More than 1000 Subaru owners and thousands more fans celebrated the life of Colin McRae over the weekend of 30-31 August, smashing two world records on the way.
The convoy of an estimated 1100 Subaru cars, which at its peak stretched for 30 miles, left Colin’s home town of Lanark on Saturday morning, led by his father Jimmy. Nine hours and 300 miles later, the snake of Subarus arrived at the headquarters of the Subaru World Rally Team in Banbury, UK. Demonstrating the extent to which Colin’s memory endures, thousands of fans packed every available motorway bridge along the route to be a part of this fantastic tribute.
Photo: SWRT
“Literally every bridge had people waving and cheering us along with many hanging the Saltire from the railings” said Grant Hendry, who led the McRae Gathering convoy. “It turned what was an already memorable event into a truly amazing and emotional occasion.”
The convoy re-gathered at SWRT’s headquarters on Sunday morning, before being led away by Colin’s original 1996 Impreza rally car that helped take Subaru to their second world rallying Manufacturers’ Championship.
Photo: SWRT
In a fitting finale, a sign almost half a mile long and made up of 1086 Subarus spelt out COLIN MCRAE and the Scottish Saltire to set a new official Guinness World Record – smashing the previous record by more than 800 cars. With time for just one more before its conclusion, the event then broke a second Guinness World Record by creating the largest parade of cars of a single marque around the Warwick test venue.
It is estimated that the event has raised nearly £40,000 for the McRae charities.
