Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille 2023 departs from Paris

With a series of gusty roars, a flotilla of classic vintage cars departed from Place Vendôme on Sunday morning in the most empowering race in luxury, the Rallye des Princesses Richard Mille 2023.

Duos of elegant ladies in matching outfits left the world's greatest jewelry square to begin the five day competition that culminates in Nice on June 8. It's a novel meeting of female empowerment, brand building, luxe marketing and haute gamme design, starring some truly rare and beautiful cars. Most teams wore matching outfits: French jolies filles in bouffant skirts, white blouses and berets; classic racer jumpsuits with cloth medallions; matching petrol head leather jackets with car or Gulf Oil logos; and New York grand dames in vintage silver sequined Chanel tuxedos and t-shirts, custom-made for the drive.

Over 100 teams of drivers and navigators compete in the rally, which is sponsored by Richard Mille, the world's hottest luxury watch brand. "It's the ideal opportunity to reach a bold, influential target market," explained Mille, who leads a group of high-end partners supporting the race that includes BMW, Sisley, Harcourt and Champagne Perrier-Jouët. Entrants encompass international lawyers, senior executives, driven career gals, beaming heiress and Park Avenue socialites. On Saturday, thousands of fans crowded into Place Vendôme for a 'Checks & Scrutineering' day, admiring a truly impressive array of vintage autos. This ranged from a 1930 BMW Dixi Berlinetta or a 1960 Austin Healey "Frogeye" with protruding headlights, to a steely silver Chevrolet Corvette C3 and a truly scarce 1950s aluminum Bobcar. Ferraris, Porsches, four Mercedes 280 SL convertibles, MGBs, E-Type Jaguars and a series of spanking new BMWs for rally followers all shone brightly underneath Napoleon's column. Each team pay 8,000 euros for the five-day jaunt through bucolic French countryside, a price that includes accommodation in five-star hotels, meals, fine wines, pampering, but not gasoline. The tour down through France takes in over-night stops in Beaune, Megève, Alpe d’Huez and Les-Baux-de-Provence. And lunch breaks inside Château du Touvet, a fortified 13th century castle in the Chartreuse massif, and dinner in the famed Carrières des Lumières, where Cocteau shot sequences in his 1960 film Testament of Orpheus. Before finishing in the ornate 19th Place de Massena, overlooking the shores of the Mediterranean. And they are off.