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The preparations for this year's ADAC Eifel Rallye Festival (July 27th to 29th, 2023) are in full swing. The entry list is bulging and offers a diverse selection of cars from the history of rallying. "Our motto 'The Great Classics' means that there are cars on the entry list that have not been seen before at our event," explains Reinhard Klein, who as the brains behind Slowly Sideways is responsible for putting together the entry. "With the development of what we understand to be rallying today, there were events in the past that we had a hard time classifying. Imagine one where two people sit in a rally car and one drives while the other navigates.



Since the concept for the running of the previous year‘s event had proven successful, it was adopted for 2014 with only a few tweaks. However, the organisers were very anxious to see whether the theme chosen for the year could be realised as planned. The title of ’Diversity‘ was to bring as many different marques and vehicle models as possible



This year, the Autostadt in Wolfsburg was for the first time a sponsor of the Eifel Rally Festival. ”An automobile manufacturer can be happy to support such an event,“ said Managing Director Otto F. Wachs when he watched the historic event in Daun. ”It is rare to find so many enthusiastic automobile fans who have petrol in their blood.“ He added that the brand diversity of the Autostadt was ”impressively echoed at this historic motorsport Festival“.



This year's ADAC Eifel Rally Festival (July 27th/29th, 2023) will be marked by many anniversaries from the history of rallying. The entry list of the largest rolling rally museum can accept a maximum of one hundred and fifty cars. This list has long been fully booked and illustrates these anniversaries as well as the great rally classics. <br>Around Daun in the Vulkaneifel there will be 'moving' memories of Alpine Renault and their title victory in the first World Rally Championship in 1973. Jean Rédélé from Dieppe started in 1953 with his Alpine light-weight cars based on chassis from Renault.



After the first Eifel Rally Festival was such a complete success, the MSC Daun quickly decided to have a second edition. In doing do, the organising team further expanded the platform for historic rallying in Europe. They also decided that, in the future, not only were the cars to be shown, but there would also be a special thematic focus each year. These did not necessarily have to be exact anniversaries since the memory of particular events could also become a theme. In 2002, the last traditional Safari Rally took place in East Africa – for the time being, that was – which was reason enough to commemorate this legendary rally ten years later.



In the morning hours of 28 April 2023, the last (classification) test for our sports comrade Petra Müller ended. The members of the MSC Daun and the organising team of the Eifel Rally Festival are very sad about her much too early death. She was not only active in the board of MSC Daun and in the organising team of the festival, she was above all a lovely, friendly and always helpful person.



The first 10 editions of the Eifel Rally Festival are summarized in an extremely readable book with many unique photos on over 300 pages. It all started in 2011 with the birth of a new kind of event. The idea of giving the Slowly Sideways troupe its own stage as the largest rolling rally museum in the world was a huge success right away.



"Zillertaler Gletscherbahn" live in the Daun Rally Mile.



At the moment, this gondola transports guests up the Sommerberg to the Hintertux Glacier in the Austrian Zillertal. You can see the gondola of our partner "Zillertaler Gletscherbahn" live in July in the Daun Rally Mile. And not only that. The "VIPs" present at the festival will sign the cabin. And then it will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Ideal for ski fans with a weakness for rallying or rally fans with a weakness for skiing. Either way, it's definitely a great garden shed of a special kind! More information about the auction will follow! We hope you have fun bidding now.

The official book about the first 10 editions of the Eifel Rally Festival is not only a chronicle: With the stars of the scene from the past and present and with the most beautiful original cars and replicas from rally history, it is a Who's Who of the sport, so to speak. Experience the highlights from ten years of the festival with cars that are otherwise never seen, such as the Group S Audi, the rebuilt Safari Stratos or exotics from the Jidé to the Clan Crusader. A unique cross-section of rally history with the classics from Mini and Volvo PV544 to Group 4 legends like Stratos and Ascona 400, with the unforgotten Group B monsters, the stars of Group A from Lancia to Subaru as well as with the spectacular World Rally Cars.



Permanent guests at the Eifel Rally Festival


Over the past 15 days, we have presented the drivers who have taken part in all the festivals held so far. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them once again for their loyalty and look forward to seeing them again!

Peter Zima has been in the Eifel since 2007 and never misses an opportunity to drive his Delta. This festival in Daun is extremely important for historic sport. For many other organisers, this event is virtually the 'blueprint' for their activities. And where else can you move your oldie on such a gigantic stage. It is impressive how large the audience is. There is a great atmosphere among the participants, everyone helps each other and everyone helps so that everyone can roll over the finish ramp.



For Fred Walter, the Eifel in July has been a fixed part of his annual programme since 2002. The fan of the Lehwald stage has a particularly newsworthy event: "That was in 2018, when we had driver Jayant Shah and co-driver Aslam Khan - the original crew of my ex-Safari Nissan 240RS at the 1983 East African Safari Rally - as guests and the two of them drove your ex-car again on some special stages.



Markus Trapp: "My first participation in the Eifel Rally Festival was inspired by my visit to the Eifel Rally, when it was not yet a purely historical event. When I watched the Slowlys, I always said: I'm going to start here soon, too. My colleagues always smiled at me. But my ambition was aroused. And at the festival I experienced all the ups and downs. But the highs far outweighed the lows.



Götz Pfauders first participation was already at the 2003 Eifel Rally with the Slowly Sideways: "A Dutch sports comrade brought it to my attention." And then he reports the following: "Reinhard Klein came once and asked if Björn Waldegard could drive a special stage in my Mercedes SLC with a minister.



Enzo Michelini and his Fiat 131 were included by Tobias Mattner and Uwe Materlik (+2016) in their Italo Rally Car series and both encouraged him to take part in the Eifel. "It was precisely this 131 Abarth that Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer drove in 2013 for filming in Portugal (Aganil). My personal highlight in the Vulkaneifel in 2018 was the start with the Stratos Gr.4 (replica San Remo Winner 1979)!"



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