RAC Rally!

[Housey]

Yea, I know they have something going on in Wales, but here is when the RAC was a PROPER rally, with PROPER cars. Probably the greatest group of cars ever in my book, 1985! We lost the Quattro in 1986 but gained the RS200 but I think Quattro was more special.

Video 1, all I'm going to say is 2.41 seconds, get the volume up and await spine tingles!

Video 2

Other videos out there, but these give a feel for what it was like. I followed the 85 Rally all over the UK, when it was actually a Rally of Britain!

 

[Pigeon]

Thanks for posting the great videos!

The Rally was very different back then - whether it was better or worse is difficult to say. The RAC was more of a Le Mans endurance to the Wales GBs shorter sharper F1.

For me one thing showed the difference very well when the in car in the Manta and the rather relaxed limited pace notes and smooth reliable driving rather. IIRC competitors were not allowed to practice or run through stages apart from the rally itself where as today I am sure they practice each stage through many times!

At the end of the day for most people watching on TV rather it all got edited down to 30 mins of grandstand! What is better to watch in this format cars going nuts over 3 days of short stages or the endurance event with lots of retirements etc?

In 85 cars were more wild with less rules and regulations - this can easily be shown by two brand new cars on their first outing beating every other car going. There is no argument here is was a special time and interest in the sport with big manufactures and drivers coming in as throwing cash at it could produce a next gen faster car and win!

Todays cars may be faster, more reliable and just better over todays stages but they definitely are not as interesting. Ford Focus or RS200, it is a hatch back vs a supercar and it is easy to see why group B was so popular then!

 

[Housey]

I actually speak as someone who was 19 when this rally took place, me and 5 mate dived into my car and simply drove around the country following the Rally, it was imence and had a 'whole of the country' feel that the current homogenised rally simply doesn't get close too. For clarity there were no pace notes on the RAC in those days, simply audinance survey maps! Modern motorsports simply isn't as exciing as it was and the 70's and 80's, really it just isn't and though the cars are much quicker and clever they have lost a lot if their appeal. I thing the rallying has actually suffered less, WRC cars are still exciting at full chat and very quick...but just listen to that Quattro and 6R4, nothing sounds like that today and they were a real handful too, nothing like as clever as the modern cars and to me better for it.