The Morocco Desert Challenge will add a Vintage class in 2025 for cars built at least twenty years before the race, the Checkeredflag announced.
Race officials announced this new category on Thursday, allowing vehicles from 2005 and earlier to compete separately from the main categories.
The Vintage class cars will follow the same route as the main rally, with further details to be revealed during the race presentation at QFF Eersel‘s shop on September 19, 2024.
Historic rally raids are not new, with events like RallyClassics Africa and Pionniers Classic featuring vintage categories.
Modern events, including NORRA’s Mexican 1000 and NORRA 500, also include vintage classes.
The Africa Eco Race, which follows the Dakar Rally’s old route, introduced a Historic class in 2024 for pre-2007 vehicles.
The Dakar Rally’s Dakar Classic division, which runs along with the main event, now includes cars built up to 2005.
Carlos Santaolalla, who won the Dakar Classic, competed in the Morocco Desert Challenge in April 2024 in his Toyota Land Cruiser KZJ95. He was grouped with modern vehicles due to the lack of a Vintage class.
The Morocco Desert Challenge celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2025 but has origins as the Libya Desert Challenge in 2008, later evolving to the Libya Rally in Tunisia in 2012, and becoming the Morocco Desert Challenge in 2017.
The 2025 Morocco Desert Challenge will run from April 3-12, covering 3,150 kilometers across eight stages from Agadir to Ouarzazate. Registration opened on August 1, 2024.
In parallel, the Defender Rally Series will participate in the Baja Morocco rally from September 18-27, 2024, navigating North Africa’s sand dunes.
Morocco is known for other notable rallies, including the “Rally Aïcha des Gazelles” for women and the “Rally du Maroc”.
The country also hosts motorcycling events such as the Morocco Desert Challenge and the Rally of Morocco for bikes.