Record Breaking Solo Drive

To understand the enormity of the solo driving achievement of Tomas de Vargas Machuca, the Chairman of HERO-ERA on the 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, consider the gruelling route covering 12 countries, halfway around the world at a distance of 14, 899 kms. From China, to Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, and then onward to Türkiye and the European leg through Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and finally France. There were 10 border crossings and six nights under canvas. Tough roads on a route that spent much of the first three weeks taking in the southern reaches of the Gobi Desert. It was a major endurance effort, but it was also about survival.

Remarkably, Tomas also finished the 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, described as the world's last true motoring adventure, in 14th place overall. He won a special award for his efforts after an Incredible journey, often in adverse conditions. Tomas has been nominated for a Personal Achievement Award for the Historic Motoring Awards, (Nov 14) together with a pending confirmation from Guiness World Records.

At the end of each hard day, whether recovering from driving in rain, heat exhaustion, or a battering by sandstorms which had blown tents away, repairs and maintenance had to be carried out on the 1926 Bentley no matter what time of day or night. Without the grit and determination to carry on, the Paris finish line and the record would not have been reached.

Not content with crossing the finish in Paris, as far as Tomas was concerned, the task was not complete.

“It was incredible traversing China and the Gobi, the Aral Sea into the Caucasus, across Eastern and Central Europe, then the Alps in Austria, and through Switzerland and France. We enjoyed a wonderful celebration for the official end of the Peking to Paris, but I didn’t think the job was finished. Someone told me that in the old days, competitors used to drive to an event, and considered that you only really finished if you drove back home. So, I drove the Bentley home to London from Paris and then on to our HQ at Bicester Motion to complete the task.”

The 2025 P2P event became the platform for Tomas to become a World Record Breaker following on from Anton Gonnissen (furthest distance on a 3-wheeler) and Mitch Gross (furthest distance in a steam driven vehicle) both records set on the 2019 Peking to Paris. Tomas de Vargas Machuca set a record* for the longest distance solo drive (single handed) by car (Vintage) over 14,889 kms in 37 days across the world’s largest landmass on the 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge in a 1926 Bentley 3-4 ½ Litre. *Official record application awaiting ratification by Guiness World Records.

The previous solo distance driving record in a competition event was set by Englishman Eddie Hall at Le Mans in 1950 driving his Bentley solo for the entire distance, despite having a co-driver in the pits ready to take over. He completed 236 laps, which equals 3,200 km (2,000 miles).

Tomas said; “I was delighted to bring it home and achieve the solo driving distance record as endurance rallying can be very hard, but also great fun and very rewarding. So much work went into car preparation and my own training as you're doing it day after day after day, but it all paid off. It's really important to keep your mindset and be positive because the days are long in the sun, especially when you're rallying in searing heat on the other side of the world in harsh and changing conditions, it is pounding.”

Many people could not contemplate the physicality of the challenge, but for Tomas there was definite method in his madness at attempting such a driving feat. “First of all, most advised against it, but then you have serious solo attempts in other sports such as yachting, going solo across the Atlantic or around the world, so why not in Historic Rallying on one of the oldest events in the world?

“I felt the challenge was not just about whether the car could make it, but also if I could go all the way physically. Apart from the general training and vital car preparation, there were many disciplines such as hydrating yourself regularly and protecting your skin. Fortunately, I didn’t feel it too much because you're on the go all the time running on adrenalin, all that sweat evaporates. When you are not being peppered by the sand or battered by the wind, there is rain, then you are back to being scorched again, all in a day. "

“There were some technical issues, but we always found solutions and kept the Bentley going through continual maintenance, I was immensely proud to cross that finish line in Paris knowing I had broken the record and that the P2P hadn’t broken me or the Bentley.”

“It was physical because you're battling the car in deep sand, broken tarmac or the deep grooves of truck tyre tracks. From an upper body perspective, the long days and nights mean you are not really using all of your muscle or your glutes to rest evenly. So, you’ve got to change position and make sure you've got some circulation. The same with the vibration on the steering wheel, after a few hours you start having to shake your hands as you get pins and needles in your fingers, and you just find the sun beating down so hard you are always reaching for the sun cream! I wore a much bigger hat just to make sure that my head was in the shade as you are always exposed in an open topped car."

If you add the daunting task of trying to navigate on your own as you juggle road books and GPS calculations whilst on the move in difficult terrain, it brings inherent risks. But Tomas went back in time to find a solution.

 "We came up with the use a navigation scrolling system which is authentic Dennis Jenkinson of Motor Sport Magazine for the Mille Miglia 1955. This is the scrolling box for road book information that ‘Jenks’ developed to use with Sir Stirling Moss to win the event for Mercedes.

“The reality was that when I was looking down at the road book, I couldn't necessarily see some of the holes or some of the many gullies, ruts and potholes on the street, or worse in the desert. Every time I glanced away from the road, I was hitting a pothole or whatever, the car went through a lot of drama. So, the dash layout with the scroll box was to make sure that we achieved maximum security, with your hands on the steering wheel at any given time. When you're moving around and using the instruments they're much quicker to use and a short distance away from the steering wheel. It worked, yes there were moments, but we got though.

“It's funny you know, the mind and the body are fascinating in so far as we know, they just adapt. I didn’t feel particularly tired. Although it was a little bit over 40 days, covering an average of 500 kilometres a day in a pre-war car, whether we were on small roads or highways, you still had the complexity of a lot of turbulence in an old open car, and so your ears get really, really tired.

“It is very easy to misinterpret, but I felt fine. I mean, it's a physical thing. You're in the car, out of the car, under the car, thousands of times during the event. It just builds up your core muscles, so actually I didn't have a lot of the typical pains that you get after having more sedentary lifestyle sitting in an office for example, where you can develop back ache. On an endurance rally like this you're always moving in one way or another!

“I know that a lot of people have been intrigued by the solo effort, which I find probably the biggest recognition. Now I want to source other people who are willing to take that solo challenge and help them. It's a matter of finding a system, finding the process, and sticking to the process. That way, the hours and minutes just evaporate.

“You know, when you're doing your own maintenance, you've got to be pretty organised. You can't be getting in and out of the car and sliding underneath every time, or trying to find a spanner or whatever equipment, you've got to try to make sure that you plan what you're going to do and then in the most efficient way possible, so you're not losing time.

“Concentration is key, therefore you need to be rested as much as possible. But after very, very long days, you need that banter with other competitors, just to share your experiences, because it can be a little bit lonely. And as they say, if you like the company when you're alone, you're probably the wrong one to try and socialise with.

“The biggest distractor was the beauty of the backdrop that we were driving through, whether it was the desert, the mountains or the Himalayas on one side, whether you're going through Central Europe or up the Alps. It was immense, and you are immersed. Sometimes you forget that you're on the rally and I’d make mistakes, you don't take the right exit or miss a vital fork in the track!

“We have to understand how privileged we are in being able to see the world that not everybody sees, and do it in these authentic cars, mine has no roof, so you're really smelling the elements and feeling the temperature changes. It's incredible, it's an unadulterated five senses if you want the genuine experience.

“When I was finally back in Bicester Motion, I wanted to show Kingsbury Racing the car as it was. They prepared the car and helped train me, they were brilliant in every respect. They were just looking at the details of certain things to see what might need addressing. This was a group effort by Bicester Motion and the Specialists here. Kingsbury Racing Shop were the prime movers, but Harry Fraser Vehicle Upholstery, Auto-Historica, Vintage Magneto and Vintage Car Radiator Company were significant contributors to the effort. Historit, Motor Spirit Ltd and our own associated company Hangar 136, all played their part in helping me achieve something special.

“The whole experience still hasn't sunken in yet, I kind of don't really want it to sink in either, even after six months! I want to think of the next challenge and get on with it. Even looking at some of the YouTube videos that I was doing for everybody else, I was getting bored of looking at me, because I've been through it.

“However, I thought afterwards that it was interesting content, and so did the many thousands who watched because I think it gave a real, authentic view as to what it took the set the record. But that was the Peking to Paris solo 2025, now bring on the next challenge!”