RALLY CARS

Whether it’s local events pitching classics head-to-head, or WRC stage heroes, we celebrate the wonderful world of rallying with an action-packed itinerary

Words Jack Phillips Photography Charlie B

Colin McRae and Paddy Hopkirk; rallying encapsulates far more than the stage stars that were prime-time TV names and PlayStation heroes. In fact, the many specialists around the Bicester Heritage site open up the wide world of rallying.

HERO-ERA, as an example, is perhaps the world’s premier organiser of endurance rallies. Its events sprawl across continents and beyond, or can be contained to expanses such as the Bicester Heritage airfield.

Often in the thick of it at the UK events is John Lomas of Blue Diamond Riley Services, whose expertise will be a feature of this rally category in more ways than one at 10:00am and 1:30pm each day. His usual steed is Riley Sprite BAH 900, veteran of the 1937 RAC Rally, which just this year claimed fourth place overall on the gruelling Flying Scotsman. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder Sprites punched above their weight in period, and in the right hands (such as John’s) continue to do so today.

Blue Diamond also looks after the works Riley prototype, KV 5694, which swore in the MPH models and which will also hit the Experience & Demonstration Track. More than simply a Riley specialist, Blue Diamond’s roster also includes the bounding Lagonda Rapier, BYL 548, which will also slip in some laps with a raucous soundtrack.

Roll forward half a century and the world of rallying had become a very different beast, and included the spectacular Renault 5. The humble hatch gained an edge thanks to Marcello Gandini, and is one of the most evocative cars in WRC history – as Andrew Cooper’s Turbo should prove. Although the R5’s legend outpromised its actual results…

Group B’s too-fast and toofearsome nature meant things were turned down a notch into the 1990s, but rallying was still a fairly blank canvas for those brave enough to get stuck in. Nick Boaz of Tolman Motorsport was one of them, and today can claim to have the hottest Peugeot 205 this side of Group B rallying. The competition-spec Talbot Sport-liveried replica is the spiritual forebear to the universally approved Tolman Edition 205 GTI.

OPPOSITE You can see Mäkinen’s World Rally Championship challenger in action on the Experience & Demonstration Track twice a day at the Bicester event.

But for many there has been just one name in rallying in recent years (indeed, decades…) and that is Prodrive. The local heroes will be unveiling something very special at HERO-ERA at 1:30pm on Saturday, but Steve Rockingham has an enviable collection of Banbury-built rally machinery. The experienced pedaller will slide round the Experience & Demonstration Track in Tommi Mäkinen’s final World Rally Championship challenger as part of this grouping.

The Rally Cars category will kick off each day’s action on the Experience & Demonstration Track.

1936 Riley ERA

MPH Prototype

2003 Subaru Impreza

1936 Riley Sprite

N/A Riley Sprite

1934 Lagonda Rapier-Zagato

N/A Riley TT

Ulster Imp

1985 Peugeot 205

1977 Escort RS1800

1975 Escort RS Grp4

1981 Renault 5 Turbo

‘Tour de Corse’

1979 Escort RS

1971 Escort

1978 Escort

1975 Escort

1972 Escort RS1600