Panama Alaska Rally

We recently visited the Petersen Museum in LA to see the We are Porsche exhibit. A retrospective of 75 years of Porsche racing, design and passion. One of many of the cars we found really interesting was a Porsche 914 with a sticker of a Panama Alaska Rally we never heard about.

The Panama-Alaska Rally is a remarkable automotive endurance event that challenges participants to traverse the vast expanse from Central America to the northernmost reaches of North America. Notably, the 1997 Panama-Alaska FIA Marathon Rally spanned 25 days and covered approximately 10,000 miles, starting in Panama and concluding north of the Arctic Circle. ℹ️

This grueling rally tested drivers and vehicles across diverse terrains and climates, passing through countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, before reaching Alaska. ℹ️

Participants faced daily special stages, each presenting unique challenges that demanded endurance, skill, and resilience.

In 2008, the Panama to Alaska Friendship Rally continued this adventurous spirit, covering an impressive 18,000 kilometers. Organized by the non-profit Global Rally organization, this event attracted drivers from around the world, including a notable contingent of British participants. ℹ️

The Panama-Alaska Rally stands as a testament to human determination and the unifying power of motorsport, offering an unparalleled journey through some of the most breathtaking and challenging landscapes on Earth.

The 914/6 that competed in the 1997 Rally by Zwart Jeff + Headland Martin. They took 2nd overall that year.

Sixteen beautiful cars built between 1956 and 1972 set out from Panama City to drive 11,000 miles to Anchorage, Alaska. The bustle, noise, ancient ruins and volcanos of Central America are followed by the USA's monumental rock formations, the vast Canadian wilderness and the 'Top of the World' highway to Alaska. Unforgiving tropical mountain roads and navigation of the centre of Mexico City test the endurance both of vehicles and of personnel and the driving skills and friendship of the intrepid travellers to the limits. Share the experiences of long distance driving in a range of British and continental classic cars.

Alaska to Mexico

Unsure if there’s an affiliation here, but it seems there’s a similar rally that runs the reverse direction from Anchorage, Alaska down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s a much smaller rally but looks fun non-the-less.