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The eagle-eyed amongst have already noticed pictures on the Peking-Paris rally website gallery of a certain lofty Englishman joining the rally on Day 20, in Samara, Russia.
Francis Tuthill, Flying Doctor of Porsche, flew to Russia to help our 356 competitors when their crankshaft failed in Russia. We have no idea what caused the break, but incredibly the car stayed running and made it to refuge in the sixth largest city of the former Soviet empire.
Francis left Heathrow with most of a Porsche 356 engine carried as excess baggage. Once the 356 arrived in Samara, it was taken to a workshop, put on a lift, and the poorly engine was removed from the little red Swiss.
A rebuild was completed that day and night, and the car rejoined the rally on Day 21. It’s still going strong: hopefully we’ll see it in Paris!
