Winners of epic rally fly the flag for North East

TWO proud Geordies have completed the journey of a lifetime, winning a cross-continental rally in a 54-year-old Peugeot 504.

- DANIEL HALL

Driver Brian Palmer and navigator Dave Bell came top of their class in the Peking to Paris Rally 2025, crossing 12 countries over 37 days.

But the epic journey didn’t end in Paris after 14,988km (9,313) miles, with the pair bringing the motor back to the North East.

Brian, an engineer from Stocksfield, and Dave, a mechanic from Denton Burn, are regulars at the Crown Inn pub in Humshaugh, Northumberland, where they're due to give a sold-out talk on their epic journey and eventual victory.

Speaking to The Journal ahead of the event, Brian said: “We got an excellent result, we were in the under two-litre class but we beat all the over three-litres as well. A lot of (Porsche) 911s and things like that.”

Not that it was easy - after the pair passed the Great Wall, much of their journey in Western China and into Kazakhstan was on gravel roads.

Brian continued: “Keeping your car running in an environment like that is the challenge.