East African Safari Rally 2025

The Everest of competitive historic rallying, the East Africa Safari Classic is scheduled to run again for nine days in December 2025.  The event has its roots in the original East African Safari Rally, which was first held in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  In 2003, the East African Safari Classic Rally was established as a separate event for classic rally cars to revive the spirit of the original rally, traveling through Kenya and Tanzania.  Past winners of the Classic include Stig Blomqvist, Bjorn Waldegård, Baldev Chagar and Ian Duncan.  After coming second in 2021, Swedish rally champion and WRC driver Patrik Sandell said, “I’d thought I’d done some rallying, it turns out I’ve never done a rally.”  

Photo McKlein

Although Porsche never won the event in period, a popular choice for the Classic has become Porsche after Bjorn Waldegård won it in a Tuthill-prepared Porsche for the first time in 2011.  Tuthill normally takes 10 or 12 cars to the event for customers.  Eligible cars are road legal vehicles recognised within the FIA Historic homologation database and where homologation was first approved prior to 31st December 1985.  Previously 4-wheel drive cars, turbochargers and superchargers have not been permitted.   However new for next year will be an invitation category allowing the inclusion of historically homologated cars featuring forced induction and/or four-wheel drive up to and including period J2 (up to 31st December 1990).  The selection and approval of these will be at the organiser’s discretion.  Results and awards for this class will be separate to the two-wheel drive event.

Organisers have also promised other new features, notably the route notes will be much more precise and accurate than previous editions (reconnaissance is not allowed).  They have commissioned a professional rally crew to check the notes a few days prior to the start of the rally to ensure that all competitors, especially those that have not been to Kenya before, do not have difficulty getting around.

The have also taken on a well-known figure  in historic motor sport, Gillian Carr, who adds to her position at MRL as a part-time Customer Relationship Manager for Europe.  You can contact her on gillian@eastafricansafarirally.com or see eastafricansafarirally.com.