The X---- Porsche cars

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

Encourageg by the success APAL decline the "buggy" concept in many versions from the original concept

to the uggly Auki supposede to be "retro buggy"

[Porschinelle]

Edmond favorit was the Mexican a buggy specially developped for "off road" races

[Porschinelle]

Has he did for the APAL GT, Edmond organised an official APAL Buggy racing team with up to 10 off cars
These official cars were entered in the more important "off road" races in France as the "Rallye des Cimes" or "the infernal rallye"
In the glorious years of these rallyes up to 25 competitors (on a total of 150) were racing on APAL buggies

[Porschinelle]

Of course we are far from Porsche as most of these buggies utilise VW type 1 or type 4 engines

but I am pretty sure that off the 7000 built some were fitted with Porsche engines

[Porschinelle]

30 years after a large share of these buggies still exist and many of them are restaured to concours conditions
An APAL owner club exist in Belgium

The 50th anniversary of APAL in 2011 has also been the occasion for large meetings to be organised

[Porschinelle]

The rallye des cimes still exist to day as part of the French off road Championship

but to day these races are reserved to specially prepared cars as the ones racing the Dakar rallye or the Pyramids rallye

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

For the nostalgic of the "old good days" historical races are now organised
As an example in 2015 the "Rallye des Cimes" had, as the Monte Carlo rallye, two editions
A first one for modern off roads cars and a second one for historical vehicles
who was a complete success to such an extend that the 2016 entry list is already closed

[Porschinelle]

and to end this chapter a small video for those interested to discover what was the 2015 historical rallye des cimes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkNqCcoEbs

[Porschinelle]

Before to attack the next step of Edmond Pery career ie the 356 speedster replica I cannot resist to publish some more interesting pics related to the APAL GT

To start with a 1962 pic showing an APAL GT competing into the Bruxelles Grand Prix around the Atomium monument

for me an occasion to make you discover :
The Bruxelles GP organised from 1949 until 1962 with the last editions around the Atomium museum

and one of the most famous Belgian monument : the Atomium


The atomium which represent an iron atome 1.000.000.000 enlarged was built between 1956 to 1958 for the Bruxelles Universal expo


The Bruxelles GP was raced around from 1958 to 1962
In 2011 a trial was made to restart an historical Bruxelles GP but the success was not there
This year it is plan to organise in 2017 a formula E (formula 1 race cars with an electric engine) Bruxelles GP

[Porschinelle]

And to complete the APAL GT chapter as said before this car is more and more appreciated for historical events
Indeed starting from a standard APAL GT which could be found for a still reasonnable price it is easy to build a performing an reliable car as this one fitted now with a Porsche 912 engine and CSP disc brakes

[JTR70]

Thanks Gerard! Did Apal copy the Manx buggy or was it Apal that came out with this concept first?
Justin

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

Sorry wrong post
I restart
Manx produced 6.000 buggies from 1964 to 1971 Nie less than APAL who achieved more than 7.000 from 1970 to 1981
Edmond Pery is not known as an "inventor" but more than a "follower
His great force (helped also by Roland d'Ieteren) was to detect before the others what was going to work.
Below soe Manx pics




Bruce Meyers in the 70's



And last year (2015)