1972 RAC rally.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Yeah.

Those Saab 96's did well - they only had a 1700 Ford V4 up front.

[Warren t claim]

I used to be a pretty keen rally fan. I'd travel to see stages and overnight halts. A few of us went to visit the start and finish in Chester back in 1987. I suppose it was my sport of choice. I fell out of love with it when the cars went from being Group A stuff that was relatable to showroom motors to what they are today. Nowadays I struggle to recognise even what car they're based on.

To illustrate how disinterested I am in the sport nowadays. The successor to the RAC rally usually has an overnight stop literally two minutes walk away from where Claim_Intended lives and I've not once bothered to go and see it. Even the rally drivers of today are dull and boring. I remember riding to see Claim_Intended on my CBR1000 when the rally was visiting town and not one of the drivers wanted to play when challenged on the mountain road into town.

I do still watch YouTube videos of classic rally stuff though. Frank Kelly in Baby Blue is worth a watch.

[59Impala]

The year that Roger Clark won in that Escort, reg was LVX942J as I recall. Escorts won until about 1980 I think, still an iconic rally car. I have a model of that Escort in my collection.

[DodgeRover]

The RAC rally used to have a stage in Clumber Park and after that used to go virtually passed my parents driveway. I remember going out to watch them going by several years running and then they just seemed to stop.
It was a bit odd watching it on Grandstand or World of Sport then seeing them coming passed.

[Broccoli]

I’m not really sure what happened to rallying.

It was big in the 70s - I remember my Dad and Uncle being big into watching it and my Dad even had a go.

Then Group B was a thing with the ‘Monsters’ making 300+ horses.

I can’t quite get the timing right in my head, but I would look forward to watching it in the 80s on the TV.
Then there was Audi Quattro time, with the amazing McRae leading with the Subaru and Mitsi battles and then nothing frankly…

Was it just too many Motorsports to choose from that diluted the following? Was it that the cars were just not what we were able to drive? Drivers too wooden?

I’ve not watched it for years either.

Oh well, any excuse for a bit of Propaganda and Jewelled /Duel


Edit: the death of rallying also seems to follow the death of the comb-over. I wonder if they are related?

[panhard65]

Me and a few mates used to follow the RAC rally every year (It was the Network Q back in the 90's) What killed it for us was when they stopped spectators being able to watch from anywhere. The costs went right up and you could only watch from one crowded spot. They also cut down the entry list so instead of 100 odd cars trying their best you just got about 40. Driving hundreds of miles sleeping in the car for a few days in November just seemed too much effort and expence when they had sucked all the fun out of it. If they had kept to the spectator stages on the Sunday, round the stately homes for the families and idiots who thought their girlfriend would enjoy the mud. Then kept the serious stages during the week when only the sadest bobble hatted weirdo's would take the time off to freeze in the woods and eat the most disgusting burgers from some taffy in a caravan. I am sure there is probably a better explaination why it has died a death but that's what did it for me and my mates. The stupid thing is I used to live 250 odd miles away from the Welsh stages but still drove there, now they are about 70 and I can't be arsed to go.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

See also: BTCC, Formula 1.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Tell you what though: launch a series where the manufacturer has to enter three of its cars from the sixties and seventies and BOOM! You’ve brought rallying back to life. I’d go and spectate. No 4WD stuff though.

[Hooli]

I remember always watching rallying on TV uptil about Quattro time too. It was just after that the cars stopped resembling anything on the road and got boring to watch.

I keep meaning to watch some classic rallies, but like other stuff I never get around to it.

[LynehamHerc]

I used to go to the Yorkshire forest stages of the RAC up to about 1980 I guess along with going to things like Prodsports at places like Croft and Rufforth. They got ruined by too much money, a supposedly standard Lotus Europa weighing 150 (I think it was Kg but may have been Lbs, it's 40 odd years ago now) less than it should for example.