Andruet's Alpine trip

Former Monte Carlo Rally winner Jean-Claude Andruet got back behind the wheel of a Renault Alpine A110 for the annual Historic Ice Trophy held at Altenmarkt, Austria, in January.

The double French rally champion, who won the 1973 Monte in an A110, drove a replica of that car with owner Marco Cipriani as a passenger, as a full and varied field of classic cars tackled the two-mile circuit of packed snow and ice.

The event runs to a regularity format, so the emphasis is on consistency rather than speed, but that did not deter some spirited driving in cars as varied as a Ford Falcon, MGA, Beach Buggy and a Ginetta G15.

The winners of the regularity competition were Stefan Kunze and Peter Shild in a BMW 323, while the other podium places went to husband and wife crews Siegfried and Angelica Kohler (Porsche 911), and Karsten and Monica Wohlemberg (Mercedes SL230).

Among the event promoters was former ski champion and now GT racer Hans Knauss, who took part in the rally in a BMW M3. The organisers have pledged to run the event again in January 2009.