OF THE OFTHE END END THIN THIN WEDGE WEDGE

from Magneto Magazine issue 17: Spring 2023

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SINCE THE END OF THE 1960S, NO Geneva Salon has been complete without a dramatic launch of a spectacular new car – or several – from the Neuchâtel aerie of Franco Sbarro. Be it styling, mechanics or concept, Sbarro’s creations are sure to astonish with their imagination and impetuosity.

The man himself is as subdued as his automobiles are audacious. Sbarro speaks quietly, conspiratorially about his ideas and inventions. But his cars betray a vivid imagination, a desire to exploit Switzerland’s famed neutrality among squabbling nations. More than one auto-brand executive has been startled to open his trade publication, to find that Sbarro has ripped off the design of one of his treasured classic icons.

Ford, for example, learned in 1982 that Franco’s shop was turning out replicas of its iconic GT40, which Sbarro presented as the original item. At that year’s Geneva Salon, a Blue Oval executive (me) confronted the resourceful creator, telling him that it wasn’t kosher to pretend these were originals.

“Oh, it’s all right,” Franco replied. “I have

Words original chassis plates for the GT40s, and I just assign their numbers to the cars.” Swiss GT40 production subsided thereafter.

Sbarro likes a challenge, which is why you see the car on these pages. He built it, he said, because he read a foreign review of the 1984 Geneva Salon that said there was “nothing new in Geneva”. For a month and a half thereafter, he worked day and night on the design of a model that no one could say resembled anything existing. This included his previous designs, which, as established, were usually modified production cars or imitations thereof. The result was an automobile that was neither ‘three-volume’ nor ‘two-volume’. It had to be considered ‘one-volume’, with its radical sloping nose blending into a low-slung cockpit and access via scissor-action doors. Sbarro made a one-fifth-sized model of his vision, and cadged time in Citroën’s wind tunnel to evaluate its drag. The result, said the French experts, was a Cd coefficient of 0.16 – as low as had been measured for any road car at the time. Sbarro reckons the complete car’s drag would be nearer

BELOW On display at its permanent home, the Louwman Museum in The Hague, Netherlands, the original Challenge flaunts its scissor doors and unusual rear-wheel fairings.

spectacular dream car – conceived to prove that Switzerland could innovate in automotive design

a Cd of 0.25 – still low by 1980s standards. This validated the shape of the car that he called Challenge, responding as it was to an external opinion that the Swiss show lacked novelty. “The lines of the Challenge are so personal that it does not resemble anything known,” said one press account. “It is a real tour de force, so unusual and yet so simple. It completely broke with the usual stereotypes of car production at the time.”

The man who took up this ‘challenge’ was born Francesco Zefferino Sbarro on February 27, 1939 in the Apulian town of Presicce, situated in the province of Lecce at the very tip of the heel of Italy. Although of farming stock, he studied practical techniques in the province’s eponymous capital.

Already obsessed by automobiles, in 1957 Sbarro headed north to exploit his fabrication skills and interest. He found a berth as a machinist at a Borgward dealer in Neuchâtel, before progressing as a technician to a BMW agency. His boss was the father of the man who was to become Lamborghini’s largest shareholder: Georges-Henri Rossetti.

“I then had an offer to join Scuderia Filipinetti,” Sbarro told automotive writer Richard Heseltine, “based at Georges Filipinetti’s Château de Grandson. This was more in line with what I wanted to do. I was the chief mechanic or – to put it another way – the only mechanic. I did everything from fabrication to driving the race transporter. All I learned with the team was valuable experience for when I went into business for myself.

“While I was there, I built a couple of Volkswagen-based sports cars during the offseason, which Filipinetti helped sponsor, but that wasn’t enough. I needed to be my own boss. I loved motor racing. We had some success with Ferraris, GT40s, Cobras, Corvettes and so on. But I wanted to create cars of my own.”

Sbarro built his first automobiles in a workshop in the courtyard of Filipinetti’s stately manor house at Grandson, ten miles from the French border on the southwestern tip of Lake Neuchâtel. His debut design was a twoseater coupé prototype with a tubular frame,

5.0-litre Ford engine and glassfibre bodywork. Making his break, in 1967 he bought a threestorey former cigarette factory in Les Tuileries near Grandson, where with four employees he began his activity as a car manufacturer. In April 1968, he founded ACA (Ateliers d’Études de Construction Automobiles Sàrl).

After delivering a vehicle to England, Franco paid a call on Eric Broadley’s Lola racingcar manufactory. “Without really thinking it through,” he related, “I announced my idea to convert a T70 coupé for road use. Eric was receptive and instructed me to have something ready for the Racing Car Show, which was only a few months away. We made some alterations to the doors to make it easier to get into, and also added a larger rear screen. Inside, it was all done out in leather – very luxurious. The car looked great, and Eric and his American distributor Carl Haas thought there might be a market for a mad car, but nothing came of us collaborating jointly on a project.” On his own, Franco produced a dozen Lola-like coupés.

Realising that he needed an emblem of his own as a car maker, after long cogitation Sbarro hit on a leaping African greyhound of ancient extraction as a fit mascot. His first speciality was production of replicas of classic models.

“It wasn’t something I had ever really thought about doing,” he recalled. “I was still part of the world of motor sport. I built several racing cars, but they were not particularly successful. My customers tended to be ‘gentleman drivers’, so they were never likely to win. I started to lose interest.”

He continued: “I was keen to do more road cars. In 1974, I was asked to make a copy of a BMW 328. Launched at Geneva that year, it became a money-spinner.” Franco made 138 of the roadsters using BMW 2002 components, plus 15 of more exotic design complete with wide bodies and turbochargers.

“I stopped making the 328s while there was still demand,” he said. “For me, the interest has always been in coming up with an idea and working things through. By the time a car is finished, I am already thinking about the next one. I don’t mind being associated with replicas, but I’m more interested in original design.”

Where original design is required, it would be difficult to surpass the unique profile of the Challenge. Car-styling expert Giancarlo Perini assessed its emergence in the following manner: “The Challenge provides possibly the first, and doubtless the most meaningful, expression of what the controversial Swiss constructor himself considers to be the ultimate in performance, technology, design, gadgetry and innovation. The best car in the world, in short, Sbarro style.”

With his Challenge, Franco broke free from the requirements of clients. This was his creation, his idea. He underpinned the seminal 1985 version with his own chassis, using racing-style suspension front and rear from a frame that was further stiffened by elements of the drivetrain. Mounted just forward of the rear wheels, the engine drove via a Borg-Warner transfer case from a Jeep Cherokee that distributed torque to all four wheels.

Differentials at both ends provided a 45 percent locking quotient. Sbarro kept the off-roader’s ultra-low gear: “The buyers of our cars don’t just use them on the Autobahn,” he explained. “They can have 6000rpm up to 80mph, which together with four-wheel drive gives exceptional acceleration.”

Honouring a fellow Swiss entrepreneur, Sbarro fitted his creation with the ultra-wide 16in JJD wheels created by Jaroslav ‘Jerry’ Juhan, each of which carried two narrow tyres. The Czech émigré reckoned that this gave better grip in all weathers, as well as eliminated the need for a spare wheel because a blow-out would affect only one of a rim’s tyres.

Integrated with a four-speed automatic gearbox, the Challenge’s power source was a 5.0-litre Mercedes-Benz V8 fed by two IHI turbochargers. Reaching half an atmosphere of boost at 2500rpm, the twin turbos raised the V8’s power from 231bhp to some 350bhp. The Audi Quattro’s complete cooling system was adopted, with the radiator sited behind the engine. Thus powered, and covered by a fabric simulation of the final design, the 1100lb chassis of the first Sbarro Challenge took to the roads around Grandson for its shakedown in the autumn of 1984.

Next came exacting work in the medium of glassfibre, with which Franco and his team were by now extremely competent. The Challenge’s unique design demanded fresh interpretations everywhere. Especially ‘challenging’ was the tail section, where fine horizontal ribbing not only concealed running lamps but also served to cool the V8. Split ducts in the body’s flanks delivered cooling air. Moreover, a Plexiglas panel was needed for a camera to provide rear vision to two screens in the cockpit. The system not only had zoom and focus functions, but could also screen VHS videos – in lands where that was permissible.

To add to the complexity, two roof sections rose to provide added stability plus braking. An electro-pneumatic system could raise one 16.5in x 47in panel to a 20º angle, and the other

1958 Ferrari 250 Gt California Spyder Lwb

Chassis no. 1077

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1966 Ferrari 275 Gtb

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+33442726199 to 16º. These reacted automatically to application of the brakes. That 16º angle was enough to increase rear downforce by more than 800lb at 125mph for a car weighing 3100lb. The panels could also be switched on when required, in order to enhance stability, as in wet weather.

Silentbloc attachments united chassis and body with foam-rubber cushioning. Meanwhile, encompassing the curved side windows, the Challenge’s swing-up doors needed and received good hinges. The subtly curved windscreen was 44in wide and 49in ‘high’. This was so steeply inclined that it could be mounted in tracks that allowed it to slide forward electrically almost 16in, enough to provide a welcome sunroof effect. Above the occupants, the tracks could also allow a tinted Plexiglas shade to slide nearly a yard forward, leaving only the forward vision unobscured. Stored out of view, the screen wiper was of a rotary design.

Tubular structures in the nose of the Challenge served to give the necessary crashenergy absorption. Lifting the long lid revealed space for a normal spare wheel and the fuel tank. Plexiglas covers protected deeply sunken headlamps. Meanwhile, the driver used electric controls to tweak the distance of the pedal box, and the distance and height of the steering wheel. Seats were also adjustable, using the System Recaro to inject air into the cushions to give the desired softness and support.

In such an exotic car, advanced in so many respects, observers weren’t surprised to note that it had digital instruments. These were housed in a binnacle viewable through the steering wheel. Below them were controls and rows of warning lamps. Atop a deep divider between the seats was the auto transmission controller, with its short travel. The white Challenge was handsomely complemented by Connolly-leather interior trim in caramel highlighted by burled walnut.

At the 1985 Geneva Salon, Sbarro was coy about the price of such an exotic extravagance. He waved off the assumption that it had to be owned by an Arabian sheikh. “There are many Sbarros in Japan, in the US,” he said. About prices, he added: “I don’t know them myself. By this I mean that I know of course at what price they were invoiced, but I don’t know how much came back to me. For me to know that, I would have to have oversight of all the components and all the working hours. Ipso facto, my prices would rise by 15 percent. We would have to pay someone to take care of all that accounting.”

Franco did say, however, that for a Challenge as equipped at Geneva, the price would be around $125,000. For the series of ten cars that he was planning, he thought it would be nearer $100,000. At the 1986 Salon, Sbarro unveiled his strategy. Although the model displayed looked externally identical to its predecessor, it had two seats squeezed in to make it a 2+2. His aim, he told the press, was to make ten such cars, which he called the Challenge II.

Franco’s scheme was to power them in a completely different manner in order to make room for the extra seating. Changing his loyalty from one Stuttgart company to another, he turned to Porsche for an engine. In went a Type 930 turbocharged 3.3-litre six, complete with 300bhp at 5500rpm. But Sbarro wanted to preserve the abbreviated tail of his creation that endowed it with considerable character. He came up with a typically ingenious solution.

He shifted the engine-transaxle assembly a couple of feet forward from its usual position, thus clearing it away from the tail area. The halfshafts from the transaxle extended outward to the pivots of two fabricated cases, which contained sprockets to chains that drove the rear wheels. Swinging from bearings in the car’s frame, the cases also acted as the principal radius arms that suspended those back wheels. The flat-six nestled comfortably between the trailing arms.

Impressing with its livery, which transitioned from metallic grey in front to crimson in back, the Challenge II had an all-red cabin and essentially Porsche instrumentation, compatible as it was with the powertrain, and a Porsche steering wheel. Roof changes to boost rear headroom eliminated a hinged spoiler, the remaining one controlled electrically from the cockpit.

The Challenge II was the third car built by Franco in the genre, which continued to draw crowds at motor shows. The fourth was a pearlwhite Challenge II that featured on the Sbarro stand at Geneva in 1987, together with an allnew Challenge III. It was created to deal with the severe constraints on features that kept the existing model from being approved for use in Switzerland and Germany. The idea was to build a Challenge III on the chassis of an approved vehicle, the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

Adapting the Challenge concept to this more compact platform required exceptional skill. Instead of the 1985-86 variant’s 107in wheelbase, the spacing on the new version was 89.4in. Front track went from 61.0in to 56.4in, and the rear track from 65.0in to a mere 58.7in – these changes ruling out the

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Email: cars@ascottcollection.com

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Paris - France original car’s ultra-wide wheels and tyres.

Making the Challenge’s wheelbase shorter by 1.5ft was a test for Franco and his team – one to which they rose gallantly. Length was lost behind the doors, retaining but shortening the air-inlet scoops. The doors themselves were slightly shorter, and their windows extended to their forward edges. The nose was shorter, too, and the tail was extended to house the Porsche motor, now back in its usual outboard position.

Overall, the resulting Challenge was a sleeker, smoother sports machine that lost little of its path-breaking charisma. It was altogether a more fully realised automobile – and it was virtually all Porsche. This had several benefits. The original instrument panel and minor controls could be left in position to be surrounded by more lavish accoutrements. The view under the front deck was also the same as in the donor car, with its spare wheel and tyre, fuel tank and some space for luggage.

This definitive Porsche-based Challenge III rolled on super-wide Pirelli P7 tyres: 225/50 VR 15 on 10in aluminium wheels front, and 285/50 VR 15 on 12in rims rear. Although not accepted in Germany or Switzerland, the show car had Blaupunkt’s rear camera and cockpit monitor.

The change to a glassfibre body meant less contribution to frame stiffness by the lower sheet metal, so Sbarro had to strengthen the platform along the sills. With additional features, this meant the Challenge III weighed 2980lb, some 300lb more than its donor Porsche and around 100lb less than the II. Smooth lines and less frontal area, thanks to a ten-inch lower height than the Porsche’s – although it added eight inches of width – contributed to the III’s 175mph top speed against the Turbo’s 160mph. Zero-to-60mph acceleration was in the sixsecond bracket using the car’s manual gearbox.

Soon after 1987’s Geneva Salon, Germany’s Wolfgang Scholz had a chance to test drive the show car. Black, with black-and-white interior accents, it was liveried according to the taste of its owner, a Swiss discotheque proprietor. “Grumbling softly,” Scholz wrote, “the black wedge glides through the sleepy little town on the banks of Lac de Neuchâtel. A UFO seems to have landed amidst the old town houses. But scarcely any Swiss turns around. The residents of Grandson are used to it. Local dream-car designer Sbarro always tests his new creations like this.

“The high side sills make getting in and out an acrobatic affair,” Scholz continued. “Then there is the unusual seating position and the very heavily tinted windows. Although occupants are comfortable in the standard Porsche seats, tall people almost touch the glass dome behind the back rests. The side windows extend exceptionally low. This allows traffic to be observed to some extent although the Plexiglas, bent almost at right angles, distorts the view somewhat. If you’re looking for more contact with the environment you have to open the doors, because the windows are fixed.

“The Challenge III drives just like the complete Porsche 911 convertible concealed under its glassfibre body. It pulls along easily on narrow country roads with tight curves. Partly rain-soaked ground accounts for typical 911 behaviour. From neutral handling, the black wedge pushes moderately over the front wheels. But beware if the driver steps on the gas pedal too boldly. With little notice the tail of the vehicle thrusts outward. The steering helps – it’s light and pretty direct.

“Porsche’s chassis tuning remains unchanged,” Scholz went on. “Although the Challenge looks sporty, it’s not uncomfortable. Short bumps show little harshness. After a period of getting used to it, this dream car can even be driven in narrow streets and reverse-parked if necessary.”

While the most practical of the Challenge series, the III was destined not to be emulated in its original form. One more Challenge II was completed in 1991 on a 911 Turbo chassis stretched to a 96.2in wheelbase, the result of a concentrated two-year effort by a duo in Sbarro’s team. It was the seventh and last of the line. The cars were dispersed as far as Japan, America, Singapore, Spain and France, with at least one at home in Switzerland.

When queried about the Challenge in the 21st century, Franco was dismissive. “It was a great concept,” he avowed, “but the Challenge didn’t turn out how I had imagined it.” Having lost money on the seven he completed, he swore not to continue their production.

Although the Sbarro saga has many high points, the Challenge is one of the highest. It brought Franco and Switzerland worldwide publicity, and established him as an expert in the creation of the adventurous, the outlandish and the enjoyable in the way of vehicles. It convincingly met its challenge.

Words Richard Heseltine

When the going gets tough, the world’s toughest rally machines get going. Here are our top 50 all-time favourite stage stars

Jeep Wagoneer

REMEMBER when Audi became the ‘first’ marque to win a rally with four-wheel drive? Well, history has forgotten that Gene Henderson and Ken Pogue prevailed on the 1972 Press-onRegardless in a Jeep Wagoneer. This wasn’t a provincial meeting, either; it was a round of the

International Championship for Manufacturers (the WRC didn’t arrive until 1973). Another Jeep finished third, sandwiching a Datsun 240Z. A year later, the Sno’Drift Rally – a round of the SCCA’s series – was won by Wagoneer pedallers Erhard Dahm and John Campbell. Henderson and Pogue made it a Jeep 1-2 finish.

Hillman Hunter

THIS one is bound to irk more than a few Magneto readers, but please bear with us… The Hillman Hunter wasn’t a phenomenally successful competition tool, it must be said. It didn’t win a lot of events. It was the Works weapon of choice on only one occasion

Citroën SM

you had to think of one of the most improbable cars ever to go rallying, this Maseratiengined GT must be up there. The factory competition department’s circumstances were somewhat reduced by the time the Citroën Racing Team descended on the Morocco

Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4

WHILE a winner at national level, the Sapphire’s finest moment in the WRC occurred during the 1991 Monte Carlo Rally. François Delecour electrified aboard his work car, taking the lead from Toyota’s Carlos Sainz on the third day and driving away from

Nissan Silvia 240RS

IN essence, this box-arched coupé was a Group B-ised version of the Violet GTS. It was near identical beneath the skin the reigning World Champion thereafter. He appeared on track to claim an upset win, only to lose five minutes on the final night with suspension ‘issues’. The French star finished third, as he would on the San Remo and Catalunya events. Miki Biasion placed third in Portugal a year on for Ford, with Delecour third on the Tour de Corse.

(so a naturally aspirated ‘four’ and rear-wheel drive) – the problem being that it was generally uncompetitive against the four-wheel-drive onslaught. Even so, it was robust and reliable, Timo Salonen guiding his Works machine to second place on the 1983 Rally of New Zealand, which was its best-ever WRC finish. Salonen went on to record a strong run of top-ten placings a year later, too. Welsh star David Llewellin was a winner in the British Rally Championship in 1984, in a Works 240RS.

– but it came out on top in what may well have been the most gruelling rally of them all: the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon. Even then, star driver Andrew Cowan wasn’t assured of victory until misfortune befell likelier candidates with fewer than 100 miles to go. In order to finish, first you need to finish, and all that...

Rally in April 1971. It was eager to record a third successive win, the previous two having been accrued by the DS21. The event proved so gruelling that only nine of the 59 entries went the distance, the SM coming out on top upon its debut. The company pressed ahead with the short-tail Group 5 SM ‘Camionette’ (left) thereafter.

Skoda 130 LR

SKODA has a long and rich history in rallying at all levels. Prior to Volkswagen’s ownership, its rear-engined models were consistent class winners (they virtually owned the sub-1.3-litre category of the RAC Rally of Great Britain for decades). As such, trying to pick

Opel Manta B 400

VARIATIONS of this Everyman coupé appeared in rallying, yet the ultimate (in every sense) version never quite made it at the highest level. The partially Kevlar-skinned B 400 was homologated for Group B, but it was outclassed during its maiden season in the WRC. The just one car isn’t the work of a moment, but we opted for this, the replacement for the 130 RS. The LR was built to Group B high point of 1983 was third place on the RAC Rally of Great Britain for Scottish star Jimmy McRae in his Rothmans-liveried example. A year later Rauno Aaltonen claimed second place on the Safari Rally, but the Opel was outclassed elsewhere in the WRC. Even so, it showed well at national level, not least in the hands of Russell Brookes.

Bmw M3

THE original E30-generation M3 was a brilliant track weapon, claiming just about every touring car title imaginable. What tends to be forgotten is that it also enjoyed a rallying career, even if it wasn’t a full-blown Works account. BMW had enjoyed some success before, not least

Triumph TR7 V8

WHILE it didn’t sweep all before it, the TR7 in V8-engined form created a legion of fans during the late 1970s. Although early experiments with 16-valve four-cylinder units proved underwhelming (Works driver Brian Culcheth didn’t like this variant at all…), the insertion

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

REAR-wheel-drive cars were considered passé by the time the ‘Cossie’ set about scorching special stages. Even so, this flame-belching wild child was of the Rover V8 at least gave it plenty of grunt. British hero Tony Pond, along with Per Eklund and Simo Lampinen, put on a show, the former claiming outright honours on the Manx Rally and Ypres 24 Hours in 1978 among other accolades. In the US, John Buffum bagged SCCA ProRally titles with his Works-supported effort. on the 1988 Tour de Corse (the only time that the Works Lancias were beaten in a straight fight that year). Auriol also won the French Rally Championship in 1988, to go with the one he had accrued in a Sierra a year earlier. an improbable outright victory, on the 1986 Marlboro Günaydin Turkish Rally under Gerhard Kalnay and Günter Tazreiter. with variations of the 02-series, but it never fully committed. Not content with running Worksbacked M3s in the British Touring Car Championship, Prodrive also built rally variants. Victories included the 1987 Tour de Corse. Titles were bagged in Belgium and France, too, the Banbury squad’s success attracting the attention of Subaru… until Erich Waxenberger set about transforming the C107 coupé into a rally weapon, with the V8/automatic-box behemoth proving a natural in longdistance events. It claimed a debut win on 1978’s 20,000-mile Vuelta a la América del Sud, and future triumphs included the 1979 Ivory Coast event – the marque’s first WRC victory.

Top 50 rally cars

Ford Lotus Cortina

PAT Moss and Jenny Nadin guided a twin-cam-engined Cortina on the 1963 Midnight Sun Rally, and were alarmed by its willingness to break. Scroll forward to the 1965 Coupe des Alpes, and Vic Elford and David Stone were three minutes clear of their pursuers having managed to remain penalty free – until they were around 20km away from the finish. Then the car died (they coasted home in 21st place). The theme was consistent: the Cortina was quick until it failed. However, a year later Bo Söderström and Gunnar Palm managed to win the RAC Rally of Great Britain in a Works entry.

Datsun 240Z

FOR a marque that made its first, faltering steps into rallying back in 1958, it was with the 240Z that Datsun (Nissan) took on the elite – and sometimes bested them. Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schüller won the 1971 East African Safari (albeit only after Björn Waldegård’s Porsche and Hannu Mikkola’s Ford Escort had retired), leading home the sister car of Shekhar Mehta and Mike Doughty. Two years later it was Mehta’s turn (second place going to the Datsun 1800 SSS saloon of Harry Källström), while Tony Fall won the 1971 Welsh Rally. Rauno Aaltonen and Jean Todt also finished third on the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally.

Triumph TR3

IT’S easy to forget that the Triumph TRs were every bit as ubiquitous on British rallies in the 1950s as the Ford Escort was in the 1970s. They were everywhere, with Ron Gouldbourn and future BMC Competitions Department chief Stuart Turner winning the first

Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR

MITSUBISHI and rallying were once intertwined. However, long before the Evo and Tommi Mäkinen entered into sporting folklore, the firstgeneration Lancer proved itself in long-distance events. In 1976, Joginder Singh and David Doig won the Safari Rally (it marked the former’s third victory on the endurance classic). Mitsubishi claimed the first three positions plus sixth place, although joy was tempered by the death of the chief mechanic during the event after an accident involving the service car. The 1600 GSR went on to win the event again two years later, also bagging the Southern Cross Rally in 1973-76.

Peugeot 504

PEUGEOT and rallies held in sandier climes seem to go hand in hand. The 504 picked up the baton from its predecessor, the 404, and bagged numerous wins off-piste. Victories in events such as the Ethiopian Highland Rally in 1969 paved the way for repeat success for the local

British Rally Championship in 1958 aboard a TR3A. TRs bagged umpteen classes internationally, too, not least on the Alpine Rally and Liège-Rome-Liège in 1956, and the Monte Carlo classic in 1957. This is but a thumbnail sketch of what the model won, the sad part being that Standard-Triumph failed to retain its edge into the 1960s.

Mamaligas-Nadir squad, which helped cement Peugeot’s standing in emerging markets. The Works team made its presence felt from the mid-1970s on, Ove Andersson claiming 1975 honours in a 504 saloon, with Jean-Pierre Nicolas winning in 1976 aboard a V6 coupé. Then there was the Group B 504 pick-up…

Volvo PV544

VOLVOS once enjoyed a reputation for being unkillable, and the ‘hunchbacked’ PV544 helped forge that standing. Rallying played its part, major scalps including Gunnar Andersson’s 1959 victory in the 2870-mile Gran Premio de Argentina, and Tom Trana’s

RAC Rally wins in 1963-64. Then there was Joginder Singh’s victory on the 1965 East African Safari in the ex-Works/ex-Trana car (which he bought via a Hire Purchase agreement). He and wingman Jaswant Singh scored a famous victory. The Amazon continued from where the PV544 left off, but perhaps didn’t make quite the same impact.

Vauxhall Chevette HS/HSR

A MUCH-loved rally staple in the UK during the late 1970s, the Chevette in its various guises provided a stern challenge to the hitherto-dominant Ford Escorts. The Bill Blydensteintended Dealer Team Vauxhalls with their 2.3- or 2.6-litre fourbangers were quick, even if they

Toyota Celica Twin Cam Turbo

TOYOTA occasionally excelled in endurance events, even in this angular Group B weapon that was adapted to fit rather than purpose built. Toyota Team Europe created a car that was rugged and reliable, producing as much as 380bhp with the boost dialled all the way up (330bhp was the norm). While not a contender in a straight fight with mid-engined machinery, the Twin Cam Turbo claimed three Ivory Coast Rally wins and as many Safari Rally victories from 1983-86. As such, it was referred to as the ‘King of Africa’. Sadly, its proposed MR2based Group S replacement never got to compete. ran headlong into the thicket of officialdom early on (there was a major homologation fudge…). Even so, they went on to enjoy great success in the UK, and were campaigned by a roll-call of stars: Tony Pond, Jimmy McRae, Terry Kaby and Pentti Airikkala. The last of these claimed the 1979 British title in the evolutionary HSR.

Nissan Violet

SOMETHING of a forgotten rally superstar, the secondgeneration Nissan Violet in 160J and GT form was also the marque’s most successful in the WRC. It was as tough as old boots, as evinced by its success on the Safari Rally. It won four times in a row from 1979 to 1982, initially with OHC ‘four’ and later twin-cam units. All four victories were accrued by Shekhar Mehta – other successes including the 1980 Rally of New Zealand and the following year’s Ivory Coast Rally (both with Timo Salonen driving). The car’s record on the Safari wouldn’t be eclipsed for another two decades.

Fiat 124 Abarth Sport

FIAT’S involvement in motor sport has been rather staccato, but a concerted 1970s attack on rallying saw the 124 Abarth Sport ultimately pave the way for the 131 Rally. Project SE026 debuted on the 1972 Rally of Portugal, Alcide Paganelli and ‘Ninni’ Russo coming home in fifth place. A year later, Jean Todt and Achim Warmbold opened the 124’s WRC account with a Rally of Poland win in the championship’s first year. It faced Ford, Alpine and two formidable stablemates: Lancia’s aging Fulvia and then the Stratos. The 124 won umpteen events, but only two further WRC rounds. Its last Works outing was the 1976 Monte Carlo.

Top 50 rally cars

Ford RS200

definition, Group B cars were built on the principle of purpose first, looks second. The Ford RS200 was the exception to the rule, in that a degree of artistry was involved in its creation. The thing is, this Group B pin-up was nothing of the sort, although the Blue Oval’s attempt at building a WRC winner for the 1980s could have been very different had team principal Stuart Turner not had his way. Ford had sunk two years’ development into the Escort RS1700T, but Turner opined that rear-wheel drive would render it uncompetitive. only a brief spell in the spotlight, but it was glorious while it lasted. Depending on whose estimates you credit, the B 400 was conceived by Dealer Opel Team principal Tony Fall as a rival to the Ford Escort RS1800 and Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally. It was a homologation special, with Cosworth hired to rework the proven Kadett GT/E engine (which it did to the point of being virtually a new unit). Irmscher, meanwhile, was tasked with the physical makeover. However, a Group B-ised Manta. That wasn’t before marque returnee Walter Röhrl claimed his second World Championship, though. He did so despite his Rothmans-liveried car being outpaced by the Audi Quattro, especially in the hands of Michèle Mouton. He claimed two rounds that year (Monte Carlo and Ivory Coast), and clung on to take victory through consistency. As such, he became the last driver to win the WRC in a rear-wheel-drive car.

Tony Southgate, whose resume includes Indy 500 and Le Mans winners, landed the gig in early 1983 to design this brave new world, with John Wheeler charged with developing project B200 (Group B/200 cars required for homologation purposes). The model placed third overall on its maiden WRC start on the 1986 International Swedish Rally with Kalle Grundel/Terry Harryman. That was as good as it got. For various reasons, it never bothered the podium again at this level.

MG Metro 6R4

CHILDHOOD nostalgia isn’t the though, the result being a hatch with a 3.0-litre 90º ‘V64V’ V6 where the rear seat and shopping

Citroën DS

SURPRISED to see the DS so far up the list? It’s easy to forget that this most French of saloon cars excelled on certain events. It claimed class honours first time out on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1956, and an ID19 took outright victory three years later. Then there was a win for the DS21 on the season-opener in 1966 (but only after the exclusion of all the cars that preceded it…). The DS won again in 1967. There were several additional significant

Trautmann won that year’s European Rally Trophy, too.

In 1963, Citroën took the Constructors’ Cup, having won the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières, Liège-Sofia-Liège marathon, Coupe des Alpes, Routes du Nord, Tour de Corse, Rallye du Mont Blanc and…

Lucien Bianchi was crowned Belgian Rally Champion, while Trautmann won the French crown. Fast-forward to 1968, and Bianchi was the moral victor of the London to Sydney Marathon, his Works Citroën being struck

Renault 5 Turbo

THIS barking device foretold the Frankensteinian mash-ups that typified the Group B era. The parts-bin special was conceived in 1977 as a retort to the Lancia Stratos, with rear suspension derived from the Alpine-Renault A310, a 30 TX gearbox… You get the idea.

Power, meanwhile, was provided by a mid-mounted 1397cc four-banger fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, and equipped with a Garrett AiResearch T3 turbo. It was created during a period when

Toyota Corolla WRC

TOYOTA enjoyed great rallying success during the early 1990s with variations of the Celica GT-Four, only for the Works team to take a brief hiatus. It returned to the fray midway through the ’97 season with the Corolla WRC, the car’s fourwheel-drive set-up being taken from the GT-Four ST205.

Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm drove the car on its maiden event, that year’s Rally Finland, while Carlos Sainz gave the Corolla its first win on the following year’s Monte Carlo. The

Spaniard also took Rally of New Zealand honours, bookending Auriol’s San Remo victory.

The French ace claimed Toyota’s sole 1999 WRC win, on Rally China. He finished third in the drivers’ standings, but such was Toyota’s consistency over the course of the campaign that it narrowly edged out Subaru to take manufacturers’ honours. The firm then closed its rallying operations to concentrate on its egregiously budgeted but winless tilt at Formula 1. More recently, it has returned to off-piste competition with great success, fielding bespoke Yaris variants.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth

SAVE for the aborted RS 1700T and variations of Gartracconverted, rear-wheel-drive, third-gen editions, pickings were largely slim for the Escort until this bewinged variant arrived. Based on the fifth-series Escort, the RS Cosworth was in build before the production car had even been launched, such was the Blue Oval’s desire to return to prominence in rallying. It was created with the sole purpose of taking the WRC. It failed, which isn’t to say it didn’t enjoy success. It almost won forced induction in rallying – in motor sport – was still a novelty. Renault pioneered the movement in a variety of disciplines. Initially homologated for Group 3 and Group 4 categories, it won first time out in the WRC, Jean Ragnotti taking the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally. He also triumphed on the Tour de Corse in 1982 and ’85, by which time the Renault was generally outgunned by four-wheel-drive rivals. The Cinq claimed a final WRC win in 1986, although Joaquim Moutinho’s privateer success in Portugal was secured only after all the Works teams withdrew. first time out on the 1993 Monte Carlo, and went on to claim victory in five rounds that season (including a privateer win on the San Remo Rally). There were three more successes in 1994, but the Cosworth’s star soon waned. The Works squad was finally shuttered in 1994, with responsibilities passing to the Belgian SAS team. Some argue that a concurrent rule change that meant the Escort had to run with a smaller turbo restrictor blunted its chances thereafter. There was a blank sheet in 1995, a single victory a year later, and two more in 1997.

Top 50 rally cars

Peugeot 206 WRC

HAVING dominated rallying for a spell during the Group B era, starred in rally-raids and won in sports-prototypes at Le Mans, Peugeot then stumbled. It made a half-hearted stab at F1 as an engine supplier, and the marque of the lion only roared again once it returned to rallying. In team and Marcus Grönholm bagged both WRC titles in 2000.

BELOW 206 WRC burned briefly but brightly for Peugeot, claiming three makers’ titles in a row.

‘Magic Marcus’ wasn’t so fortunate a year on, although Peugeot claimed repeat honours. He was paired with defending champ, Subaru exile Richard Burns, for 2002, and took another drivers’ title.

Peugeot also made it three makers’ gongs in a row, but it helped that rival marques experienced teething troubles with new cars. The 206 WRC was on the back-foot in 2003 against the Impreza WRC and Citroën Xsara WRC. As such, its replacement, the 207 WRC, was ushered in before the season was over.

Saab 92-96

SO much of Saab’s success was based on one man’s talent. Erik Carlsson’s class win on the 1958 Tulip Rally provided a huge promotional boost for the nascent marque on the international stage.

Big wins followed, not least on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1962-63. Then there was the RAC Rally of Great Britain hat-trick from 1960-62, and… The little Saabs punched above their weight time and again, Carlsson for his part being prouder of his second-place

Lancia Fulvia

GIVEN what Lancia achieved with the Stratos, the 037 and beyond, it’s easy to overlook the car that blazed the trail.

The Fulvia marked the return of Lancia to full-blown Works competitions after a lengthy hiatus. In 1965, the firm took over HF Squadra Corse to create the factory-run squad.

Run under the direction of sometime competitor Cesare Fiorio, its successes came in thick and fast – starting with eighth place on that year’s Tour de Corse (in Zagato form). Many variations of Fulvias followed, Harry Källström claiming the European Rally title in 1969 aboard a 1.6 Coupé HF, the same year that he won the RAC Rally of GB for Lancia. ‘Sputnik’ bagged repeated honours in ’70. Other titles included the International Championship for Manufacturers in 1972, Sandro Munari having won that year’s Monte Carlo Rally along the way. Munari took the European Rally Championship in 1973, too. The ageing Fulvia soldiered on as a Works weapon into the 1974 season, before it finally made way for the Stratos. finishes on the ultra-tough Liège-Sofia-Liège in 1963-64. It wasn’t all small-capacity two-strokes, either. V4-engined Saabs also starred, with Carlsson coming out of retirement to contest the Baja 1000 in 1969-70 (he was third in the first year, having led until a universal joint broke). Meanwhile, Simo Lampinen won the RAC Rally in 1968 in his 96, and Stig Blomqvist claimed Saab’s fifth (and final) victory in this historic event three years later. Saab took its final WRC win in 1976, when Per Eklund triumphed on the International Swedish Rally.

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

CONCEIVED by Des O’Dell, and flowering after the PSA Group acquired Chrysler Europe and created Talbot, this Lotusengined, rear-wheel-drive hot hatch nevertheless didn’t show well initially. With Tony Pond doing much of the development in the UK, and likewise JeanPierre Nicolas in France, it had a lousy finishing rate in 1979, but a better one in ’80 (Ford having withdrawn as a Works outfit).

The undoubted bright spot was an extraordinary – and unexpected – 1-3-4 finish on that year’s RAC Rally of Great Britain. At 24, Henri Toivonen became the youngest-ever WRCround winner, his progress thereafter being stratospheric.

Underfunded and underresourced relative to Renault and Audi, Talbot nevertheless claimed the Manufacturers’ Championship in 1980, with Guy Fréquelin placing second to Walter Röhrl in the drivers’ standings. Yet the car’s time in the spotlight was soon over. Attempts with a mid-engined, Lotuspowered Talbot Horizon ended early, PSA forging ahead with the Peugeot 205 T16 instead.

Austin-Healey 3000

FEW cars evoke early 1960s rallying quite like a Big Healey. It didn’t take long for the BMC Competitions Department to get its mitts on the 3000, either, having already dipped its toe with the 100/6. It was an instant success: Pat Moss was second on the 1959 German Rally, runner-up on the 1960 Alpine and outright victor on that year’s punishing Rome-Liège-Rome. Incidentally, future team boss Stuart Turner viewed Moss’s success on the latter as being just as heroic as her brother

Lancia 037

THE 037 was the first car built explicitly to Group B regulations. Abarth was responsible for its design and construction but, contrary to popular belief, the 037 owes little to the Montecarlo production car save for the midengined layout and the centre section. For starters, its ironblock, twin-cam ‘four’ with its 16v head was turned through 90º from a transverse placing to a longitudinal position, and allied to a ZF five-speed transaxle. A supercharger was chosen over a turbo to eliminate

Toyota Celica GT-Four

IT is easy to forget that before Subaru and Mitsubishi owned the WRC, Toyota had blazed a trail for Japanese marques with the shapely all-wheel-drive GT-Four. Strictly speaking there were three iterations, all fielded by Toyota Team Europe, which operated out of Cologne.

The model made its WRC debut in ST165 form on the 1988 Tour de Corse, and claimed its initial victory during the following year’s Rally Australia with the brilliant Juha Kankkunen at the helm. A year lag and improve response. Its quoted 265bhp jumped to 300bhp in Evolution 1 trim and 325bhp in Evolution 2 spec. Independent double-wishbone suspension featured front and rear, along with dual Bilstein gas dampers out back, while steel subframes were used fore and aft of the centre section. The bodywork was mostly Kevlar. The 037 was bloodied in competition on the 1982 Rally Costa Smeralda, and Lancia went on to claim the 1983 WRC manufacturers’ title. However, the arrival of Peugeot’s 205 T16 blunted its challenge thereafter. later Works man Carlos Sainz was crowned World Champion, the first-series model claiming 13 WRC victories into 1994. That same season saw the arrival of the ST185, which steamrollered its way to makers’ titles in 1993-94 and drivers’ crowns for Sainz (1992), Kankkunen (1993) and Didier Auriol (1994). It claimed 16 WRC wins, the ST205 opening its account on the 1995 Tour de Corse only to have it closed shortly thereafter amid a cheating scandal. Toyota was stripped of its points, as were its drivers, and banned from the WRC for 1996.

Stirling’s on the 1955 Mille Miglia. It is also worth recalling Don and Erle Morley’s domination of the Tulip Rally from 1962-65, even if outright victory proved elusive due to the handicapping system. Then there was the duo’s triumphs on the Coupe des Alpes in 1961-62. Meanwhile, Rauno Aaltonen’s win on the 1964 Spa-Sofia-Liège was a lesson in sheer grit. One win that evaded the Big Healey was the RAC Rally of Great Britain. The 3000 wasn’t suited to forest stages, but it still recorded four secondplace finishes between 1961-65.

Lancia Delta S4

LANCIA Rally Team began work on the project known internally as SE038 in January 1983. While notionally related to the Delta hatch, it was a different beast entirely due to a mid-mounted DOHC 1759cc ‘four’ that boasted a turbo and a supercharger. Lancia may have insisted that the S4 resembled a production car, but the bodywork comprised carbonfibre front and rear panels and doors made of Kevlar. There were also numerous aerodynamic aids including a front splitter and winglets incorporated into the

Citroën Xsara WRC

CITROËN’S return to frontline competition witnessed a period of dominance, most of it for one man: Sébastien Loeb. The French ace made the four-wheel-drive hatchback his own, and lost out on the 2003 drivers’ title by one point to Subaru’s Petter Solberg. He made amends a year later, bumper/spoiler. Underpinning the S4 was a tubular spaceframe complete with double-wishbone suspension all round.

The S4 was an instant winner at the end of 1985, and claimed whopping 26 points. All told, Loeb claimed 28 WRC victories aboard the Xsara.

It wasn’t all about Loeb, though, with Jesús Puras, Carlos Sainz and François Duval also making their presence felt. Citroën also sealed three consecutive constructors’ titles (2003-05), the marque then picking up

Olympus Rally). Fabrizio

Tabaton also sealed the 1986 European Championship drivers’ title in an S4. Sadly, the car is perhaps remembered more for the crash on the Tour de Corse that claimed the lives of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto. The passing of Group B nixed the S4’s Group S ECV1 successor.

Citroën C4 WRC

ANOTHER crushingly effective car fielded by Citroën, this turbocharged 2.0-litre machine isn’t generally talked of with the sort of misty-eyed reverence reserved for, say, Subaru, Lancia or Mitsubishi WRC legends. That may be because it was derived from the humble C4, but perhaps more because it dominated against relatively limited competition. Replacing the Xsara WRC, it was first campaigned on the 2007 Monte Carlo Rally; Sébastien Loeb led throughout to win at a canter, team-mate Dani Sordo following him home. They were fastest on nine of the 15 stages. And so it continued. The remarkable Loeb went on to accrue seven of the further 15 rounds to win yet another WRC title, with Ford’s Marcus Grönholm his nearest challenger. He then won it again in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Citroën, for its part, won the manufacturers’ silverware from 2008-10, claiming 36 wins and 87 podium positions in doing so. As an aside, future WRC superstar Sébastien Ogier made his debut at this level in a privateer C4.

Ford Focus RS WRC

WHEN discussing the Focus in rallying, the obvious first question is ‘which version’?

As with its spiritual ancestor, the Escort, there were umpteen iterations of the nameplate, and success generally begat success. This Ford Europe/M-Sport co-production made an instant impression on its debut event, the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally. Colin McRae was fastest on several stages, only to be excluded along with his teammate Simon Jean-Joseph over a water pump-related technical

Mitsubishi Lancer/ Carisma Evo

AS with so many cars featured herein, there were umpteen variations of this four-wheeldrive brute. Officially, there were ten distinct model designations, but also various subspecies and market-specific editions. Not all of them were campaigned, but those that were left an indelible impression on rallying. Never more so than when steered by Finnish superstar Tommi Mäkinen. The Ralliart Mitsubishi versus Prodrive Subaru battle was a mid- to late-1990s high point, with Mäkinen holding sway in the drivers’ standings: he claimed four titles from 1996-99 aboard Evos III, IV, V, and VI. However, the brand took only one makers’ crown (in 1998, with Richard Burns bolstering the campaign). Mitsubishi never quite found a foothold after it switched to running a WRC car (as opposed to an adapted Group A weapon). There were slim pickings in 2001, a sabbatical in ’02 and then it was lights out at the end of ’05. As an aside, Mäkinen scored his final WRC win in 2002 aboard… a Subaru Impreza.

Porsche 911

PORSCHE’S tilt at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally with the new 911 was as low key as it got. Fastforward to the end of the next year, when Vic Elford and David Stone finished third on the Tour de Corse; Porsche was suddenly interested. In 1968, the duo claimed a famous win on the Monte, Elford having been seemingly oblivious to the ice on the Col de la Couillole stage. This victory with a 911T was but a mere opening salvo.

In second place, in a 911S, was Pauli Toivonen, who went on to infringement. Two events later, the Scot opened the car’s account with a crushing Safari Rally display. His margin of victory was 15 minutes-plus over Didier Auriol’s second-placed Toyota. McRae’s name is inextricably linked with Subaru, but it’s worth remembering that he won nine rounds of the WRC to 2002 with the Blue Oval. Scroll forward to ’06, and Ford claimed the makers’ title for the first time in 25 years. By 2011, when the Fiesta RS WRC arrived, the Focus in its various guises had won 44 times from 173 WRC events. Oh, and claimed 142 podium placings. be crowned European Rally Champ by dint of his victories on the San Remo, East German, West German, Geneva, Danube and Spanish Rallies, to go with his third place on the Acropolis. And let’s not forget Björn Waldegård’s success on the ’68 Swedish Rally, ‘Walle’ going on to win the 1969 Monte ahead of 911 convert Gérard Larrousse. The duo also finished 1-2 on the same event in 1970. Rallying took a back stage thereafter, but the Alméras Frères team conquered the Monte in 1978, plus the 1980 European Rally Championship, with 911s.

Top 50 rally cars

Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally

ONE of the great standouts of 1970s rallying, the 131 was nevertheless not the original choice as a replacement for the 124 Abarth Sport. Plans called for the Works to field a car based on the X1/9. The prototype made its debut on March 1974’s Giro di Sicilia, but retired with transmission failure. It showed well elsewhere, only for Fiat’s marketing people to suggest that the team campaign a saloon instead. Abarth had already built a 131-based car, the experimental V6-engined SE031. The new rally 131 wouldn’t be so-powered for various reasons, not least Fiat management’s insistence that the Abarth-ised version be broadly identifiable with the mass-produced 131. The resultant car claimed honours first time out on April 1976’s Elba Rally, driven by Markku Alén. Later that year, the Finn won the 1000 Lakes (he’d do so again for Fiat in 1979 and ’80), this successful partial season flowering into a sustained attack on the WRC for 1977, which it owned. As it did in 1978… Fiat bagged a third makers’ title in ’80.

FEW manufacturers expended more energy and money into winning the WRC during the Group B era than Peugeot. This wasn’t just a competition

Subaru Impreza

SUBARU made its maiden international WRC appearance on the 1980 Safari Rally with a Leone DL. Third place on the 1987 Rally of New Zealand with an RX Turbo was a high point, until Prodrive created the Group A Legacy. Results came in thick and fast: Colin McRae and Derek Ringer won the British Rally Championship in 1991-92, and claimed the marque’s first WRC victory on the 1993 Rally of New Zealand. This also marked the final showing for the Legacy: programme; it was a rebranding exercise with the mighty Turbo 16 to the fore. Peugeot’s budget was of the eye-watering variety, and nothing was off-limits save for the need for the new four-wheel-drive supercar its replacement debuted at the proceeding round, Rally Finland. to resemble the standard 205 production model.

In no time, the mighty Impreza in blue ‘555’ livery with gold wheels became intertwined with ‘McRae’ in the mind’s eye (in the same way as ‘Jim Clark’ instantly conjures images of a green-andyellow Lotus). The Scot emerged victorious on the 1995 RAC Rally of Great Britain to claim the WRC title. Team-mates Carlos Sainz and future superstar Richard Burns followed him home. All told, the Impreza in its many guises accrued three drivers’ crowns and as many makers’ titles, plus 46 WRC victories.

A turbocharged 1775cc four-cylinder engine was created out of an XU diesel unit, but with a 16v DOHC head to run on petrol. Under the FIA’s equivalency regulations, whereby displacement was multiplied by a factor of 1.4 for forced-induction set-ups, the end capacity became 2485cc. The T16 went on to dominate the second half of the 1984 World Rally Championship. It continued to be developed thereafter, a six-speed ’box and a fully spaceframed rear end being added along the way. It became the most successful car of the Group B era, with 16 wins and two WRC titles to its credit. What’s more, it also formed the basis for successful Pikes Peak and Paris-Dakar rally-raid bids.

Lancia Delta HF 4WD/Integrale

WHEN introduced in 1979, there were few pointers to the Delta becoming a performance icon. Rooted in the Fiat Strada, this hatch was anything but hot for all its virtues. Sure, it was voted Car of the Year the next year, yet competition work seemed improbable. But that was then. With 165bhp from its 2.0-litre twin-cam turbo ‘four’ and an advanced all-wheel-drive system, the new HF 4WD – aka the Abarth SE030 – took the 1987 World Championship of Makes title at a canter. It also won the first two rounds of the following year’s series before the Integrale took over. This new strain of Delta dominated in 1988, sealing manufacturer honours well before the end of the campaign. And so it continued. There was no time for laurel resting, though. For the next year, Lancia introduced a 16v variation to be run alongside the existing eight-valver. It made a successful debut in the San Remo Rally and so on… Works involvement in rallying ended in 1992 after Lancia had taken its sixth consecutive makers’ crown.

In recognition of this important milestone in Porsche history we have been meticulously fettling some significant early examples of the marque.

The Teesdale RHD 911 SWB FIA

- Desirable colour combination of Slate Grey/ Red interior as per Kardex

- Up to date 2.0L Cup championship winning specifications

- Fully restored by ourselves

- One of only 11 UK supplied cars

1965 Porsche 911 FIA

- Genuine 1965 MY (non adjustable front strut) Porsche 911

- Being built to 2.0L Cup championship winning specifications

- Turnkey finished and ready for testing in March

- Undergoing full restoration by ourselves

- Signal Red/ Black interior as per Kardex

Mini Cooper

IN many ways, the Cooper entered into legend as much for how motor sport gave the Mini an image overhaul as for what it achieved in terms of results. And never more so than on the event with which its name is intertwined: the Monte Carlo. In 1964, Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon steered their Cooper S to victory over the Ford Falcon of Bo Ljungfeldt and Fergus Sager to win outright. It was front-page news, Hopkirk, Liddon and their car even appearing on stage during

Sunday Night at the London Palladium, which was compulsory viewing in the UK at a time when there were only three TV stations. The die was cast. The Cooper in various guises would triumph on the event in 1965 and ’67, the year that it didn’t win serving only to burnish its legend. Minis blanketed the podium positions in ’66, only to be excluded (along with the Ford Lotus Cortina in fourth place) on spurious grounds. This allowed Citroën to claim honours. It all caused a media furore, which further bolstered the Mini name.

Audi Quattro

AUDI ushered four-wheel drive and forced induction into top-flight rallying with the Quattro. Hannu Mikkola claimed maiden honours on the 1981 International Swedish Rally, with Audi taking further scalps a year later. The A1 and A2 variants continued to be frontrunners in 1983-84. Nevertheless, drivers petitioned for a purpose-built machine. Audi’s board, however, insisted that it would only campaign a machine that closely resembled a production car. The

Quattro S1 was the response. While visually similar to the outgoing model, albeit with 320mm removed from its wheelbase, this new strain was significantly different. However, the 1985 season witnessed only one WRC win, Walter Röhrl claiming honours on the San Remo Rally. What’s more, it was with an evolutionary variant; one that in many ways defined the craziness of the Group B era. With its papercut-sharp bodywork, the S1 E2 looked every inch the iron fist inside a titanium glove.

Ford is idolised because it represented a lost time when competing didn’t require you

BELOW A true legend, the Ford Escort defined instant impression in circuit racing, too, but really came to prominence on roads less

Lancia Stratos

OUR choice for the top spot is bound to be controversial. It shouldn’t be. The Stratos was a rally phenomenon, but it also transcended the sport for which it was conceived. All of which seems remarkable given that the origins of the species was so far removed from a competition tool. Stile Bertone’s Stratos Zero concept car prompted jaws to slacken when unveiled at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. Here was a wedge-shaped device that had only one door, which doubled as the windscreen...

There were some onlookers for whom it was more than just a grounded flight of fantasy.

Lancia’s competition department boss Cesare Fiorio was chief among their number. However, merely pitching the idea of a small-series homologation special wasn’t without its headaches, but he found an ally in Lancia principal Pierugo Gobbato, who managed to sway a sceptical Fiat board. Scroll forward to the 1971 Turin show, and the Stratos as we know it was revealed on the Bertone stand in mock-up form.

In February 1972, a test mule was put through its paces, with Giampaolo Dallara contributing to its development. In November of that year, the Stratos was bloodied, showing well in Sandro Munari’s hands on the Tour de Corse while it held together. The following April the Stratos took its first victory, on the Spanish Firestone Rally. Before the car was strictly legal in terms of homologation, it had already claimed six major scalps including the Targa Florio.

The following season saw factory driver Munari seal the first of three consecutive Monte Carlo Rally wins, the Stratos racking up further victories thanks to stars such as Bernard Darniche, Björn Waldegård and Markku Alén. However, despite accruing umpteen wins, the car’s time on the frontline ebbed in the second half of 1977 as a Works challenger. Fiat’s marketers had been petitioning for something Fiat-shaped to be the weapon of choice. They got what they wanted.

The Lancia and Fiat competition departments were brought under one roof, and emphasis was now placed on the Fiat-Abarth 131 Rally. Not that the Stratos was done just yet. Works entries were sporadic, due as much to homologation requirements that insisted on the use of 12v engines rather than 24v units as it was to corporate interference.

Alén took the final WRC victory for a factory Stratos on the San Remo Rally in October 1978, Darniche’s upset win on the following January’s Monte Carlo classic with a privateer example proving the car still had legs.

In October 1979, Antonio Fassina drove his Jolly Club car to victory on the San Remo Rally to claim the model’s final WRC win. However, it was still in with a shout as late as 1982, when Fabrizio Tabaton prevailed on the Elba Rally, which was a round of the European Rally Championship. The Stratos would in time pave the way for the 037 and Delta S4. The thing is, for all their brilliance, neither car was blessed with such crowd-pleasing magnetism as the templatesetting original. Even now, few cars have the power to stop you in your tracks quite like a Stratos.