The principality of Monaco is just over half the size of Central Park. Yes, you read that right. The entire country — lock, stock and casino — would comfortably fit in the green heart of Manhattan and still leave room for a substantial recreational area.

Nestled between the precipitous Maritime Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is just three miles long and never more than a mile wide. Every relatively flat square inch has been built upon. This is the site of some of the world’s most expensive real estate, and at the very center, with a name synonymous with wealth and sophistication, is the district of Monte Carlo.

The ruling Grimaldi family has worked hard to make a success of its unlikely little country, taking full advantage of its position as a self-governing enclave on the French Riviera. Favorable tax laws attract the rich and famous. The world’s most glamorous casino lures high rollers. The marina is an essential port of call for super yachts. High-end tourists flock to the palatial hotels and max out their Amex black cards in the exclusive boutiques. Oh, and the cramped streets are a major venue for motor racing.

Given the micro geographical dimensions and the unhelpful lie of the land, Monaco’s association with motor sports is not something anyone in his right mind would conceive of today. But the link is not some recent promotional gimmick devised to boost hotel occupancy in the off-season — though that is certainly one of the enduring benefits.

The principality’s love affair with fast cars is as old as the automotive industry itself. The Automobile Club of Monaco traces its origins back to 1890 — three years before the first automobiles were manufactured in the United States. Races involving motorcycles and then cars were staged from 1894 onward, leading to the inauguration of the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in January 1911.

The Monte, as it is affectionately known, traditionally started at several European cities simultaneously, with all the routes eventually converging for a joint finish in Monaco. For most competitors over the years, racing was secondary to the greater challenge of reaching the finish. The early cars struggled with the weather and terrain as they made their way across Europe, only to be faced with the greatest obstacle of all on the approach to the city: the notorious Col du Turini.

With its switchbacks and sheer drops, the Col du Turini mountain pass in the southern Alps is a driving challenge at the best of times. During the rally, it is tackled in winter and in darkness — the “Night of Long Knives,” when the frigid air is sliced by high beams.

This month, the 82nd edition of the Monte Carlo Rally is being held (the calendar suffered two periods of hiatus during the World Wars). The Monte will be the first event of the 2013 World Rally Championship. Two weeks after the professional drivers have ripped around the course in their state-of-theart vehicles, a motley collection of vintage rally cars will participate in the Monte Carlo Historic Rally, converging from Glasgow, Rheims, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Barcelona.

Purists argue that the historic event maintains the true spirit of the Monte. As it was in the early years, the event is less of a race and more of a survival challenge for drivers and their vehicles.

On Feb. 1, the remaining vintage rally cars will reach Monte Carlo, adding their voices to the city’s distinctive soundtrack: the tumble of gambling dice, the clatter of roulette wheels, the lapping of the Mediterranean against expensive yachts, and the guttural roar of combustion engines at full throttle.