Mouthwatering classic Italian road machines were much in evidence during the 15th edition of the Maroc Classic which once again took the competitors on an adventure into the heart of the Moroccan desert.

Once again, Morocco was extraordinarily kind to competitors on the Maroc Classic", skilfully run as usual by the Rageys family and their team. Leaving behind the miserable and fickle European spring, lovers of old classics have for 15 years enjoyed a peerless welcome and the chance - for one week - to enjoy driving in the old-fashioned way. The 2008 event was no exception.

51 cars started the "Classic" and a further 18 the "Prestige" event. They followed the strident V12 Matra 650 of Pierre Rageys, which opened the road from the start in Rabat to the end of the first leg in Tangiers. The main question: would Lazar/Agostini, winners of the two previous rallies, succeed for a third time?

At the end of the first leg, the Ferrari 308 crew held second overall and looked on course to establish a new record. But the favourites proved less reliable than usual, and they had to be content with sixth place at the finish in Marrakech. Ahead of them was a tremendous battle, with five crews fighting a battle measured in tenths of a second; after five changes of lead, the result remained undecided until the final timed section.

The second leg ended in Fez, with a triumphant British contingent (which truly came into its own this year) led by the family Wignall: Jayne's Sunbeam Tiger headed the overall standings, in front of Paul's Porsche 911S.

The following day, Jurgen and Yvonne End took command on the road to Erfoud. Ever the bridesmaids (they had finished second three times on the Classic!), would they finally break their curse and win? It was beginning to look like it by the next evening, at the bivouac in M'Hamid, where they retained the lead, despite passing through the tail of a sandstorm without damage.

However, it was at M'Hamid that a tremendous drive by Yves and Elka Gouzer began to pay dividends, as they hauled their Austin Healey from 47th overall into third place! Here, too, rivals began to notice the Porsche 911 of Alexander and Mathias Ismail, who were in the top ten after a poor start.

The next day, on the road to Ouarzazate, there was more family business: Frederic Thouvenin/Philippe Merle pushed their Jaguar XK150S in front of the Alfa Giulietta driven by the beautiful Carine and Pauline Merle, while Jean-Pierre (head of the family) and his son Alexander held 11th in their Type E V12.

The next day, all change! By the time they reached Marrakech, the Merle family had shuffled itself: Carine and Pauline were now ahead of Jean-Pierre and Alexandre. Sadly, this little clan found the right pace a little too late to join the fight for final victory. The Gouzers, meanwhile, kept up their momentum and - much to their delight - took command at the expense of the Ends and the Wignalls.

However, at the start of the final loop around Marrakech, nothing had been decided. Gouzer pulled out a fragile two seconds on the Ends and 2.9 seconds from Jayne Wignall/Kevin Savage, with just two timed tests - described as "specially demanding" by Jean-Francois Rageys - still to go. The Ends took a seemingly decisive advantage on the first test. During the second, however, a problem with their Terratrip made them more than ten seconds late. So, for the fourth time, victory eluded them. Missed again!

The Gouzers (also with equipment trouble) and Wignall/Savage were unexpectedly slow on the final test. Fifth overall before these tests, the masterful Ismails grabbed their chance, taking 5.2s, 7.1 and 11.1 seconds from their unhappy rivals and winning at the last gasp. This surprise victory at the line crowned a brilliant 15th Morocco Classic, over a route which was beautifully varied and cleverly crafted. Exciting from start to finish, this event will stand out.

Running in parallel, less-experienced competitors of the "Prestige" rally, driving more modern cars, proved their worth. Winners Alain Revret/Denis Dubell (Porsche 911SC) dropped 43.6 penalty points, equal to sixth overall on the "Classic",
while the second-placed crew, Ambre El Kholti-Alixanne Chapon (Audi TT) would have been 15th; respect to the girls!

No report of the Maroc Classic would be complete without mentioning one of the roads most loved by the competitors: the Road of the Heart! Founded in 2000 at the Tata bivouac, the "Road of the Heart" is the term given to a partnership initiated with Happy Hour to support social action in mainly rural areas. This partnership has become one of the essential components of the rally. In almost seven years, it has raised 3,500,000 Dirhams, with about 575,000 Dirhams added this year, thanks to the generosity of corporate partners, the auction of objects given by individuals or sponsors, and a raffle held on the evening of the Gala.

Perhaps the best example of this generosity was offered by Bernard Consten, who auctioned his Coupe des Alpes trophy (won in 1967); it was acquired by a competitor for 71,000 Dirhams, while his fiercest rival bidder sportingly donated an identical sum. This is part and parcel of the "Maroc Classic la Route du Coeur."