Dimi Mavropoulos RIP
Discussion
Sad news from Cyprus of the death of a Rallycross legend.
I used to marshal startline for Rallycross in the 80s and early 90s and the guy was superb. Completely bonkers but a joy to watch and terrific fun off the track too.
I was in Cyprus only last year and went to see his Museum in Limassol - and there he was. He didn't remember me but remembered we all wore yellow for the startline gig and had a proper chat down memory lane about Rallycross at Brands Hatch back in the day.
I used to marshal startline for Rallycross in the 80s and early 90s and the guy was superb. Completely bonkers but a joy to watch and terrific fun off the track too.
I was in Cyprus only last year and went to see his Museum in Limassol - and there he was. He didn't remember me but remembered we all wore yellow for the startline gig and had a proper chat down memory lane about Rallycross at Brands Hatch back in the day.
bergclimber34 said:
The Blackbird
Imported fruit for many years and somehow that afforded him the best machinery in his sport
He also grew the fruit he imported! Imported fruit for many years and somehow that afforded him the best machinery in his sport
Money does grow on trees. If ever you're in Cyprus the Cyprus Motor Museum is worth a look - essentially Dimi's entire collection of cars and quite an impressive collection it is.
2172cc said:
I've got loads of great memories of him and John Welch battling it out at freezing cold Lydden or Brands in the late 80s and 90s in his Quattro's
.
Also competed in a Lotus Esprit and an Escort before the Audi's.
Great guy.
The bloke in the light yellow overalls, just to the right of Dimi's head..... that's me that is! Also competed in a Lotus Esprit and an Escort before the Audi's.
Great guy.
He bought that car from I think Walter Mayer or Franz Wurz, I can't remember now would have cost a small fortune, he was also a decent rally driver, very good in Cyprus obviously using Audi's mainly.
ANotehr car he was famous for was the balck Lotus Esprit, and he also rallied a Sunbeam I think.
He was never amazing in rallycross, never a Gollop or Rennison but on his day he could hold his own.
He was in the British Inter Nations Cup team in 87 when they won at Croft, and I think he won a heat when we really needed a win, never known a more cheered and more popular win.
ANotehr car he was famous for was the balck Lotus Esprit, and he also rallied a Sunbeam I think.
He was never amazing in rallycross, never a Gollop or Rennison but on his day he could hold his own.
He was in the British Inter Nations Cup team in 87 when they won at Croft, and I think he won a heat when we really needed a win, never known a more cheered and more popular win.
bergclimber34 said:
He was in the British Inter Nations Cup team in 87 when they won at Croft, and I think he won a heat when we really needed a win, never known a more cheered and more popular win.
Yep, it could be argued that it was those unexpected points from that heat win that won the Inter Nations for GB team, and yes, it was greeted with some extra special cheer as I recall.I took this photo of Dimi in the swb beast at the '87 Inter Nations
He was a real character and he lost the spoiler off the Quattro Sport in one event and being a good mate of Rippy, he turned up as usual at the Edmonton mega store to see if the lads had anything close enough as a replacement. He brought the Sport on his trailer, but couldn't get anywhere near the store with it so parked it up down the road somewhere, unloaded it, and blasted it down the road to the store and drove it onto the pavement nose into the main door so the lads could offer up a selection of spoilers to see if any came close to being right, while walking around the shop with a tray of oranges offering them to anyone that wanted one which was his usual thing to do when visiting the store
After finding a suitable spoiler he threw it in the Sport, fired it up, and did a donut outside the shop before blasting off to where he'd left the trailer.
He was probably a better rally driver than rallycross, but loved both. I well remember his international rallying exploits in his Talbot Sunbeam-Lotus in must be 80 and 81?
It looks he was using a Sierra Cosworth rear spoiler on that car, the rally cars did not use a front splitter or bib.
He was very good in Cyprus but always had great cars, rallies there were very tough and arduous, very hot, he ran Quattros in GpB and A and I think eventually a Cosworth.
My mates claim to fame was being hit very hard by a rock by Dimi in the Sunbeam in Clipstone!!
He was very good in Cyprus but always had great cars, rallies there were very tough and arduous, very hot, he ran Quattros in GpB and A and I think eventually a Cosworth.
My mates claim to fame was being hit very hard by a rock by Dimi in the Sunbeam in Clipstone!!
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