Paestum-Palinuro Vintage Car and Motorcycle Cultural Tourist Rally

A rally that crosses Cilento

The Paestum-Palinuro Vintage Car and Motorcycle Cultural Tourist Rally is one of the longest-running motoring events in Cilento: in 2026, it marked its 33rd edition. The meeting point is Piazza Municipio in Prignano Cilento, a small town in the province of Salerno, Campania, overlooking the Alento valley just a few kilometers from Agropoli and the plains of Paestum.

This is not a speed race or a timed trial: it is a tourist and cultural rally, meaning a slow journey where vintage cars and motorcycles are used for what they were built for—driving along scenic roads. The group travels in a caravan along the old SS18, with stops, guided tours, and exhibitions of the vehicles in the squares of the towns passed through. The name of the event perfectly captures the ambition of the itinerary: from the lands of Paestum, with its Greek temples, to the sea of Palinuro.

The Auto Revival Club, since 1987

The organization is handled by the Auto Revival Club, an ASI-federated association founded in 1987 and based in Salento, also in the province of Salerno. The club brings together enthusiasts of vintage vehicles and youngtimers with a clear goal: to promote automotive heritage and keep a passion alive that has spanned several generations.

The "Paestum-Palinuro" is the most well-known event on the club's calendar, which also proposes other events throughout the year linked to the Cilento territory, including the Campagna City Rally, "Motorcycling along the Cilento coast," "Fiat 500s touring Cilento," and the Tour of ancient Herakleia. A program that brings together engines, landscapes, and archaeological sites of southern Campania.

The route, between hills and sanctuaries

The itinerary changes from year to year, but always maintains the same philosophy: combining the hilly hinterland and the coastal stretch of Cilento, alternating driving with cultural stops. In the 2026 edition, the caravan set off from Prignano Cilento towards Sant'Antuono di Torchiara, Rutino, and Omignano Scalo, before continuing along the highway towards Sapri.

The detour to San Mauro La Bruca led the crews to a scenic stop and a guided tour of the Eucharistic Sanctuary; the return to Futani reserved the main square of the town for the vehicle exhibition, with the public free to approach, take photos, and ask the owners questions. The day concluded at the table, with the convivial lunch that has become an integral part of the formula.

How the day works

• Early morning — meeting in Piazza Municipio in Prignano Cilento, vehicle checks, and crew registration.
• Mid-morning — departure of the tour on open roads, in a caravan, along the SS18 and the scenic roads of Cilento.
• Around noon — cultural stop with a guided tour and scenic viewpoint.
• Early afternoon — exhibition of vintage cars and motorcycles in the host town's square.
• Followed by — convivial lunch at a restaurant and final farewells to the crews.

Prignano Cilento, the starting point

Prignano Cilento has just over a thousand inhabitants and consists of the main town and the hamlets of Melito and San Giuliano, as well as a series of rural localities scattered among olive groves. We are at the gates of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, in an area where hilly villages follow one another just a few kilometers apart and where the SS18 remains the backbone of travel.

For a town of this size, hosting the start of a vintage vehicle rally means seeing the main square transform for a morning into a small open-air museum.

Who it is recommended for

The rally naturally attracts collectors and mechanics enthusiasts, but the day is also designed for a wider audience. Families find the exhibition stop an easy and free opportunity, photographers have car bodies and hilly landscapes at their disposal, and passing visitors can combine the stop with the rest of a weekend in Cilento, between Paestum, Agropoli, Castellabate, and the beaches of Palinuro. Those who want to participate with their own vintage vehicle must contact the Auto Revival Club in good time: places for the convivial lunch are limited and booking is mandatory.