A car older than most grandparents trying to complete an amateur rally raid from Hungary to Sierra Leone? Preposterous but as it turns out, doable.

Vintage cars competing in rallies is obviously not a new concept, though those are usually from the 1960s or ’70s at the earliest. For example, this year’s Budapest–Bamako Rally had the MGB GT and Zastava 101.

Carkomplex decided to go even further by breaking out the museum piece: a 1940 Buick Eight Special. While the oldest car in the field by a staggering margin (and the oldest to ever race the Budapest–Bamako), Ádám Matkó and György Romfa successfully brought it to the finish in Freetown.

Restoration of the Buick began in March 2024. While seeking to make the car close to the original stock version, aftermarket parts were also installed so it’d survive the African desert such as suspension components from a 1990 Cadillac Brougham and a Lada choke cable. Those could then be easily removed after the race. Once in suitable shape, it was on display in April as part of the 2026 route reveal.

The #354 Buick arrived at the start with a large tent strapped to the roof, a setup that race founder Andrew Szabo quipped was “transportation on the bottom, party on the top.” Naturally, it was in the Spirit Category for strange and unusual cars; classmates included the aforementioned Zastava and MG, Smart cars, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ambulance, and even a Mercedes funeral hearse.

It didn’t take long for issues to arise in Africa. A swing arm rod broke early on while the bearings on the left front wheel quickly degraded and broke. While the former could be resolved by moving the stabilizer so it wouldn’t get in the way, Matkó and Romfa were bewildered about the wheel hub breaking so soon since it was a brand new OEM part from the United States. The protector for the wheel hub was also destroyed, so they proceeded without one and just had to hope the bearings stayed straight.

As they proceeded through the Atlas Mountains, past snow and rain, the Carkomplex team back home scrambled for the part number before wiring it to Otto’s Premier Choix Garage in Guelmim. Once the Buick arrived, Otto’s had the replacement ready.

Of course, things didn’t get easier for them. The right rear brake line broke, forcing them to drive more conservatively before they could make a quick fix. While on the beach alongside other rallygoers in Mauritania, one of the coil springs broke; locals at a nearby fishing village gave the two some pieces of wood to lodge between the springs so they could bend higher.

“The road conditions are not the same as at home,” Romfa commented in a vlog. “The cars are just like us, going through four seasons in a very short time. When we left, it was still winter, then everything in between, and the weather is very good now.”

Eventually, they made it to Senegal and into Guinea. The coil springs continued to be tested on the red dirt, eventually culminating in the left front upper wishbone bracket breaking. It was a hassle given the lack of access to electricity, but one they eventually resolved.

Soon enough, the race was off to the final country of Sierra Leone. By this point, the Buick was adorned with leaves and even a traditional African mask carving on the grille. Some locals tried to wash the car, but was told not to since the team wanted to preserve the African dirt caked on it.

“If we wash this, you won’t believe it’s been [in Africa],” Romfa quipped. “What if we brought back some fancy polished car?”

By Monday, after two weeks of racing, Matkó and Romfa were at the finish in Freetown. Sierra Leoneans played music and did acrobatics in the streets as they welcomed the convoy of cars, each of whom also received certificates for completing the rally.

Matkó and Romfa also received the “Brave Warrior of the Desert Award”.

“I want to shout out the owners of Carkomplex, who I think we have a special relationship with in a sense, the trust between an employer and its employees is very rare,” Romfa concluded in a final vlog. “That trust laid the foundation for all this; I’d like to thank them for the support, the help, and for making this adventure possible. They provided the financial backing to help us fulfill this nearly 20-year dream.

“We’d also like to thank our other colleagues who took part in making this project happen. Those who built the car, who got the parts, went to the offices, even if it was just an email or needing help with a clever problem. I’ve been bugging everyone and want to thank them for their help. We pulled it off as a team and it’s a great thing.

“Everyone can be really proud of this result. All the little Lego pieces, all the little bricks, were needed to make this come together. We’re really happy to be a part of this and it’s a huge honor.”

Featured image credit: Carkomplex