Dennis Gregory / Special to The Star Steve Dole, left, and Bill Erickson cruise into the City of Light at the end of the 2007 Peking to Paris challenge.

PARIS — The horn of their 1925 Buick Roadster pickup bleated over the cheering crowds in the Place Vendome in Paris as Bill Erickson and Steve Dole rumbled across the finish line in the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.

As they drove under a tent past two fluttering checkered flags, Erickson unfolded his 6-foot, 8-inch frame, stood and shot his arms up in a double victory salute.

Dole, 68, of Pacific Grove, stayed seated, grinning broadly as Peking to Paris race sponsor Philip Young of London shook Dole's hand and presented them both with a bottle of champagne and bronze medals.

"Before we got here, I was pretty damned emotional," Dole said. "When we were about a kilometer away, I thought, Oh God, we've actually made it!' And I just kind of choked up a little bit."

On Saturday, Erickson, a Ventura mechanic, Dole and 117 other racing teams driving vintage cars completed the 35-day Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, a rally marking the 100th anniversary of the first Peking

to Paris race. A French newspaper sponsored the 1907 race to see if these newly invented contraptions could make a transcontinental trip.

The European cities and roads are more sophisticated now, with the exception of the Mongolian roads, which, the racers say, haven't changed much in 100 years.

"This race has been much harder than anything else," said race official Sue Vincent of Wales, who has overseen many international races. "And, of course, much longer. In Mongolia the days were so hot and the nights were freezing, and, of course, we were in tents."

The Mongolian goat and yak trails chewed up 16 of the 134 cars in the race, leaving 118 to cross the Paris finish line. There were personality conflicts, too. One racer drove the almost 8,000 miles alone when his partner became upset and flew home after the third day of the race.

Asked whether he and Bill Erickson were still friends, Dole joked: "Bill who?"

"They're still talking to each other, so that's a positive thing, everything else aside," said Dole's daughter Jen Dole, 38, who flew to Paris from her New England home to cheer her dad in.

Also in Paris was Erickson's wife, Teal Rowe, who will celebrate her July 5 birthday in Paris with Erickson, whom she hasn't seen since he flew to Beijing (formerly Peking) six weeks ago.

Asked about what he wanted most right after the race, Erickson said, "I want to spend time with my wife."

Dole?

"I'd like an ice cold beer," he said. "We've had beer on the trip, and it's all been lukewarm."

The racing team — who call themselves Team Yakity Yak — had a chance for cocktails and quality time at a gala dinner Saturday night for the contestants at the Intercontinental Grand Hotel in Paris. A video documenting the race was shown as guests dined on a gourmet dinner and washed it down with champagne and wine.

Trophies and medals were also awarded. The medals were ranked in descending order, as gold, silver and bronze, based on how well contestants achieved preset goals for time trials.

Erickson and Dole finished 56th overall in their category and 24th in their class to earn a bronze. Team Yakity Yak didn't mind winning a bronze; the men were just happy the Buick made it to the City of Light.

Dennis Gregory / Special to The Star From left, Jen Dole, Steve Dole, Bill Erickson and Brigit Delcoigne celebrate the end of the grueling 35-day trek from China to France.

The Buick's frame broke twice in the Gobi desert, there were suspension problems and plenty of leaks. A heavy-duty version of duct tape called Gorilla Tape now lines the windshield and wraps around several wires hanging from under the dashboard—all of which Dole calls Erickson's "MacGyver" fixes.

"This is the most important tool of all," Erickson, 56, said, holding up a roll of Gorilla Tape. "We used it for everything. I would hold my teeth in with it when I get old."

The car, he said, is running very well, despite the problems it had on the road.

Jed and Molly Reid of England drove to Paris to cheer in a contestant friend who wasn't as lucky.

"The wings are tied on and the brakes don't work and the steering's gone, and he's driving it about 15 miles an hour," Jed said.

She supports her friend, but Molly didn't consider this type of race her idea of a "good holiday" she said.

"Why would you want to get up really early in the morning, drive 700 kilometers (435 miles) in an old car through the desert, eat monkeys' heads for your dinner, and then get up the next morning and do exactly the same thing?" she said.

But Erickson and Dole say they'll never forget this adventure. They plan to ship the Buick home to Ventura.

"We're going to put it in the garage and tuck it away and show our grandchildren this crazy thing we did and let them actually see it," Erickson said.

The next generation is on the way. Erickson's only son, Seth, and his wife are expecting their first child in September.