Almost 100% non-Alfa:
This is an amazing site. It reignites so many great childhood memories of watching my heroes rallying. Thankfully, the memories of getting up at 3am, frozen toes, car-sickness, being drenched to the skin, etc. have all faded. Replaced by the stronger recollections of Coleman, Fisher and McRae desperately fighting off invaders from Finland, Sweden, England.... and (usually) ultimately losing to superior machinery and bigger budgets.
I've barely skimmed the surface of this site. Here's some good ones: Use the name search to find Billy Coleman. He had some amazing drives, such as the Stratos, Manta 400, 911SCRS and Metro 6R4. Then look up Michele Mouton. Have a look at that Quattro she drove on the Ulster. Toivonen is in there as well. Nobody knew the GpB days were numbered at that point...
Can you find the Alfa? I found 1. Not the Alfa I expected to find though.
http://www.rallyretro.com/
Barry.
They were great years.
During the Circuit of Ireland, we used to love speculating on how long the newbies would last. It was a 5 day event with some thru-the-night stages. Being April, so you could get at least 3 seasons within the hour. The newbies never understood that you had to nurse the car, be kind to it and encourage it to the finish. It must have been frightening for them, with subsequent stages being gravel, forest, tarmac or snow. Lashing rain at the start of a stage, bone dry and sunny on the other side of the hill. The newbie that exceeded all bets, for a short while, was Michele Mouton. Nobody expected her to make it South of the border. She did. I saw her on just 1 stage. I believe she was leading. She was driving the be-jaysus out of the car. What a sight. She disappeared 'round the bend leaving us to contemplate her waste-gate. I recall the wiser heads all proclaiming she'd break the car. And she did. 1 stage later.
There are quite a few Italian cars on the site. I even saw a 308/328! (how many spare sumps did they bring?). Beyond that, a 037, Stratos, FIATs 131 Abarth, 124, 128, 600...and that Alfa.
We always figured the Finns were the best in the world. Way better than the Swedes
The Brits came well-funded and prob won 1/2 of all the Irish rallies. And 1/2 of those victories seemed to be Russell Brookes.
Rallying is still good today. It surely peaked in the 80’s though. There will never be a 205T16, 6R4 or RS200 splitting the ditches below you at 140mph.
They were great years.
During the Circuit of Ireland, we used to love speculating on how long the newbies would last. It was a 5 day event with some thru-the-night stages. Being April, so you could get at least 3 seasons within the hour. The newbies never understood that you had to nurse the car, be kind to it and encourage it to the finish. It must have been frightening for them, with subsequent stages being gravel, forest, tarmac or snow. Lashing rain at the start of a stage, bone dry and sunny on the other side of the hill. The newbie that exceeded all bets, for a short while, was Michele Mouton. Nobody expected her to make it South of the border. She did. I saw her on just 1 stage. I believe she was leading. She was driving the be-jaysus out of the car. What a sight. She disappeared 'round the bend leaving us to contemplate her waste-gate. I recall the wiser heads all proclaiming she'd break the car. And she did. 1 stage later.
There are quite a few Italian cars on the site. I even saw a 308/328! (how many spare sumps did they bring?). Beyond that, a 037, Stratos, FIATs 131 Abarth, 124, 128, 600...and that Alfa.
We always figured the Finns were the best in the world. Way better than the Swedes
The Brits came well-funded and prob won 1/2 of all the Irish rallies. And 1/2 of those victories seemed to be Russell Brookes.
Rallying is still good today. It surely peaked in the 80’s though. There will never be a 205T16, 6R4 or RS200 splitting the ditches below you at 140mph.
Last edited by DaveH on Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DaveH: You may be suprised to hear this but Swedes and Finns are almost like one nation, that's how tight we are.
Unless we play hockey of course, then we are bloody enemies...
So any lame attempt to play us agains each other arn't going to work.
Edit: oh, almost forgot, VERY cool site!
And remember, we got the original Stig.
Unless we play hockey of course, then we are bloody enemies...
So any lame attempt to play us agains each other arn't going to work.
Edit: oh, almost forgot, VERY cool site!
And remember, we got the original Stig.
Mats Strandberg
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-
GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-
GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
Mats,
I thought you might chime in!
I think a lot of the Nordic drivers really loved visiting. There seemed to be some sort of 'cultural fit'. The TV interviews were always good - the dry humour and sarcasm that miserable weather instills may be part of the equation.
My favorite non-Irish driver at the time was Ari Vatanen.
So the Swedes and Finns are (mostly) pals, but how do the Swedes get along with the the Norwegians?
I thought you might chime in!
I think a lot of the Nordic drivers really loved visiting. There seemed to be some sort of 'cultural fit'. The TV interviews were always good - the dry humour and sarcasm that miserable weather instills may be part of the equation.
My favorite non-Irish driver at the time was Ari Vatanen.
So the Swedes and Finns are (mostly) pals, but how do the Swedes get along with the the Norwegians?
Hahaha, that's another story...
I'm just kidding, I actually grew up about 100Km from the Norwegian border. Swe-Nor is more on a tease basis, there has been alot of competition between us in the nordic events such as cross country skiing and slalom over the years...
But the Norweigans needs a pair of skis on their feet to accomplish anything, they really have no other talents (except Rally
) where we Swedes seem to have people in loads of different sports across the spectrum.
Yeah, we rule.
Back to the topic....
I'm just kidding, I actually grew up about 100Km from the Norwegian border. Swe-Nor is more on a tease basis, there has been alot of competition between us in the nordic events such as cross country skiing and slalom over the years...
But the Norweigans needs a pair of skis on their feet to accomplish anything, they really have no other talents (except Rally
) where we Swedes seem to have people in loads of different sports across the spectrum. Yeah, we rule.
Back to the topic....
Mats Strandberg
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-
GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!
-Scuderia Rosso- Now burned to the ground...
-onemanracing.com-
-Strandberg.photography-
GTV 2000 -77 - Died in the fire.
155 V6 Sport -96 - Sold!