Five unlikely epic drives

Peter Hall has been writing about cars for almost 30 years, many as motoring editor of The Daily Telegraph and recently as a contributor to Goodwood magazine. In his spare time he indulges his passion for rallying in classic cars. Here Peter recalls five of his most remarkable routes

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Rapid City to Billings, USA

Epic scenery and epic history come together on this long drive through the Black Hills and Great Plains of South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. From the sacred places of the Sioux to the old stomping grounds of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Buffalo Bill Cody, there is much to see. Near Mount Rushmore, the colossal Crazy Horse Memorial is one highlight of a journey through a land of stirring adventure, heart-wrenching tragedy and staggering beauty.

Car of choice: Harley-Davidson Trike

Photo: Getty Images

New Delhi to Agra, India

Even though it’s only 200km, this route could feel like one of the longer drives of your life - such is the level of concentration required in Indian traffic. If you have time, it’s easier to pick your way along rural roads than to follow busy highways. Either way, the rewards are phenomenal, with Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal awaiting you at journey’s end.

Car of choice: Hindustan Ambassador

Photo: Alamy

Launceston to Strahan, Tasmania

The Australian island home of the annual Targa Tasmania rally is an environmental wonderland. There’s a sense of time travel as you drive along empty, winding roads from bustling northern city to picturesque west-coast port, not only to an age in which every little town had a corner shop selling sweets in glass jars, but also to an ancient world of rugged mountains, tannin-black rivers and vast temperate rainforests.

Car of choice: 1973 Ford Falcon XB Coupe

Photo: Alamy

Tangier to Ouarzazate, Morocco

Marrakech is a fabulous destination, but there are more spectacular delights if you venture further south, where the roads are quieter. Known as ‘the door of the desert’ and favoured by film-makers, the city of Ouarzazate lies on the edge of the Sahara. A night beneath the stars, or a constellation of glow worms clinging to the fabric of a Tuareg tent, is a magical experience.

Car of choice: Land Rover Discovery

Photo: Getty Images

Ambleside to Ravenglass, England

Britain has some epic mountain roads, not least Cumbria’s Wrynose and Hardknott passes, between the busy little town of Ambleside and the coastal hamlet of Ravenglass. They are not high but they feel remote, and the one-in-three gradient of Hardknott is the steepest in England - a test of any machine, and the driver’s nerve.

Car of choice: My own 1969 Triumph GT6

Photo: Getty Images

Peter Hall

Five unlikely epic drives

Rapid City to Billings, USA

New Delhi to Agra, India

Launceston to Strahan, Tasmania

Tangier to Ouarzazate, Morocco

Ambleside to Ravenglass, England

Rapid City to Billings, USA

New Delhi to Agra, India

Launceston to Strahan, Tasmania

Tangier to Ouarzazate, Morocco

Ambleside to Ravenglass, England

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