Algiers-Cape Town Rally

From 1924 Captain Delingette and his wife accompanied by the mechanic Bonnaure (initially driver of the Gradis trans-Saharan raid) crossed the African continent from north to south (Oran - Cape Town, via Nairobi, Elisabethville and Johannesburg), for a "Trip of study and propaganda, alone and without organisation" over 23 000 km with a 6-wheel 10HP Renault vehicle.

[3] During the same period, André Mercier and Charles de Cortanze (class winner at Liège-Rome-Liège in 1950 on 203) covered -independently- a route opposite to that of the event in less than 17 days only, on a Peugeot 203 between 26 December 1950 and 11 January 1951 (15 020 km).

A specially prepared Fiat 1900 Kontiki type[7] was declared the winner, led by the Turin factory crew Bruno Martignoni, Gilo Rabezzana and Franco Mazzuccheli.

On 12 March 1953, Captain Jean Heurtaux and Colonel Marceau Crespin were mandated by the French army to bring back a Delahaye type 235 Coach 6 cylinder 3.6L.

Still independently of the event, from 19 December 1953 to 25 January 1954, Michel Bernier and Jacques Duvey made the journey from Cape Town to Algiers over 17 500 km alone aboard a 'a 2CV, before going to classify their vehicle in the Monte-Carlo Rally after a detour through Oslo.

[11] After 44 days of racing from 7 January to 20 February, the German Karl Kling associated with co-driver Rainer Günzler won the event in an official Mercedes 190D,[12] the Belgian Olivier Gendebien finishing second with his wife on an ID 19.