Ladies Rally Vintage Cars: Once Upon a Time in Monaco

There are days that begin like any other, and then there are days that seem to have been written into the secret pages of a golden-age novel.

September 13 was one of those days. For the 13th edition of the Ladies Rally Vintage Cars, Monaco awakened beneath a luminous Mediterranean sky, and in the heart of the Principality, on the legendary Place du Casino, the fairy tale began. And fir a good cause led by Martine Ackermann, the President of the Association Child Care Monaco, raising funds fir the children's education in India and South Africa. 

Once upon a time, in the fairy land of Monaco, the story of the day was eager to be unveiled. The vintage cars gathered. One by one, magnificent silhouettes from another era appeared around the square: polished chrome, graceful curves, gleaming radiators and the unmistakable elegance of automobiles that belonged to a world when travelling was not merely a question of arriving, but of being seen along the way. They waited quietly.

There was something almost theatrical about that stillness. These beautiful machines had spent decades carrying stories, yet on this morning they seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the signal to roar into another chapter.

And then the journey began.

The road unfolded between sea and mountains, revealing that particular magic known only to the Côte d'Azur: cliffs plunging towards impossible shades of blue, ancient villages suspended above the Mediterranean, and winding roads where every turn seemed designed for a vintage automobile.

The rally passed through Èze, where stone, bougainvillea and the sea compose one of the Riviera's most enduring scenes, before climbing towards La Turbie and continuing through the spectacular landscapes of the French Riviera.

The towns became the backdrop while the ladies became the spectacle.

Dressed in a red-carpet theme, elegant and glamorous, they transformed the rally into something between a grand promenade and a moving film set. As the vintage cars slowly entered the streets, hands were waved to passers-by, smiles were exchanged, and for a moment ordinary life seemed to pause.

Monaco has always understood theatre and it definitely knows how to dress for an entrance.

And I had the particular pleasure of experiencing this extraordinary day from the back seat of a gracious white 1982 Rolls-Royce, owned and driven by the impeccably elegant Mateo.

Inside, the world seemed to slow down. The soft leather, the quiet majesty of the car and the retro musical notes filling the atmosphere created a little universe of their own. Outside, the Riviera slipped past the windows like a moving postcard. There was no need to hurry. 

Eventually, the blue of the French coast gave way to another chapter as we crossed the Italian frontier and continued towards Bordighera. There, at the beautiful Grand Hotel del Mare, the rally paused beneath the Italian sun.

The hotel, surrounded by lush gardens and overlooking the sea, seemed perfectly suited to the occasion. Its aristocratic salons carried an atmosphere of another age, an age in which elegance was less an accessory than a way of life.

And then came lunch, the dance, the tombola with all the joyful suspense and good-natured competition that such a gathering deserves.

For a few hours, the distinction between rally and celebration disappeared completely. The vintage cars rested outside while inside the ladies created their own kind of motion: music, conversation, laughter and champagne carrying through the rooms.

Fun, everywhere.

Then, as afternoon began to soften, it was time to return towards France. The road home offered one final temptation: tea time at the Maybourne Riviera, perched dramatically above the Mediterranean.

It is difficult to imagine a more extravagant place to stop for a little sweetness. Drinks were poured. Sweet treats appeared. And beyond them stretched one of the most extraordinary views in the South of France, the Mediterranean extending towards the horizon, the coastline folding into itself beneath the afternoon light.

For a moment, everyone simply breathed and enjoyed the view that was filling the space and everyone;s hearts. You can never get enough of this view. 

But every fairy tale has its final chapter. So, the engines stirred again. And the cars made their way towards the final destination: Monte-Carlo Beach.

By the time we arrived, the day had begun its transformation into evening.

The awards ceremony gathered the ladies, the magnificent cars and distinguished guests together in an atmosphere worthy of Monaco itself, in the presence of government officials and HSH Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

And then came the sunset. It descended slowly, as though reluctant to leave the party. The last light reflected across the great swimming pool, turning the water into a sheet of gold. Palm trees stood around it like elegant witnesses, their silhouettes reaching upwards as if even they were trying to catch a glimpse of the glamorous gathering unfolding beneath them. It was a day like a dream and Martine Ackermann knew perfectly how to weave all the threads of a story to remember.