Be under zero doubt that this car - an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2, photographed in the pits after a day of Netier Capital Rally action in the forests around Canberra - is an absolute icon of world rallying and was more exciting to see stationary, with its engine switched off, than all the newer cars in the event combined! In fact, I'd venture to say that just being permitted to gaze upon the S1 was at least as big a thrill than witnessing any number of late model factory teams' entries in full-noise competition mode! (Okay, then - n e a r l y as big a thrill!)
Why? Because, unlike today's production vehicle-based competion cars, the S1 was developed purely to win Group B rallies. It was loosely based on a road-going Quattro (Audi-speak for all-wheel-drive) and was even sold in limited numbers to meet homologation rules, but it was really just made to shred gravel and trounce its opposition! It fulfilled its brief admirably!
The mighty, mighty MkII Escort might be production car-based but in RS1800 form, as this example is, it's also an awesome rally beast, able to mix it with any of its contemporary two-wheel-drive Group B competition, including anything from Datsun / Nissan, Mazda or Mitsubishi, the Fiat 131 Abarth or even the Lancia Stratos. This example is one of three RS 1800s photographed on the day - all part of an Irish cohort comprising of Sean Mc Aloon and Muireann Hayes (this car), PJ O'Keeffe and Paddy Skelton's blue example and a red one crewed by Tom Dermody and Eoin Moynihan.
A few shots of later model cars are included here - even the brand new Yaris AP4, with its kick-arse turbo-charged three cylinder power plant, all wheel drive, carbonfibre / aluminium construction and wild aero-aids gets a look in - but vehicles like that are really only included to add some colour! I was there for the classics; it's the Audi, the Escorts, this Stanza, a Datto 1600, a Sylvia (180SX) and the circa 1980 Celica shown further down the page that pump my tyres!
Having just dissed the newbies, this slightly worse for wear Ford Fiesta R5 gets a special dispensation for wearing Tasmanian rego plates - even if crew members Sean and Andy are from NSW and South Oz, respectively. The team's mechanics were impressive, stripping the car of its crumpled front end in very quick time whilst simultaneously seeing to its other needs.
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| Yabba dabba doo! |
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| The O'Keeffe / Skelton Escort, |
There was a time - the late 70s and early 80s, mainly - when the Datsun 1600 dominated the club rally scene throughout Australia, along with Mitsubishi's LA Lancer. The latter seems to have largely disappeared yet these old Dattos are seemingly immortal, such is their ubiquity. They're not common, mind you; its just the one or two that seem to pop up at events but no rally would be quite complete without at least one old campaigner in the entry list.
This RA40 Celica competes with the Escorts as part of the East Coast Classic rally series. Anyone who, like me, enjoys seeing the older cars battling it out could do way worse than acquainting themselves with the event videos, which are best accessed via the ECCR Face Book page (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=383805779165620).
When I do watch ECCR videos, it's this bloke - Tom Dermody - that really impresses! He comes across as being pretty laid back but, boy, can he throw his RS 1800 around!
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| I concede that it is difficult to argue that this Yaris doesn't look good. |
It looks like this beautiful old Datto's competion days are long passed but it's a great way to round out today's post. The car looked great; its duco gleamed, the panels were straight, and it had a nice stance, set off perfectly by a nifty set of white alloys. My kinda car!
U M P H
(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)
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