Historic rally driving at 10/10ths

[AlphaOmega]

Something here for everyone.

[thieuster]

That was nice, really nice! Thanks for the heads-up.

Some fine cars I'd forgotten about! Those Simcas at the beginning and the end!

Some notes:

• I've seen a lot of cars come and go in the workshop. But there are a few in this video that I would really like to see (and tinker with).
• Fantastic to see that some cars still had their original 'war paint' on (like the BMW with Bastos logo and colours)
• A number of extremely expensive cars were trashed when chasing uphill
• I don't think that the Jag MKII made it to the end...
• I think I've never seen a Lancia Delta doing a full roll.

* Off to the classifieds, looking for a Simca! Then, off to YT to see another video from this series!

Menno

[Saint-Just]

Did you spot the 3(?) Renault Dauphine Menno?

[thieuster]

Did you spot the 3(?) Renault Dauphine Menno?

Yes! Incredible little cars. When I was young, they were 'dismissed' here in Holland as old-fashioned with the engine behind the rear axle, making them 'skittish' in the hands of family men (opposite from those hairy chested blokes in early 911s/widow makers).

Aside: this was a long parade of very capable French cars. the 5 Turbo with spitting flames. Good memories of Eurosport Rallye back in the 80s. And, back in the days, that 306 GTi was one of my favorites. The 3-doors version suited the shape of the 306 model.

[Saint-Just]

I was surprised they flipped the A110 though.
And I am not sure what the guy who entered the Renault 11 was thinking
I was expecting a few R8 Gordinis…

[AlphaOmega]

^Yes, amazing to see the commitment on the throttle, especially as even the smaller cars are worth a fortune.

I loved the cheeky little Mini driving up the tunnel wall, but was amazed to see the M1, GT40 and 250 SWB caned as well. Some deep pockets there...

Talking of warm 306s, I had one and was very surprised how easy it was to get that FWD car to oversteer. Haven't driven anything like it since.

[Saint-Just]

^Yes, amazing to see the commitment on the throttle, especially as even the smaller cars are worth a fortune.

I loved the cheeky little Mini driving up the tunnel wall, but was amazed to see the M1, GT40 and 250 SWB caned as well. Some deep pockets there...

Talking of warm 306s, I had one and was very surprised how easy it was to get that FWD car to oversteer. Haven't driven anything like it since.

The cheeky tunnel wall climber mini’s driver was without a copilot. Could that be an indication of his general driving style ?

I had the most basic 306, 5 doors and 1.1l engine (I think). I have since had Jaguar, Toyota, Merc and BMW.

The 306 remains the best car I have had, and the most fun to drive.

[Raffe]

Some nice ones there.

Most surprising that there was an actual Fiat Ritmo Mk1, I thought the last of them fell apart in the 1980s.

[Hocuspocus]

What was the dark coloured car at 2:35, just before the Alpine?

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[AlphaOmega]

^Yes, it's wonderful to see cars that have been forgotten driven with such venom.

What really appeals to me is that this is the opposite of those flashy cars that are all show and driven in front of large crowds. These cars are being wrung out yet there are only a handful of people watching live. And those who are there probably have good knowledge of what they are seeing.

There is something more honest about it - almost as if these are the ideal conditions the engineers dreamed about rather than the boring prosaic nature of every day journeys. The cars come alive and in many cases as you say there is no co-driver.

Just one person and the car in perfect rhythm with the road. It must be an almost spiritual experience to undertake such a task with a car that has been prepared precisely for those few miles of tarmac.

[AlphaOmega]

What was the dark coloured car at 2:35, just before the Alpine?

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As SJ says...

Did you spot the 3(?) Renault Dauphine Menno?

It's lovely isn't it.

[Hocuspocus]

What was the dark coloured car at 2:35, just before the Alpine?

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Ignore me. I can see that if you touch the screen it gives an indication of the car at that point - clever.

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[Raffe]

Did you spot the 3(?) Renault Dauphine Menno?

Only two, one features twice.

[thieuster]

^Yes, it's wonderful to see cars that have been forgotten driven with such venom.

What really appeals to me is that this is the opposite of those flashy cars that are all show and driven in front of large crowds. These cars are being wrung out yet there are only a handful of people watching live. And those who are there probably have good knowledge of what they are seeing.

There is something more honest about it - almost as if these are the ideal conditions the engineers dreamed about rather than the boring prosaic nature of every day journeys. The cars come alive and in many cases as you say there is no co-driver.

Just one person and the car in perfect rhythm with the road. It must be an almost spiritual experience to undertake such a task with a car that has been prepared precisely for those few miles of tarmac.

Some footage shows one person in the car, other footage shows two. I think that a some sort of 'hill climb' was part of the whole event.

Amazing how a video like this sets off a whole bunch of ideas in my mind. As if someone has opened a few drawers. E.g. the Simca. I don't know if it was a special edition for the Netherlands back in the days, but I (now... clearly...) remember the Simca Rallye II in blistering green and black! Besides that: what's the correct spelling of 'rally'/'rallye' or ...

In hindsight: I think that the French manufacturers had a beautiful line-up of very good rally cars in the '60-'90s. This video really shows a few good examples. Where did it go wrong. The strong point was the availability of those hot cars for the man in the street: the Simca, the Renault 5s in various trims, the Peugeots GTi's. And some were perhaps more 'show that go' but they were a pleasant sight on the road: the Citroen Visa Chrono.
I remember the Chrono being launched back in '82. My first wife and I went to Paris for the first time exactly during the weekend the Chrono was introduced That was something special on its own. Walking on the sidewalk of the Avenue de Champs-Elysees we saw a few Chrono driving (racing...) up and down the road from the Arc to Place the la Concorde and back weaving through other traffic. That was Citroen's introduction! Now, Citroen would be hung to dry if they would pull off a stunt like that!

[AlphaOmega]

Well, I can remember exactly when Peugeot lost it.

After the wonderful 106s, 205s and 306s, cars such as XSs, GTIs and S16s seemed to vanish. There was the hot 405 and the styling of some of the later cars was similar to the Ferrari 2+2s of the time, but it was the advert they brought out after many years of boring cars that said 'Men are back.'

I thought that was incredibly misjudged. I remember reading that and thinking it was written by someone who did not understand the brand's history. Not only did their audience of keen drivers not disappear but it wasn't just men who liked their hotter cars, it was everyone. Even then, it was an outdated attitude. And of course there were well-known women rally drivers. It also indicated that even Peugeot realised that they'd forgotten that such cars were halo products. IMHO of course.

[Stanford]

Great donut (or 360) by the Escort at 13:17.

[aFiercePancake]

Conventional wisdom suggests that the loudest vehicles are not the fastest... But there were a few exceptions in the video.

Thanks for sharing!

[AlphaOmega]

Thought some of you might find aspects of this interesting.

First, the calm and relaxed driving style.

Second, the precision.

[thieuster]

That lady has an interesting talent!

Back in '14 or '15, we (my family and I) visited the Ferrari Museum in Modena (I was wearing a black Porsche T-shirt with the distinct Porsche shifting pattern - but that's not the story here).

In the museum there are a couple of F1 simulators. And everybody can have a go in these. There was this middle-aged American dad with his wife and three grown-up children. He was overweight, had a beard and didn't look 'athletic' at all. After squeezing himself into the cockpit he started his session. I remember that there were different levels to choose from: from 'easy' to 'real stuff' and you can choose different F1 racetracks. I didn't catch his first two rounds, but my attention was drawn when the three Italian young men responsible for the whole simulator-platform started talking and pointing to the screen in front of 'bearded guy'.

He finished his third round and had to get out of the simulator. They asked him to stay in and do another run with the car in the 'real stuff' mode. He did, then choose 'Monaco' and set off and did a virtual Monaco lap with car settings like a real F1 Ferrari.

Apparently he'd set the best time ever recorded in the museum simulator. When he got out, the Italians were all jumping and talking around him. They asked him: "Are you a racing driver, or were you one when you were young?" His wife and kids started laughing when they'd realized what had happened in front of their eyes. Before dad could answer, they said: "He drives a Lexus and he's the slowest man on the block. No, in the whole city!"

[AlphaOmega]

^Love that story. Hidden talents.

By the way, I also like that you wore a T shirt advertising the opposition to the Ferrari factory. Designed to provoke some interesting conversation.

I must visit. I suppose it makes sense to try and get to Sant'Agata too!