Cream 21 Youngtimer Rallye. Part 3 (final). Beautiful driving days, world heritage and beautiful museums

From September 28 to October 2, the 21st edition of the German Creme21 Youngtimer Rallye was held. The event started in 2002 with 41 participating teams. Today there are waiting lists, and the chance that you will be drawn is greater than that you participate. The event is immensely popular in Germany, and this year the organizers set the maximum number of teams at 210. Sicco Dijkstra from Dijkstra Classic Cars and Youngtimers invited us to the German rally with a wink to drive. We debuted in the cream21. This one made a big impression. That is why we will report to you in several companies about the cult event in which it is not about time, but about points. Today part 3, in which we describe the experiences during the rally days.

The first full day of rally is about to begin. But nevertheless we return to the Nordschleife. Where many have stranded over the years, that is also the end of the story for the cars of the Frisian teams De Graaf-Visser and Sijtsma-Sijtsma. Both the Manta of Renze de Graaf and the Corvette C3 of the Sijtsma couple give up, the cars can't go any further. End of story for the teams you might say. But then you choke on that Frisian fearlessness, which is made even stronger by the magic of the Creme21 Youngtimer Rallye. The teams of Renze and Tom are part of a club of four Frisian teams. The laggards will join the other two teams during the first full driving day. Renze and Tom return to Friesland early in the morning, pick up a modern 911 and a ditto Camaro and in the evening they are part of all participating teams again. A wonderful story that says a lot about the special character of the rally.

Fortunately, most participants can enjoy the route from Nürburg to the final destination Völkinger Hutte. A beautiful route, which passes through the Eifel, the Moselle, the Hunsrück and Saarland several times to the city.alfabrie from the period of the industrial revolution. The complex is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The drive largely takes place under a pleasant autumn sun, which allows us to lower the hood of the Golf Cabriolet. Driving through a beautiful area like this gives us an extra dimension to the rally, which offers us one beautiful landscape and panorama after the other during day one. And height differences, which are getting bigger and bigger in one of Germany's most beautiful regions.

We leave the Hunsrück, which is quite intensive for the Gulf, behind us. just like the area with its beautiful vineyard slopes and the small old tractors. In addition, the organization has included a wonderful stopover: the Zylinderhaus in Bernkastel-Kues, which is located on the Moselle. The three floors of the old-style but completely newly built museum house, among other things, Wirtschaftswunder heritage with two and four wheels. Pre-war motorized heritage is also part of the collection. In any case, the collection has a strong German character.

The interior on the ground floor is decorated with shops, agencies, historical advertising material, many old signs and a beautiful historic ARAL gas station. And on the third floor there is a tribute to Henk Geerts, the deceased founder of the former Auto Union Museum in Bergen. The collection came into the hands of Zylinderhaus, which gladly took over the Auto Union heritage of Henk Geerts' heirs. It is only part, the museum is of an incredible historical beauty. We have to move on, we're here way too short. But what is in the barrel does not sour. I will return here soon.

A few hours later - after the necessary B-road work again - we reach the finish of the first full driving day. So the first two stages are over. After this we have a pleasant evening in Saarbrücken. And I conclude this with a conversation with the teams from the north of Friesland. And the prodigal sons are at it again. The fact that they covered more than a thousand kilometers to rejoin the Creme21 says everything about the strength of this rally. They are reunited with their friends.

I relax for another hour in the large hotel room, where - just like during the other nights - I have the realm to myself. The next day I wake up early. Our starting time is set at 11 am, but both Bart and I like to leave a few hours earlier. That doesn't seem to be a problem at all. The rally is tightly organised, but the enthusiastic crew is flexible. At about half past nine we drive out of Saarland, surrounded by fog.

The fog that occurs in particular forces us to drive carefully. A trail of pursuers keeps chasing us, as if this rally is indeed decided on the basis of time measurements. Occasionally we drive away from it, not for a moment we drive slowly. But sometimes extra caution is required. And we're in no rush. Others do, and that makes us extra alert a few times during the rally. The Golf has to work hard a few times defensively, but reacts exactly the way you tell it. That too is quality, which comes in handy in combination with excellent maintenance. You can rely on the car, and that's an important science. Because that one moment can always come. Sooner or later.

Back to the track. A beautiful border crossing awaits. Via Hirschtal we drive to France. We take a piece of Alsace there, and the route there is very beautiful at times. Via Rheinbrücke Wintersdorf we arrive back in Germany, the Black Forest awaits. Precisely. There, another white Golf Cabriolet caused a furore in the successful medical drama series Schwarzwaldklinik during the 1914s. The Gulf continues undisturbed, and we drive to Tübingen via beautiful asphalt and various small and large turnarounds. That is a bit south of Stuttgart. The final destination is the Boxenstop Museum, which houses an internationally oriented collection of exclusive classics on two, three and four wheels. You will also find a world of historical toys. And although the oldest collection item dates from XNUMX, here too the emphasis is on the fifties, sixties and seventies. A wonderful end to the day, which navigator/photographer Spijker and I settle down with a good glass of beer and a fine pizza. I sleep wonderfully on the einzelzimmer in the cozy old hotel.

The third full day of rally leads to Neckarsulm. The weather is bad, the roof remains closed, unlike the first two full days of driving. Yes, there will be another half day, but it is certain that we will skip this one because of its voluntary nature. We have to go back one end, and on Monday the other duty calls again. That's why we enjoy day three extra, although the weather gods do their utmost to block our view of the lovely villages in the northeastern part of the Black Forest. That doesn't work, the route is formidable again. Long stretches of asphalt are interspersed by hairpin roads, the VW is happy to devour the fantastic kilometers. The last overnight place is the Parkhotel Heilbronn. Eat on the Neckar 35 team probably the greatest pizza ever. The nocturnal adventure in Club Creme21 beckons, but both Bart and I skip it, although for me the temptation is great for several reasons. As said: we return the next day, and we like to do that well rested. After a beer we each look for our own hotel room, a nice bed beckons.

The adventure is nearing its end. We drive back to the Netherlands the next day - packed and loaded with wonderful memories and tangible souvenirs. The Creme21 Youngtimer Rallye was a party, a unique event to experience. Moreover, Bart and I got on well again. At no point were there any convex windows on board the VW. We were the same in the match that never became a match for us. And because Bart navigated excellently, I could fully focus on driving. And we did that with the excellent Golf Cabriolet, which didn't miss a beat and manifested itself as a wonderful, solid, rock-solid and completely reliable rally car. And that is also why this 21st Creme21 Youngtimer Rallye became an event for us to remember.

Want to read the first two online stories about the Creme21 Youngtimer Rallye? Then go to part 1 en part 2.

Many thanks to Sicco and Wilhelmina Dijkstra