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"Around the World" in 80 days and twelve flat tires
Driving 19,200 miles in 80 days? In a 1929 automobile? Isn’t this the stuff of old
movies?
No, this is the just the latest in a series of adventures in the life of Charles
“Chic” Kleptz.
Kleptz graduated in 1958 from Rose-Hulman with a mechanical engineering degree. He was
born and raised in Terre Haute and is the co-founder of Ponderosa Steak House, Inc. He now
lives in Naples, Fla.
Since 1990, Kleptz has competed nine times in the Great American Race, a coast-to-coast
antique car rally held mostly in the United States. Every race was driven in a vehicle he
personally restored and rebuilt, in some instances beginning literally from boxes of parts
and constructing a car from scratch. In 1997 he participated in a re-enactment of the 1908
race “Peking to Paris.” Unfortunately, that time, he broke a driveshaft beyond
repair…on top of a plateau…in Tibet…at night…in an ice storm (talk
about an unpleasant combination of circumstances) and was forced to drop out of the race.
This time, Kleptz rebuilt his 1929 Marmon Model 78 specifically with the “Around the
World” Rally in mind.
He drove from Dayton, Ohio, to Naples, Fla., and then to Newark, N.J. From there his car
traveled via ship to London and then to Beijing. From Beijing, the car was flown to
Anchorage, Alaska, and drove the rest of the way to Dayton, Ohio.
Is he glad he did it? Absolutely. It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And besides, he
did pretty well…placing third in the pre-war class on the London to Beijing run.
Plus, Kleptz’s Marmon was the oldest car still in competition by the time he hit
Beijing.
The body of the 1929 vehicle is all original and the unique black and hot pink paint job
was actually pulled from Marmon paint samples of the depression era. Kleptz’s
co-driver, Bob O’Hara, a friend from Naples, Florida, painted the car himself. The
engine is completely original with the addition of slightly higher compression pistons.
Interestingly, when this vehicle was first released in 1929, it was considered
revolutionary in that it offered the highest horsepower per cubic inch of any American car
at that time.
Of course the mechanical part of the trip was easy. Kleptz’s been building, fixing
and restoring mechanical things all his life. So, mechanically, the car did well. With the
exception of twelve flat tires, four broken shocks (some of them multiple times), one
broken rim and one disintegrated gear shift knob, the car ran well. Surviving the
logistics of traveling around the world became the interesting part.
The most difficult aspect of the race usually was the challenge of finding a
“conveniently located bush” (forget anything like a rest stop) in the middle of
nowhere. Add to that the various stomach viruses associated with ingesting an assortment
of unknown foods, and bathrooms become one of the first things missed about home.
The second most difficult experience involved the absence of roads and the proliferation
of potholes. Over 50% of the route covered areas where there were no roads whatsoever.
By far, the most spectacular scenery was through the Himalayas. Vistas beyond imagination.
And the most friendly people were the Chinese.
The price on gasoline varied wildly. Kleptz paid anywhere from $.20 to $2.00 per gallon.
The price on beer varied almost as much as gasoline ($.35 to $13.00 per bottle of beer).
Because of the health risks associated with drinking local water, drinking beer was
frequently a much safer bet.
Sometimes the food was unusual (octopus and an assortment of unknown meats) and the
accommodations left a bit to be desired (abandoned former Russian factories with no indoor
plumbing), but with frequently rising at 4 a.m. and driving many days until after dark,
the food and accommodations were easy to overlook.
Perhaps the most unsettling aspects focused on several of the smaller republics formerly
known as the Soviet Union. In many areas, there appeared to be no government entity at
all, just large groups of men walking the streets armed with AK47 machine guns.
Is he ready to do it again? Probably not. That mountain has already been climbed.
—This article was written by
Marthann Kleptz Heil, Chic’s daughter
 
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