In an event known for its vintage giants and mechanical endurance, the smallest ever vehicle to enter the legendary Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is making waves in the desert sands: a plucky Fiat Cinquecento.

The 2025 edition of the grueling 14,800-kilometre rally set off from the Great Wall of China just six days ago, with 54 crews from 14 countries aiming to reach Paris in 37 days. The rally’s smallest competitor, the tiny Fiat 500, entered by a team from San Marino, has already captured the imagination of fans and fellow drivers alike.

Piloted by Fabio Longo and San Marino’s Minister for Tourism, Federico Pedini Amati, with Italian journalist Roberto Chiodi onboard, the miniature machine faced early adversity in the punishing Gobi Desert.

The first Sporting Time Control (STC) section – designed to test cars in treacherous off-road conditions – almost swallowed the Fiat whole. Deep gulleys, sand storms, and uneven terrain proved almost insurmountable, prompting a rescue mission from the HERO-ERA mechanical support team.

Despite throttle troubles and rough terrain, the Fiat crew pressed on, their San Marino flag unfurled each evening in a defiant display of spirit. “At least we can use it to signal for help,” one joked after the car was nearly engulfed by desert sand.

Leading the rally is a family team from Argentina, with ex-WRC driver Jorge Perez Companc and his son Cristobal, navigating their 1939 Chevrolet Master Coupe through the Gobi to take top position in the Vintage Class. Their only penalty so far: one second on Day 5. British duo Brian Scowcroft and Mark Gilmour are giving chase in their Chevrolet Fangio Roadster.

Meanwhile, in the Classic Class, Dutchman Harold Goddijn and France’s Corinne Vigreux lead in a Porsche 911. Their main rivals, Britons Brian Palmer and David Bell in a Peugeot 504 Coupe, lost time after a locked gate – highlighted in route notes – forced a detour. Australians John Henderson and Lui MacLennan faced the same fate in their Volvo 144.

Among the colourful cast of competitors are a Le Mans winner, aristocrats, watchmakers, and even fashion designers, each sharing a passion for mechanical adventure. Tomas de Vargas Machuca, who escaped a fire in a 1914 LaFrance during the 2024 rally, returns solo in a 1925 Bentley, forming a convoy with another lone driver, Nigel Parsons, in a 1920 Rolls-Royce.

With 31 days and thousands of kilometres still ahead, including Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea, the 2025 Peking to Paris Rally has barely begun. But for the smallest car in the field, the journey is already monumental.

The original running of the event in 1907 occurred at a time of many great races but the 1917 creation of the USSR spelt the end of the Peking to Paris. However, with the downfall of the Soviet Union and the opening of borders, the modern incarnation of the race was revived by ERA founder Philip Young in 1997.

Since then, the Peking Paris Motor Challenge has been organised and run by ERA in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and the last running in 2024 by HERO-ERA all from Peking to Paris as per the original in 1907.