The Côte d’Azur sparkled with elegance and generosity on Sunday, September 7, as the 12th edition of the Ladies Vintage Car Rally set off from Monte-Carlo. Organised by Child CARE Monaco and chaired by Martine Ackermann, the charity event once again combined Riviera glamour with a powerful humanitarian mission.
A convoy of elegant ladies at the wheel of gleaming classic cars departed after breakfast at the Café de Paris. Their route traced the Mediterranean coastline through Cap d’Ail, Èze, Beaulieu, Nice, and Cagnes-sur-Mer, before winding inland to Mougins and Grasse for a gastronomic pause at chef Jacques Chibois’s renowned Bastide Saint-Antoine. The afternoon brought a scenic return via Antibes, Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, and Beaulieu-sur-Mer, with an elegant tea stop at Le Circe overlooking the sea. The convoy then made a triumphant arrival at the Monte-Carlo Beach Club, the perfect stage for this year’s “French Riviera Chic & Glamour” theme.
One of the day’s most striking moments came when supermodel Victoria Silvstedt arrived in a Mercedes 380SL, driven by Ackermann herself, drawing admiration from crowds gathered at the Beach Club. Guests of honour included Her Serene Highness Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, alongside senior officials such as Lionel Beffre, Thomas Brezzo, Stéphane Valeri, Jacques Pastor, and René Blino.
The festivities concluded with an awards ceremony and cocktail reception, but the day’s true impact lies far beyond the Riviera. Funds raised will go towards Child CARE Monaco’s ongoing projects in India, including the distribution of school supplies, hygiene kits, beds, clothing, and household items to the Jaipur orphanage and Sneh School. The mission is scheduled for October–November 2025, with a volunteer delegation travelling alongside Ackermann.
This year’s rally also carried a new medical dimension. In collaboration with French doctors and Indian partners, a custom-made prosthesis was developed by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Bertrand Tourret Courdec and symbolically unveiled at the closing ceremony. It will be delivered during the next humanitarian trip, a gesture organisers say embodies “the union of elegance, help, and hope.”
Ackermann paid tribute to the volunteers who made the rally possible, including Child CARE Monaco’s committee members and student helpers. Their efforts ensured the event once again lived up to its dual promise: a celebration of style on the Riviera roads and a commitment to children in need thousands of kilometres away.
