The internationally famous Monte Carlo Rally returns to Paisley for a third year in a row tonight, when up to 70 classic cars will set off for the south of France.
It’s an event with strong Scottish links: in the 1950s and 1960s the endurance race regularly started from outside the headquarters of the Royal Scottish Automobile Club in Glasgow’s Blythswood Square, where thousands would brave the winter cold to wave off drivers on the 1600 mile trip to the French Riviera.
Having last been staged there in 2011, recent years have seen the motoring challenge getting underway from alternative locations including Glasgow Green and Clydebank College.
This afternoon’s Paisley launch event at Abbey Close and Bridge Street starts at 4pm, where crowds can enjoy entertainment from Clyde 1 DJ Gavin Pearson and get up close to the cars, before 1964 winner Paddy Hopkirk waves the first competitors off at 6pm.
More: Meet the grandfather gearing up to embark on Monte Carlo Rally in Paisley
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