Remembering Rallying 1960-2005
Discussion
Ah, early to mid 90's rallying, brings back great memories :-)
I was lucky, living in Cheshire, the Lombard/RAC being based in Chester with North and Mid-Wales stages in the latter days, there was plenty of opportunities to see the cars and stars.
The 'spectator' stages on the Sunday saw my dad taking me to Chatsworth, Tatton Park, Donington or Clumber to watch the stage during the day. Some years, if they were back at Chester that night or doing a night stage at Oulton Park, we'd be driving round the local roads hoping to be passed by a rally car en-route to the stage. Some years we would stand at the traffic lights in Middlewich Town Centre hoping for the lights to be red as the cars went along the A54 from the M6 on the way to Chester. I always remember Malcolm Wilson in the Michelin Escort Cossie having to stop for the lights and someone else standing next to us opened the drivers door for a chat!
During the week, we would then go and stand on the rows at Chester and watch the drivers being interviewed on the drive on stage on the main street on their return at the end of the days stages (or sat in the grandstand at the race course when it moved there in the later years). Will always remember Ari Vatanen interviews :-)
I was always envious of a mate of mine from school, whose Dad marshalled at Sweet Lamb every year and he was taken out of school to go with him. He even got his radio controlled Escort Cossie on the opening sequences of Top Gear Rally Report one year too!
I was lucky, living in Cheshire, the Lombard/RAC being based in Chester with North and Mid-Wales stages in the latter days, there was plenty of opportunities to see the cars and stars.
The 'spectator' stages on the Sunday saw my dad taking me to Chatsworth, Tatton Park, Donington or Clumber to watch the stage during the day. Some years, if they were back at Chester that night or doing a night stage at Oulton Park, we'd be driving round the local roads hoping to be passed by a rally car en-route to the stage. Some years we would stand at the traffic lights in Middlewich Town Centre hoping for the lights to be red as the cars went along the A54 from the M6 on the way to Chester. I always remember Malcolm Wilson in the Michelin Escort Cossie having to stop for the lights and someone else standing next to us opened the drivers door for a chat!
During the week, we would then go and stand on the rows at Chester and watch the drivers being interviewed on the drive on stage on the main street on their return at the end of the days stages (or sat in the grandstand at the race course when it moved there in the later years). Will always remember Ari Vatanen interviews :-)
I was always envious of a mate of mine from school, whose Dad marshalled at Sweet Lamb every year and he was taken out of school to go with him. He even got his radio controlled Escort Cossie on the opening sequences of Top Gear Rally Report one year too!
aeropilot said:
Pwig said:
You have to love the number of spectators out in MN days.
Then again wales is still like that at the moment.
Oh happy days...... Then again wales is still like that at the moment.
Genuine Ascona 400 road car as well, worth a bloody fortune today. They were super rare even back in 1980/81...!!
We bemoan the coverage now, but back in the day the RAC Rally was the only event covered.
That 'coverage' was in the form of Tony Mason / Steve Rider sat in front of a desk presenting highlights of stages on the "Top Gear Rally Report"
I lived for that program as a kid, and longed to visit Killer Kielder where Audi Quattros spat fire in the dark....
My first actual experience was at the same Silverstone special stage as was mentioned earlier in the thread. Late 90's - we were all really there for McRae. He duly rewarded by hanging his Focus around the special stage but it was all a bit Mickey Mouse.
I never did get in to the forests and, at the risk of sounding whimsical, it's not the same now.
Best years were around the turn of the century - Subaru vs Mitsubishi vs Peugeot vs Ford. All with top line drivers.
Great times.
That 'coverage' was in the form of Tony Mason / Steve Rider sat in front of a desk presenting highlights of stages on the "Top Gear Rally Report"
I lived for that program as a kid, and longed to visit Killer Kielder where Audi Quattros spat fire in the dark....
My first actual experience was at the same Silverstone special stage as was mentioned earlier in the thread. Late 90's - we were all really there for McRae. He duly rewarded by hanging his Focus around the special stage but it was all a bit Mickey Mouse.
I never did get in to the forests and, at the risk of sounding whimsical, it's not the same now.
Best years were around the turn of the century - Subaru vs Mitsubishi vs Peugeot vs Ford. All with top line drivers.
Great times.
ELUSIVEJIM said:
Small Car said:
In 1985 my Dad took me in to Margam and we saw the Lombard come through; I was hooked.
Group B and the RS200 was my life!
I became a Russell Brookes and Dai Llewelin fan boy.
I became obsessed with rallying getting Motoring News weekly, Rally Sport mag, Autosport etc all the day they came out. I took 100s of photo all of which I still have. The Welsh Rally and the RAC were my favourites.
Having lived it for 30 odd years I finally managed to do the WRC Wales Rally GB round last week - in the slowest car - but I got to see a little glimpse of what the top boys experienced back in the glory days. A Twingo is a very different experience to a Grp B monster. I just wished that it was through Margam and I could complete the experience from my childhood!
Nice one mate. Did you finish? Must have been a dream come true. Group B and the RS200 was my life!
I became a Russell Brookes and Dai Llewelin fan boy.
I became obsessed with rallying getting Motoring News weekly, Rally Sport mag, Autosport etc all the day they came out. I took 100s of photo all of which I still have. The Welsh Rally and the RAC were my favourites.
Having lived it for 30 odd years I finally managed to do the WRC Wales Rally GB round last week - in the slowest car - but I got to see a little glimpse of what the top boys experienced back in the glory days. A Twingo is a very different experience to a Grp B monster. I just wished that it was through Margam and I could complete the experience from my childhood!
To add to the memories - one the scariest memories was when Dai Llewelin spun off on the second bend of the Welsh rally in his Gemini sponsored na Quattro - the stage was the park next to Cardiff Castle (Bute Park?). Must have been about 1989. He didn't lift. Straight through the crowd. No one hit - but very close. I now stand in very sensible places when I spectate!
Jerry Can said:
Even in rallying's mid 80's hey day, I am not sure that there are more people in the forests than today. Or at least not per stage.
My memory of the mid 80s is that there were huge crowds everywhere. All around the country. Not just in a few spectator pens in Wales. I've seen reports of 2-3 million people seeing the RAC each year around that time. There weren't 2 million watching Rally Wales this year. It was covered in national newspapers and on the BBC. The only time the BBC and national media are generally properly interested these days is when there's a serious accident.And regarding the cars, they're faster yes - they'll be even faster next year. But tyre/suspension/aero has moved on so much that faster doesn't equate to exciting to watch. I'd rather something a bit slower going sideways everywhere!
Muzzer79 said:
We bemoan the coverage now, but back in the day the RAC Rally was the only event covered.
That 'coverage' was in the form of Tony Mason / Steve Rider sat in front of a desk presenting highlights of stages on the "Top Gear Rally Report"
I lived for that program as a kid, and longed to visit Killer Kielder where Audi Quattros spat fire in the dark....
Having re watched a lot of the old rally reports on youtube, they still knock spots off the modern coverage. Admittedly they only really covered the RAC in depth but they really went to town on it. That 'coverage' was in the form of Tony Mason / Steve Rider sat in front of a desk presenting highlights of stages on the "Top Gear Rally Report"
I lived for that program as a kid, and longed to visit Killer Kielder where Audi Quattros spat fire in the dark....
My introduction to rallying was rally report in the mid eighties 85 and 86 stick strongly in mind. But then I got really lucky, our school trip to the Isle of Man coincided with the 87 Manx National- for a few hours I was in hog heaven spectating a proper tarmac rally from behind a hedge!
Few pics taken afterwards due to 35mm issues! The left overs on Douglas promenade..
As a youngster I was fairly obsessed with Rallying but the best bit was the RAC coverage and once the BBC lost the rights to show it and the sport got passed from one broadcaster to the next it slowly went off my radar.
Its is rather sad to think that what was Britain's biggest spectator event has shrunk so much, last year they ran 19 stages (192 stage miles) in 1985 they ran 63 stages and 546 stage miles and thats not counting road mileage which was enormous as the rally was spread between England Scotland and Wales.
Back on a more cheery note, when my better half was a nipper, she was taken to Trentham Gardens by her parents to watch the RAC rally, she found some of her Dad's old photos...
Anyway I don't really know were this post is meandering but I still watch a bit of rallying and every few years try and get to a stage even if its just a local rally.
Not wishing to be a dampener on all this, and my earlier posts should show the love for the sport, but as a previous competitor including Motoring News events we shouldn't let our rose tinted glasses miss the fact that in order to be competitive the stunts that we had to pull, both as competitors and organisers had to pull were well over the legal line. Selectives set at average speeds double that allowed were the norm. Flying over give way signs without stopping, just assuming that turning all your own lights out and not seeing another vehicle lights meant it was all clear, fair few collisions with that, including fatals.
One event somebody flew straight across a X roads and nearly collected the local vicar's car, close enough to leave a paint trace. Police investigations narrowed it down to a white Escort without big wings. Fair few of us bricking it.
One event somebody flew straight across a X roads and nearly collected the local vicar's car, close enough to leave a paint trace. Police investigations narrowed it down to a white Escort without big wings. Fair few of us bricking it.
aeropilot said:
Pwig said:
Speaking of old motoring news rally pictures I love this one
I still have one of those Leyland Special Tuning rally jackets like that guy is wearing in the background 
Typically BL, it was an already obsolete design from the very start. A bit like the Metro in fact.
LotusOmega375D said:
aeropilot said:
Pwig said:
Speaking of old motoring news rally pictures I love this one
I still have one of those Leyland Special Tuning rally jackets like that guy is wearing in the background Typically BL, it was an already obsolete design from the very start. A bit like the Metro in fact.
I bought my jacket at the BL Special Tuning Abingdon closing down sale in the autumn of 1980.
FiF said:
Not wishing to be a dampener on all this, and my earlier posts should show the love for the sport, but as a previous competitor including Motoring News events we shouldn't let our rose tinted glasses miss the fact that in order to be competitive the stunts that we had to pull, both as competitors and organisers had to pull were well over the legal line. Selectives set at average speeds double that allowed were the norm. Flying over give way signs without stopping, just assuming that turning all your own lights out and not seeing another vehicle lights meant it was all clear, fair few collisions with that, including fatals.
One event somebody flew straight across a X roads and nearly collected the local vicar's car, close enough to leave a paint trace. Police investigations narrowed it down to a white Escort without big wings. Fair few of us bricking it.
Ahhh good old not stopping at give ways.. One event somebody flew straight across a X roads and nearly collected the local vicar's car, close enough to leave a paint trace. Police investigations narrowed it down to a white Escort without big wings. Fair few of us bricking it.
This is one rally I would like to attend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M2ILNJbyr8
Some impressive skills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M2ILNJbyr8
Some impressive skills
interloper said:
My introduction to rallying was rally report in the mid eighties 85 and 86 stick strongly in mind. But then I got really lucky, our school trip to the Isle of Man coincided with the 87 Manx National- for a few hours I was in hog heaven spectating a proper tarmac rally from behind a hedge!
Few pics taken afterwards due to 35mm issues! The left overs on Douglas promenade..
As a youngster I was fairly obsessed with Rallying but the best bit was the RAC coverage and once the BBC lost the rights to show it and the sport got passed from one broadcaster to the next it slowly went off my radar.
I recognise that car Steve! Helped service it on the Welsh a year or so after - Roger Davies' was the driverFew pics taken afterwards due to 35mm issues! The left overs on Douglas promenade..
As a youngster I was fairly obsessed with Rallying but the best bit was the RAC coverage and once the BBC lost the rights to show it and the sport got passed from one broadcaster to the next it slowly went off my radar.
Lived just down the road from me
s m said:
I recognise that car Steve! Helped service it on the Welsh a year or so after - Roger Davies' was the driver
Lived just down the road from me
Good stuff, its a small world! Btw I have it on good authority that the Manta I pictured is an ex works, ex Jimmy McRae car (I had no idea at the time).Lived just down the road from me
sleepera6 said:
Except it's not as interesting anymore.
I watched the Wales rally on TV recently, Polos and Fiestas looming. Yes all is good, but the cars were a bit..bland.
No more signature burbles or screams anymore, they sound similar.
No more interesting cars or homologation specials of said interesting cars (you can leave the Hyundai i30 N out of this)
You can't buy said homolgation specials, etc you used to be able to go out and buy an Impreza Turbo and be like McRae)
No super group like Group B, only the same WRC cars
etc etc,
Burns kept Subaru on the ground, if he had not died SWRT may still be here today.
McRae kept the press going.
listen to the engine in the attached video linkI watched the Wales rally on TV recently, Polos and Fiestas looming. Yes all is good, but the cars were a bit..bland.
No more signature burbles or screams anymore, they sound similar.
No more interesting cars or homologation specials of said interesting cars (you can leave the Hyundai i30 N out of this)
You can't buy said homolgation specials, etc you used to be able to go out and buy an Impreza Turbo and be like McRae)
No super group like Group B, only the same WRC cars
etc etc,
Burns kept Subaru on the ground, if he had not died SWRT may still be here today.
McRae kept the press going.
http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/motorsports/offroad/s...
eargasm?
FiF said:
Pwig said:
Ahhh good old not stopping at give ways..
Mrs just looked over my shoulder and asked why is there a picture of you on the Internet. It's not me, btw, but could be, driver looks very much like a younger self and I did at one point have a red mk1.Who is it, looks familiar.
It was the devils own in the late 70s, I know that much
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