The Jules II Proto’s return to racing didn’t go as hoped, but Pieter Peerlings and his team had a great time.

Jules II is a six-wheeled prototype car built by Thierry de Montcorgé to race the 1984 Paris–Dakar Rally, after which it sat abandoned and traded hands between various owners before making its way to Peerlings. Sir Norman Lewis Racing Team and Vintage Garage restored the car before entering it into last week’s Morocco Desert Challenge.

It was one of four vehicles entered in the new Vintage Car class alongside Nicola Feryn’s Toyota Land Cruiser 100 and Config Racing’s Volkswagen Beetles.

The car held up fine in the desert for the most part, going through Morocco without serious trouble. Navigator Didier Lins often recorded and posted onboard footage on Instagram, showing how the 6×4 drive works with the four wheels at the rear. The team remarked that Jules “feels at home here…”

De Montcorgé, who built both Jules I (a Rolls-Royce Corniche) and Jules II, developed the latter by combining a Chevrolet V8 engine with a Porsche 935 transmission under Kevlar body. He even gave his blessing to Peerlings by writing he was “very happy to see this car running again.”

Alas, much like the 1984 Dakar, Jules II couldn’t make it to the finish. The car’s control arm broke early on, and a flatbed truck had to be summoned to bring it back. As a retirement, Peerlings was not included in the final results.

“One hell of an experience it was.. grateful for the opportunity,” wrote the team. “Thx to everyone who helped us..”

Peerlings hasn’t revealed if Jules II would race again in the near future, though it is eligible for the Dakar Classic.

Featured image credit: Vintage Garage