77 replies to this topic

[JHSingo]

Why not?

 

Edited by JHSingo, 03 January 2018 - 13:25.

[PiperPa42]

Why is it possible to reply? You've already posten the correct answer

[Scotracer]

Well this was a fun thread.

[ConsiderAndGo]

Why not?

 

 

 

Anddddddddddddd close thread ha 

[jcbc3]

[PayasYouRace]

We have a challenger!

[kevinracefan]

the leading contender is most likely a pile of rust dust by now, LOL...

[Henri Greuter]

For sheer beauty, I think the Stratos remains next to unopposed.

 

Got to say I do like the A110 too.

Another contender for good looks might be the Ford RS200, the most appealing of the Gp B's.

 

Henri

[P123]

 

Ford RS200

[Henri Greuter]

Thanks for posting that RS200pic  P123!

 

Henri

[V8 Fireworks]

This one.  So inelegant, it's cool.    Of course I am biased since I had "one" (just a regular boy-racer modded WRX with amusing straight-cut gearbox to replace the weak factory gearbox, not a WRX STi Type R coupe and certainly not a world rally car  ).

 

 

Amazing what two doors and some Peter Stevens flared arches can do, to a bodyshape that originally started out looking like this    ...

 

Edited by V8 Fireworks, 03 January 2018 - 15:22.

[mclarensmps]

For me: 

 

 

 

And to completely counter any credibility I had, I always had a soft spot for this lol:

 

[Henri Greuter]

This one.  So inelegant, it's cool.    Of course I am biased since I had "one" (just a regular boy-racer modded WRX with amusing straight-cut gearbox to replace the weak factory gearbox, not a WRX STi Type R coupe and certainly not a world rally car  ).

 

 

Amazing what two doors and some Peter Stevens flared arches can do, to a bodyshape that originally started out looking like this    ...

 

 

 

I think that something similar can be said about the 1977 Gp 4 Fiat 131 Abarth. The basic fourdoor saloon 131 Mirafiori was a grey mouse of a car but the twodoor Abarth version was  great looking. It even made the iconic Aliatia colors that had made the factory Stratos even more legendary appear good another time. Though I did like the 1980 Blue trimmings as used on the 1980 Monte Carlo winning car very well too.

 

Henri

[427MkIV]

First Lancia "rally car" (and first Lancia) I ever saw (though it was in a movie if anyone can guess which one). Still looks good.

 

Edited by 427MkIV, 03 January 2018 - 16:58.

[Henri Greuter]

First Lancia "rally car" (and first Lancia) I ever saw (though it was in a movie if anyone can guess which one). Still looks good.

 

 

Funny but at that time Lancia had already rallied other cars before this one. This is a Beta Monte Carlo (Scorpion in the USA) and as fas as I  know, this one never was used in rallying. No need for with the Stratos still available. It was some kind of inspiration for the Stratos replacement 037Rallye but only for looks. The chassis differed massively.

Before this Beta MonteCarlo was built, Lancia had already been very succesful between the late 60s til 1974 with all kind ov versions of the front wheel driven Fulvia.

 

Was this car in the picture by chance the one that #53 Herbie got a crush upon in his drive to Monte Carlo?

 

Henri

[427MkIV]

Funny but at that time Lancia had already rallied other cars before this one. This is a Beta Monte Carlo (Scorpion in the USA) and as fas as I  know, this one never was used in rallying. No need for with the Stratos still available. It was some kind of inspiration for the Stratos replacement 037Rallye but only for looks. The chassis differed massively.

Before this Beta MonteCarlo was built, Lancia had already been very succesful between the late 60s til 1974 with all kind ov versions of the front wheel driven Fulvia.

 

Was this car in the picture by chance the one that #53 Herbie got a crush upon in his drive to Monte Carlo?

 

Henri

 

Yep. That's why I put rally in quotes. Good eye. This car sent me to the library to look up Lancia, and there I found the Stratos. Love at first site.

[Ickx]

There are so many

One fav of mine, Peugeot 205
 

[oetzi]

I think that something similar can be said about the 1977 Gp 4 Fiat 131 Abarth. The basic fourdoor saloon 131 Mirafiori was a grey mouse of a car but the twodoor Abarth version was great looking. It even made the iconic Aliatia colors that had made the factory Stratos even more legendary appear good another time. Though I did like the 1980 Blue trimmings as used on the 1980 Monte Carlo winning car very well too.

Henri

I always loved those. Not sure about beautiful, but I loved them. Has to be orange for me though! Still looks good, even in more refined company

Edited by oetzi, 03 January 2018 - 17:32.

[chunder27]

There are not many rally cars I dislike

 

Some faves would obviously be the Stratos, the Rally 037. I liked the brutality of the Delta S4, the subtlety of the Integrale

 

I loved the simple colours but the wild style of the 206WRC and I also really like the OTT detail and unexpected success of the Yaris WRC.

 

But picking a top three would be easy  Quattro S1 E2, brute force,  Manta 400 for the sound aswell as the looks and finally the BMW E30 M3, in the hands of a Fisher, Duez or Snijers, this car was even more poetic than an Escort!

[Muppetmad]

 

Have to give a shout-out to the original Cooper.

[BRG]

the leading contender is most likely a pile of rust dust by now, LOL...

Hardly.  Over 600 of the 492 cars produced still exist.  And it was largely glass fibre and even Italian glass fibre doesn't rust.

 

My view is that all rally cars are beautiful.  Even the ugliest or most ordinary of cars (Fiat Ritmo, Trabant, Morris Marina) looked great once it was rally prepared.  But the best has to be the Ferrari 308 in rally trim.  Knocks the Stratos out of the park.  Perhaps someone can post a picture as I have never mastered the art. 

Edited by BRG, 03 January 2018 - 21:04.

[OvDrone]

 

Vrrooom Vrrooom

[PayasYouRace]

The problem with this topic is that it's mostly "What's the most beautiful box?", but thankfully there was a time when taking a Ferrari 288 GTO rallying wasn't absurd.

 

[OvDrone]

I'm a big Loeb fan, and this is my favorite of his 9 championship winning Citroens from 2005:

 

[F1matt]

The problem with this topic is that it's mostly "What's the most beautiful box?", but thankfully there was a time when taking a Ferrari 288 GTO rallying wasn't absurd.

Well it was built to Group B rules.......

[chunder27]

3-8 was never a rally car, ot looked all at sea much like the M1 did when they rallied that, just looked silly to me

[Pascal]

Out of left field...

[R Soul]

I second the Lancia 037.

 

And because my dog is called Morgan, here's a nice looking Morgan rally car:

Edited by R Soul, 03 January 2018 - 21:40.

[Pascal]

What about this one?

[DeKnyff]

Lancia Stratos by a country mile.

[mclarensmps]

I'm a big Loeb fan, and this is my favorite of his 9 championship winning Citroens from 2005:

 

 

This car was the bane of my existence when I followed WRC hahaha. Loeb is just too good

[Pascal]

Funny but at that time Lancia had already rallied other cars before this one. This is a Beta Monte Carlo (Scorpion in the USA) and as fas as I  know, this one never was used in rallying.

Actually, the Montecarlo had a short rallying career in Group 4 in the mid 1970s.


God, I miss mine!

[scheivlak]

Why not?

 

Just plain ugly.

[Ivanhoe]

[balmybaldwin]

For me it's always been the Lancia Delta

 

[Fatgadget]

You guys are having a giraffe. Getting soft in your old age!   A contradiction in terms a pretty rally car. Rally cars supposed to look mean and menacing and purposeful and brutal...The big hairy chested Austin Healy for example!

Edited by Fatgadget, 04 January 2018 - 00:21.

[Fatgadget]

Actually, the Montecarlo had a short rallying career in Group 4 in the mid 1970s.


God, I miss mine!

You finally sold it? ...How long did it take you?  

Edited by Fatgadget, 04 January 2018 - 00:35.

[danmills]

Edited by danmills, 04 January 2018 - 00:59.

[Myrvold]

There is something, if not beautiful, at least something poetic about a Ferrari in rally.

[Otaku]

[teejay]

[Sabre1977]

Toyota Celica ST185

 

 

[Henri Greuter]

The problem with this topic is that it's mostly "What's the most beautiful box?", but thankfully there was a time when taking a Ferrari 288 GTO rallying wasn't absurd.

 

 

I believe this is one of those (11 ????) Michelotti modified 308's and not a GTO.

I was proven wrong already with the Beta MonteCarlo still having a rally career after all. So I'm on thin ice again when I dare to say that to my knowlodge the genuine Gp B 288GTO was never used in rallying. If so then at best at local level but certainly not on European, let alon WDC level.

 

Henri

[Henri Greuter]

Actually, the Montecarlo had a short rallying career in Group 4 in the mid 1970s.


God, I miss mine!

 

 

OK, I stand corrected, thanks!

 

BTW, I do know that at least in 1974 Lancia did not run the Stratos exclusively. Very early in the year a few Fulvia's were run by the factory team and later in the year there weere a few Beta Coupés entered in the latter events of the season to support `glamourcar` Stratos.

Actally, the 1974 World Title for Lancia is often credited to the Stratos but a number of the points scored early in the season that helped Lancia to the title that yeare were gained by Fulvia's....

 

Only the '75 and '76 titles of Lancia were courtesy the Stratos.

 

Henri

[Henri Greuter]

Just plain ugly.

 

If you have that opinion on the Stratos, then I am curious about what you do rate as being a beautiful rally car.

So, what if I may dare to ask,  is your most beautiful rallycar?

 

Henri

[scheivlak]

If you have that opinion on the Stratos, then I am curious about what you do rate as being a beautiful rally car.

So, what if I may dare to ask,  is your most beautiful rallycar?

 

Henri

See post #5!

[Henri Greuter]

See post #5!

 

Sigh..  (of relief)

That isn't a bad choice. (Yet I still prefer the Stratos)

I was already afraid you would favour another French car, likely the biggest disaster ever in Rallying. The 1985 Citroen BX 4TC....

Mentioning that contraption....

 

You are Dutch like I, do you realize that even what is likely the worlds first ever 4WD car with a single combustion engine had a technically more advanced drive line than the BX 4TC had?

 

Guy Verrier of Citroen believed that with a 50-50 torque split there was no need at all for a center differential to cope with different rotating speeds between front and rear axle and that every other 4WD GP that had one was in fact overcomplicated......

While `our` Jacobus Spijker was bright enough to realize that such a center dif was needed to release stess within the drive line so he intrduced won in his 1903 (!)  Spyker 4WD.

Yes, the 1903 Spyker 4WD had a more sophisticated 4WD drive line that Citroen built into its mid 1980s Gp B.....

We Dutchies can take som pride in that Spyker. We don't have a car industry to rave about. But if the achievements of DAF with the Variomatic and follow-ups have a rival to be praised, it is the 1903 Spyker.....

 

 

Henri

[JRodrigues]

I believe this is one of those (11 ????) Michelotti modified 308's and not a GTO.

I was proven wrong already with the Beta MonteCarlo still having a rally career after all. So I'm on thin ice again when I dare to say that to my knowlodge the genuine Gp B 288GTO was never used in rallying. If so then at best at local level but certainly not on European, let alon WDC level.

 

Henri

 

Yes, that is a 308.

 

 

 

On topic, there are some many, from some many eras, but if I were to choose one... (although I'm a little biased)

 

[Pascal]

I believe this is one of those (11 ????) Michelotti modified 308's and not a GTO.
I was proven wrong already with the Beta MonteCarlo still having a rally career after all. So I'm on thin ice again when I dare to say that to my knowlodge the genuine Gp B 288GTO was never used in rallying. If so then at best at local level but certainly not on European, let alon WDC level.

This is definitely a Ferrari 308, and I won't contradict you about the GTO this time. It is my belief as well that none of them ever was used in rallying.
 
 

You are Dutch like I, do you realize that even what is likely the worlds first ever 4WD car with a single combustion engine had a technically more advanced drive line than the BX 4TC had?
 
Guy Verrier of Citroen believed that with a 50-50 torque split there was no need at all for a center differential to cope with different rotating speeds between front and rear axle and that every other 4WD GP that had one was in fact overcomplicated......

On that topic I will, if I may, quote one of my own posts from a "fantasy car collection" thread currently going on in the PC:

Well, if Group B was before your time, you might be unaware that one company managed the feat of racing at the same time one of the very best cars of this type, and one of the very worst ones as well.

PSA Group won two championships with their brand Peugeot and its iconic 205 Turbo 16...


...which then went on to win the Dakar Rally...


...while sister brand Citroën decided to take every disadvantage of Audi's front-engined Quattro architecture and make the lot of them even worse with their enormous BX 4TC!



The BX 4TC program was such a failure that after pulling out of the championship after just a few races, Citroën bought back most of the 200 street going versions needed for homologation, and had them crushed and buried in a field. Only a handful of these cars survive today!

It was fortunate for the brand that Sébastien Loeb's success managed to overshadow that sorry episode.

[king_crud]

There was a certain charm of the Safari Rally cars that used to be entered back when it was a serious challenge: bull bars, spare tyres on the roof, covered with mud