The Beginnings of Rally Royale: Inspired by great rallies all over the world to create my own unique experience

After that first inspiring experience of a truly grand tour in The Baltic Rally (take a look at my previous article, The Open Road, for the rest of the story), we had the opportunity to participate in more classic car rallies, in the UK, France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. And during this time, I had a chance to get to meet a wide mixture of people with a common interest in the heritage and design excellence of these wonderful machines. I also got to see up close the pleasure that these driving tours give so many people. Not just the drivers, but also people in the street – I never had so many smiles in one day in my life.

Recently I attended another event, one of the most famous in the car world - the Goodwood Revival. Nearly quarter of a million people visited this all-time tribute to the heritage of motoring sport. It’s a magnificent sight to see thousands of classics preserved for posterity. Motoring events like this bring all sorts of people with all sorts of interests together in one place. At the Goodwood Revival, you’ll find modern super cars alongside aeroplanes, luxury brands alongside car components and live music next to high value auctions. Take a look at some more photos from the 2014 event here: Pictures in the pits, and photographs of the event.

These amazing experiences inspired me to set up Rally Royale, a boutique iconic car event business, offering VIP services to people who love cars and driving, as well as the best things in life. We also provide a platform for luxury brands, clubs, event organisers and businesses that want to share their programmes with our community.

Our team is made up of a group of experts and advisors with hands on experience of running extraordinary programmes all over the world. Key team members have deep experience of the GCC and Britain, where the company is based.

Our plans go well beyond the idea of ‘Rallies’, and while firmly grounded in the principle of providing a ‘Royale’ experience, we’ll always aim to create warm, welcoming and fun experiences for all concerned.

It was when I got back from the Baltic that we reflected on the concept and building a new unique brand, and together we started developing a plan for how to make the most of my passion for cars, and the experience we had developed with this community.

We set up the framework for Rally Royale with a vision to bring together a combination of our shared passion for:

• Vintage and classic pre-seventies cars

• Prestige and iconic modern cars
• Unforgettable memories
• Cultural experiences and exchange
• Building enduring friendships

Our vision then was to create a series of unique lifestyle experiences for anyone that loves driving and exploring new places around the world. We want new people to have the opportunity to experience what I’ve experienced.

Today, Rally Royale is much more than this, and we are now in discussions with a number of international organisations about developing new themes around our core values of innovation and excellence in engineering, and creativity, culture and heritage.

My nostalgia for the Arab world made it natural for me to look to the Gulf, where the love of cars is high, and the opportunity to discover new places, people, sights, and amazing cuisine is shared with us. From our research the Oman Grand Tour was born.

Grand Touring is a tradition that goes back centuries in Europe, as it does in many other parts of the world. It’s traditionally a way for men and women to travel long distances to learn about the world. The concept of Grand Tourismo or GT in the car world, was originally coined by the Italians when they saw an opportunity to create cars that were big and comfortable over long-distances. For our plans in Oman, the words Grand and Tour seem very appropriate.

The story continues in my next article, The Creation of a Grand Tour, sharing the inspiring country of Oman and all it has to offer. The video above is our latest teaser of what the event holds; the incredible scenery, the timeless history, and the superb luxury on offer. For more information on how to get involved in the Oman Grand Tour, take a look out our Pre-Event Guide on our website: www.rallyroyale.com/peg

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