Central AmeriCar: the final check-up

| Freek Vermeulen

June 26th, only 3 months left before it starts! For the first time, our expedition-rally Latin AmeriCar will travel through the countries of Central America, a magnificent route that starts in Panama-City and ends in the capital of Mexico. An international group of thirteen teams prepare themselves for this unique mega-trip along tropical beaches, mystical cloud forests, hidden Maya-temples and colonial cities. They will be accompanied by a technical team, to make sure the cars will stay in optimal shape, and a team of tour leaders, to take care of all logistics, and a team that consists of Dutch travel journalist Jurriaan Teulings and documentary maker Floris Leeuwenberg, to guarantee this unique trip will be documented in a professional way. As of today, the serious preparations take off, starting with a professional check-up of the key-role players: the cars!

A museum-like garage

The perfect location for this is found in Das Triebwerk in Schwelm, Germany. Owner Stephan Rohleder is participant of the upcoming trip and happily facilitates this location for this purpose. One after one the cars are driven on the ramp. Our mechanic Jens Kriegshammer thoroughly inspects the fuel- and oil lines, the state of the motors and the quality of the shock absorbers. Meanwhile, the participants find time to get to know each other enjoying a cup of coffee, a Kirschkuche and a Bossche Bol. Das Triebwerk turns out to be a true museum for those who love cars. Not only Stephan owns a collection of dozens of Porsches, also classic Mercedeses and Volkswagen busses can be seen, one even re-modelled as pick-up truck.

The presentation

After the check-up everybody sits down for the presentation. Johan professionally takes the spectators along the many highlights that await them: Ocean vessels in the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, whales just off the coast of Dominical in Costa Rica, the Spanish colonial city of Granada in Nicaragua, the Maya-strongholds Tikal in Guatemala and Chichén Itzá in Mexico, the tropical beaches in Belize, to finally end up in the metropole of Mexico City. Further emphasis is put into the safe shipment of the cars, the insurance, the actual Covid-situation in this part of Latin America and local currencies. An expedition of this kind needs the best possible preparation after all! All participants then are to try on the jackets, that will be offered to them with courtesy of outdoor clothes facturer Cortazu © and Sapa Pana Travel. The presentation affects the travel senses of spectators and two teams hook up the same day, after which the Central AmeriCar 2021 reaches the maximum amount of participants.

Our event 25th of September

Are you interested to participate in one of our future rallies,  driving your own classic car through Latin America? September 25 we will organize a special event in Schwelm around this theme. You will be able to enjoy a presentation about our future expedition-rallies, accompanied by Latin American music and dance, Latin American snacks and drinks and more. The rallies that are already planned, are:

  • May 2022: South AmeriCar, from the Peruvian capital of Lima to Rio de Janeiro in Brasil
  • March 2022: Rally de las Bodegas, 3-day classic tour through the wine district of Mendoza in Argentina (this tour you drive with a classic car that is provided locally)
  • October 2023: Central AmeriCar, again from Panama City to Mexico City

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Click here if you want to know more about the rally tours we will organise, and organized in the past..

Impressions South AmeriCar