Spring Rally

From childhood, we develop passions for things. We collect cartoon characters, dolls, hair clips, toy cars, and watch them with admiration. As we grow older, some lose these passions, while others become more attached. Everyone has a need to come together with other people who share their passion. We gather around large tables for this; to share our common interests with others.

While some car enthusiasts are interested in modern, fast, and futuristic vehicles produced with today's technology, others are interested in classic cars; automobiles designed not with computers and robots, but blended with human emotion and intelligence, unlike today.

WHAT IS A CLASSIC CAR?

A classic car is a vehicle that reflects the characteristics of its era and can carry the conditions of that day to the present, meaning it is in a state as close as possible to the day it left the factory. Whether it is American, European, or a Turkish-made Anadol, whether it is a high-class classic or not, what makes them valuable is that their restoration has been done meticulously and they have passed through the hands of the right craftsmen. After a very meticulous and detailed work that requires effort, patience, and time, the fact that these automobiles are robust, safe, comfortable, rare, and special draws all attention to them. I would like to state that I find this effort of classic car enthusiasts quite noble. The idea that it is only a hobby for the elite is a common but incorrect belief. Anyone can own a classic car with passion and patience.

We can find clubs all over the world where classic car lovers, who spend time, effort, and money to make these "old boys"—whose value is hidden in their lived stories rather than their material worth—run again instead of leaving them to loneliness and extinction in some corner, come together to socialize.

Classic car enthusiasts, who greet each other as they pass by on the road and act with a sense of brotherhood and shared passion, find each other all over the world through car clubs. Motor vehicle clubs have been a phenomenon that has been going on for centuries, especially in European countries.

You may have come across these automobiles, which we can no longer see often on the streets, which have witnessed an era, and which are perhaps familiar to us from our childhood and youth memories or from the screen of a black-and-white movie we watched, during a drive they took on the Bosphorus line over the weekend.

One of those cars might be a veteran actor of a Yeşilçam movie, and the Anadol a little further away might be the winning athlete of an international race held years ago. While the yellow Mercedes was carrying the lady of the house to night outings for years under the chauffeurship of a dashing young man, the red Corvette might have been waiting to be used for years in a doctor's garage.

The Classic Car Club (KOK), founded in Istanbul in 1990 to bring together people who pursue this passion, organizes various events every year and carries out organizations that appeal not only to its members but to all classic car enthusiasts.

KOK is a platform open to everyone who has this passion, even if they do not own a classic car. It organizes meetups to exhibit special cars, club drives, trips, parties, and important rallies.

Classic car races are quite different from today's fast and modern vehicles. They are races held not entirely about speed, but rather focused on precise driving, adjusting the general pace of the drive, and reaching the target exactly on time. Reaching the target with these vehicles, whose needles are constantly trembling, whose throttles get stuck, and which are tired no matter how well-maintained they are, requires real driving experience and patience.

PREPARING FOR THE SPRING RALLY OF OUR REPUBLIC'S 100TH ANNIVERSARY

The “Spring Rally”, “West Anatolia Rally” and “Republic Rally”, which are held regularly every year, are approved by the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) and the International Automobile Federation (FIVA) and are of national and international nature. These events are prepared with great care, supported by distinguished companies, and a portion of the proceeds is allocated to NGOs. The Spring Rally, organized by the Classic Car Club this year and held between April 19-22, started from Longosphere, located in a fascinating spot of the Longoz forests, with an enthusiasm worthy of the 100th Anniversary.

Mr. Sencer Sivridağ, who took over the office in November, became the youngest president ever elected to the presidency of the Classic Car Club, while he has accelerated his efforts to enrich this valuable club with young members, he also benefits from the experience of his more experienced colleagues. Starting from this point, he successfully completed a rally that attracted great attention this year by organizing a route where every member from 14 to 85 years old would enjoy the fascinating curves, roads, and atmosphere of the Longoz forests for the first time. Hakan Kanca continues to draw enjoyable routes by taking on the directorship of the rally with great devotion.

Finally, I would like to take you on a journey of nostalgia.

In 1971, during the second visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England to the Republic of Turkey, state officials welcomed her and set off for Çankaya in motorcade cars.

In the photo below, we see our 5th President Cevdet Sunay and Queen Elizabeth in the first car, and Mrs. Sunay and Prince Philip in the car behind.

Since elegance and representing the state were concepts that were given the utmost attention in those days, open-top cars were used so that they could greet the public who wanted to see them when state representatives from abroad joined the motorcade.

While some of these cars, which have served in such important duties and can be considered civil servants, are kept in the presidential collection, some have been sold and traveled to an unknown future. Some must have been luckier than others, as they have been treated with respect like family elders, carefully looked after in the hands of owners who would understand their language and spirit.

The car in this photo that Mrs. Sunay is in is currently being kept with great care in the garage of one of the members of the Classic Car Club and is still participating in important rallies.

Isn't it beautiful to know that there are people who strive to leave these veterans, who served different people for years, as a legacy to future generations?