Richard Leopold, Blower Bentley

Andrey & Tatiana Pankovskie in their Riley

I was amazed at the surfeit of American heavy metal taking part in a Russian Rally.

Some contestants barely made the minimum age limit!

Reminiscent of a spy thriller, an elaborate coded 3-hour itinerary was required from the participants. Intermittent rain and the usual heavy Moscow traffic proved to be confounding obstacles, and the battle for the main prizes – Chopard chronometers – turned out to be a nail-biting drama.

At the finish line, the teams were greeted by VIP guests and TV presenter Ivan Urgant.

Ivan Urgant & Mark Podolsky

The jury went into adjudication mode to calculate the results whilst the guests were entertained by Fonograf Jazz Band orchestra directed by 'Honoured Artist of Russia' Sergey Zhilin.

Sergey Zhilin and Fonograf Jazz Band

Minor prizes were presented to the Most Elegant and Theme Costume participants that included Cops & Robbers as well as Doctors & Surgeons.

Whatever their troubles with the economy and Putin, the Russians really know how to party.

Most Elegant Team were very arresting

Igor Ugolnikov, Evgeny Margulis & Valery Sutkin dressed as Surgeons with their ambulance

Karl and Karl-Friedrich Scheufele awarded the winners of the rally in two classes: the “Veteran” (for automobiles manufactured before 1941) and the “Absolut” (for the ones produced between 1941 and 1975). The winners received high-precision Chopard chronometers.

Absolut Class winners

Vintage Class winners

The Scheufeles seemed very relaxed in Moscow!

At the end of the ceremony, David Desseaux, chef of the A.V.E.N.U.E. restaurant, surprised guests with an unusual cake in the form of the L.U.C Lunar One watch.