1974 RAC Rally photos

I was posting these to a Rally Forum and thought that someone here may be interested...

1974 RAC Rally : Croft special stage

#1 Escort RS1600 : T Makinen/H Liddon
#2 Saab 96 V4 : S Blomqvist/H Sylvan
#3 Lancia Stratos HF : S Munari/M Mannucci
#5 Escort RS1600 : R Clark/T Mason
#6 Volvo 142 : P I Walfridsson/JF Jensen
#7 Saab 96 V4 : P Eklund/B Cederberg
#8 Fiat-Abarth 124 Rallye : R Aaltonen/P Easter
#9 Toyota Levin : B Waldegard/H Thorszellius
#13 Datsun Violet : H Kallstrom/C Billstam
#14 Toyota Levin : O Anderson/A Hertz
#16 Fiat-Abarth 124 Rallye : L Kinnunen/A Aho
#17 Saab 96 V4 : T Rainio/K Lehto
#20 Datsun Violet : C Sclater/M Holmes
#28 Hillman Avenger : C Malkin/B Coyle
#32 Vauxhall Magnum Coupe : W Sparrow/R Crellin
#34 Datsun Violet : P Faulkner/M Peters
#36 Porsche 911 Carrera RS : J Tordoff/P Short
#37 Toyota Celica GT : P Moss Carlsson/L Crelin
#48 Saab 96 V4 : K Johannson/P Rushforth
#55 Ford Escort RS1600 : J Taylor/J Chitty
#67 Lada L500S : T Schea/P A Bakke
#70 Vauxhall Magnun 2300 : G Hill/P Bryant
#76 Triumph Dolomite Sprint : J Bloxham/R Harper
#90 Opel Ascona 1.9 : D Hardcastle/T McMahon
#102 Ford Escort TC : M Grierson/R Anderson
#117 Morris Marina : P Cooper/T Viles
#136 Alfa Sud TI : L Bertorelli/???????

Rob

Edited by Rob Ryder, 02 August 2014 - 19:14.

Oh, wow, bloody wow! Thank you for posting these! Those WERE the days! I was out there somewhere (not Croft in 1974, but somewhere nearby - maybe in Stang or Hamsterley if they followed Croft that year?)

Brilliant stuff and so many wonderful memories… the King , Stig Blomqvist, at work in his natural habitat, a SAAB 96, Munari & Stratos, the marvellous Fiat-Abarth 124 Spyder, the pretty little 1600cc Toyota Levin that started Toyota’s rise to the top of rallying, the thundering great Volvo 142 always driven with such absolute commitment by the diminutive Per-Inge Walfridsson and some of the lost generations of British rally drivers that Stuart Turner single-handedly managed to shaft (Will Sparrow, Paul Faulkner, Chris Sclater, Colin Malkin, John Taylor et al).

And some real raves from the grave – the surprisingly competitive 1300cc Amal-carbed Morris Marina, Bloxham and Dolly Sprint, George (not Graham, in case anyone wondered) Hill and his Martin Group Magnum, Jack Tordoff and his the inevitable Porsche JCT 600, of course, and even Leo Bert O’Reilly…there's a name I hadn't heard for decades!

Thanks – that’s really made my day! I might even use one as my desktop - with your permission, of course.

Anyone know why Tordoff's Garage/Business is called JCT600??? The numbers I mean, not the letters. And is Leo Bertorelli any relation to David, whos' ASCAR exploits are mentioned on the other place.

Brilliant images, Rob! Hats off to you!

One small correction: #67 is the Lada 1500S.

BTW where is the Rally Forum?

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Anyone know why Tordoff's Garage/Business is called JCT600??? The numbers I mean, not the letters. And is Leo Bertorelli any relation to David, whos' ASCAR exploits are mentioned on the other place.

Named after the personal number plate JCT600 which appeared on Jack's cars for years and years and was widely known throughout Yorkshire and even nationally. No significance in the 600 as far as I know, it's just what was on the plate!

Originally posted by BRG
Oh, wow, bloody wow! Thank you for posting these!
........
Thanks – that’s really made my day! I might even use one as my desktop - with your permission, of course.

At least I made one person happy
No problem using my photos for anything you wish.. desktop, screen saver, websites.. no problem. If you would prefer a 1024 desktop just let me know which one adn I'll re-post it

Originally posted by Geza Sury
Brilliant images, Rob! Hats off to you!
One small correction: #67 is the Lada is 1500S.
BTW where is the Rally Forum?

Thanks for the correction, I used the RAC Rally Website for the id's but I should have spotted the typo.

The rally forums is a sub-forum here - Aerogi's Motorsport Pictures

Rob

Cracking pics of a true golden age. And you have to admire an event that had space for the Lancia Stratos and the Morris Marina. I miss "proper" rallying.

Originally posted by petefenelon
I miss "proper" rallying.

Yes, dirty cars probably fresh from a night in the Yorkshire forests, all running on knobbly gravel tyres* despite this being a tarmac stage. A different world from today's freshly permed and polished cars, running on JUST the right compund and tread pattern (or else the driver throws a strop at Michelin or Pirelli). Cars that were still reasonably close to their production origins - except for the Stratos. An entry of probably 200 cars compared to todays 30-40 on the sadly truncated Wales Rally GB. AND hardly a FWD car in sight, apart from the SAABs - and definitely none of this namby-pamby 4WD. I blame Audi, personally!

Happier days...


*except possibly the Stratos which is on suspiciously low profile rubber?

Originally posted by petefenelon

I miss "proper" rallying.

Like BRG, I do too...

I think this may be 1973, but - regardless - it's a rubbish pic!

Originally posted by Rob Ryder

Such brilliant memories!

Originally posted by ian senior


Named after the personal number plate JCT600 which appeared on Jack's cars for years and years and was widely known throughout Yorkshire and even nationally. No significance in the 600 as far as I know, it's just what was on the plate!

As a southerner, I know it was on Cortina GT (1966 RAC Rally?) but anything earlier was before my time.

A great set of pictures...must look out mine!

I'm not sure if you are aware a book has just been published on the RAC with many unpublished period pictures.

Call RAC Rally Action it's by Tony Gardiner.

Link to the publisher website

Originally posted by RS2000


As a southerner, I know it was on Cortina GT (1966 RAC Rally?) but anything earlier was before my time.

I seem to recall it on a red 2 stroke SAAB on the 1964 Yorkshire Rally. The event started in the darkness of evening, so no camera with me.

Roger Lund.

Originally posted by bradbury west


I seem to recall it on a red 2 stroke SAAB on the 1964 Yorkshire Rally. The event started in the darkness of evening, so no camera with me.

Roger Lund.

I saw Per and Stig in the 96 V-4's but never got to see a 2 stroke Saab, that must have been amazing with Carlsson at the wheel

All of the pictures in this thread are just superb, they make me feel 20 years old again!!!!!

Even Twinny's MMB RS1600 (1973) looks great to me, there was always fun things to do on cold, dark winter nights. and one of them was RALLYING

Not quite the 1974 RAC Rally but from the Mintex Rally in the Yorkshire forests from around the same time.



I feel it just sums up rallying at that time and the domination of the Ford Escort.

Robert

Blimey, Robert - that's almost 'art'! Almost...

But yes, it certainly does capture the essence of real rallying.

Not 1974, but on this Finnish web-site there are some nice pics from 1978 RAC Rally.

Some odd vehicles are featured!

Follow this link.

Page 2
Page 3
Page 4

I guess the Panther Lima was one of the odder and more "creative" examples of homologation (400? - for Gp4).
Although so was the first car shown , the Waldegard Escort "RS" (none built in production and the 400 Gp4 homologation achieved on the basis of numbers of hand built competition cars to that spec. - the RS1800 having just been rendered uncompetitive by Appendix J changes) (and that car, WTW568S, was even odder in that it was finished in the garage of Mick Jones' private house when the national Ford strike closed Boreham). Or how the winning car of Mikkola was transformed into SJN830R at David Sutton's but mysteriously reverted to its works"STW" registration once the strike bound-rally was over...
Odder still,the Rohrl 131 with Geisdorfer's seat in the back for traction.

The Panther peddler was a guy called Noel Francis (?Frances) I reckon. I seem to remember that he did the Monte in it as well.

He once bought an Elan off me (circa 1984) and was planning to use it as his latest rally weapon, but they drove off into the sunset together and I never heard another thing.

Great link Rainer.. thanks for the poitner
Rob

Originally posted by RS2000
but mysteriously reverted to its works"STW" registration once the strike

Somebody once recounted to me that the STW stood for "Stuffed Twisted and Wrecked"
Slighty off the subject - AWDC - the All Wheel Drive Club is known as the All Wet and Dirty Club

Robert

Superb link, thanks Rainer, brings back great memories of a visit to this event, that got me into heaps of trouble with my work as a wine salesman for one of the big brewers, the run up to Xmas was always "prime selling time", but hey the R.A.C. is on!!! Did anyone spot the "Elgam Organs" decals on the HS Chevette? Superb photos, all the names were there that are up in lights today, David Richards, Malcom Wilson, and some that have departed to pastures new

The 131 navigators did look "odd" and lonely sitting centrally in the rear

I was involved deeply in the 1974 RAC RALLY as a Mechanic for car #51 Royal Bank of Scotland. If anyone has pics of the first two days of this event please contact me as I have no pics of the event. I agree with everyone on the thread, if only we could get back to the 60s/70s when it was still possible for Joe Blo., to compete. I have lived in Canada for last 30yrs and thank God we havent caught up to Europe in the respect that one can still see street type cars in the rally scene.

Originally posted by wulliesdad
I was involved deeply in the 1974 RAC RALLY as a Mechanic for car #51 Royal Bank of Scotland. If anyone has pics of the first two days of this event please contact me as I have no pics of the event. I agree with everyone on the thread, if only we could get back to the 60s/70s when it was still possible for Joe Blo., to compete. I have lived in Canada for last 30yrs and thank God we havent caught up to Europe in the respect that one can still see street type cars in the rally scene.

Would that be the Taylor/McIver or the Sampson brothers (Charles and Alec) car? My memory is a bit blurred nowadays!!! Does the request for the 1st two days mean that your crew retired? I envy your location, I toured BC last year by car and the forests and roads are just beyond imagination.

Lovely set of pics, proper cars on proper stages not the ersatz sanitised version of repmobile racing we get today!

I especially love the Merc in action

http://www.netikka.n...c78/rac7878.jpg

Originally posted by petefenelon
Lovely set of pics, proper cars on proper stages not the ersatz sanitised version of repmobile racing we get today!

I especially love the Merc in action

http://www.netikka.n...c78/rac7878.jpg

Agreed, 100%.......the Merc, it wouldn't happen to be the "King of Eppynt", a certain Tony Fowkes, that used to drive the Cables and Components Maize Yellow RS1600?

Hannu and Bjorne drove the big Mercs superbly, but they were really suited to the distance events, rather than "forest racing". Great days, four mates in a Mexico, wellington boots, torches, thermos and good humour, fresh air and maps........the making of young men!
Call me old fashioned but I cannot get excited over an Evo edition 345 or whatever, and the Subarus similarly. I would much prefer the induction roar of a pair of DCOE Webers on a Twink or a fuel injected B.D.A fresh from Terry Hoyle in Essex

Bill Taylor was 51. Coincidence as someone from Scotland mentioned the other day being near to Donald Heggie's garage - DH and BT tended to be thought of together as the main Scottish "amateurs" at that time. Didn't BT give up rallying for sailing?
Haven't checked but Merc maybe Nicky Porter or was that later. Coincidence again, Tony Fowkes also came up elsewhere in a request from Croatia about Safari entries yesterday. (He would have been in Escort - and was in same hotel as us in 75 when he came 3rd).

Originally posted by RS2000
Bill Taylor was 51. Coincidence as someone from Scotland mentioned the other day being near to Donald Heggie's garage - DH and BT tended to be thought of together as the main Scottish "amateurs" at that time. Didn't BT give up rallying for sailing?
Haven't checked but Merc maybe Nicky Porter or was that later. Coincidence again, Tony Fowkes also came up elsewhere in a request from Croatia about Safari entries yesterday. (He would have been in Escort - and was in same hotel as us in 75 when he came 3rd).

What car were you in? Were you the driver or were you in the dangerous seat

Donald Heggie crewed with George Dean?

Originally posted by sterling49


Agreed, 100%.......the Merc, it wouldn't happen to be the "King of Eppynt", a certain Tony Fowkes, that used to drive the Cables and Components Maize Yellow RS1600?

Hannu and Bjorne drove the big Mercs superbly, but they were really suited to the distance events, rather than "forest racing". Great days, four mates in a Mexico, wellington boots, torches, thermos and good humour, fresh air and maps........the making of young men!
Call me old fashioned but I cannot get excited over an Evo edition 345 or whatever, and the Subarus similarly. I would much prefer the induction roar of a pair of DCOE Webers on a Twink or a fuel injected B.D.A fresh from Terry Hoyle in Essex

I agree there is nothing to beat standing in a Scottish forest in the middle of a bright moonlit night and listening to Ford Escort coming up the mountain, every gear shift up to 8500 RPM. Lights fashing in the sky betting who it would be 1st car thru. wulliesdad

Originally posted by wulliesdad
I agree there is nothing to beat standing in a Scottish forest in the middle of a bright moonlit night and listening to Ford Escort coming up the mountain, every gear shift up to 8500 RPM. Lights fashing in the sky betting who it would be 1st car thru. wulliesdad

I try not to indulge in the "I particularly remember seeing ....." thing - but mention of Scottish forests does remind me that there definitely is one case that remains in my memory way above all others. We retired from the (73?) Scottish ("team far too young take on all this rough stuff in Mini") with broken steering and were spectating on the last day with the service crew on a stage just beyond Fort Augustus. Mikkola had been well off early on and was chasing back from about 173rd to 2nd. He knew he couldn't win so was driving totally OTT for fun. One of the guys in our service crew had never actually watched a rally. His first sight was Mikkola bursting out of the trees on the final downhill run to the stage finish totally nailed and hanging a front wheel about 3 feet (no exaggeration) over a sheer drop on the inside of a bend. Our intrepid mechanic stood staring and gasping "f***ing hell". I didn't tell him I'd never seen anything like it "live" either and never expected to again!

Originally posted by RS2000


His first sight was Mikkola bursting out of the trees on the final downhill run to the stage finish totally nailed and hanging a front wheel about 3 feet (no exaggeration) over a sheer drop on the inside of a bend. Our intrepid mechanic stood staring and gasping "f***ing hell". I didn't tell him I'd never seen anything like it "live" either and never expected to again!

Good subject for a thread, great moments spectating on a rally, we must all have had a few

Re great moments in the forests!!! I guess my best memory would be Roger Clark on the Scottish back in 1969, I cant remember the stage name but where we were spectating and it must have been close to the stage finish as I was service crew for Bill Taylor we could dash from the stage to where we were setup to service after seeing the first dozen cars. It was downhill, hairpin left and straight over cattle grid and thru a gate. The car came thru hairpin full sideways the tail kicked straight and thru the gate ,it was amazing considering it was 27 yards from corner apex to the gate, we paced it, and all this at breakneck speed!!! When I think back I would consider it impossible if I had not witnessed it personally.