Over time, for a number or car cacing fans, May 2nd has become a day to remember some good friends and idols we lost and shared something with another. More than with other drivers and idols we lost over time.
But in recent years, May 2nd has become a day to remember more than only these three men why died while doing what they enjoyed and were good in.
Atillio Bettega, Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto, they all lost their lives on May 2nd during the rally of Corsica, Atillio in 1985, Henri and Sergio in 1986.
They were all on board of a Martini-Lancia.
The death of Henri and Sergio sealed the fate or the future of rallying and it lead to the demise of a generation of iconic cars of wich Lancia had built some as well, of not some of the most iconic ones ever.
But ironically, this new path lead to a series of successes for Lancia that had not yet been seen before and were believed to remain a standard for times to come. But records are there to be broken.
And success in the past doesn't guarantee a healthy future.
Ten years on and with a series of stunning successes and a line of cars that were a joy to behold if you owned one, Lancia was witdrawing from the competition worldwide, An it turned out, out of all kinds of competition.
And a free fall for the company began.
It is still there but the image is gone and appears to be redundant for its current owners, ready to be axed and confined to history.
Business is business and not charity, I understand.
But I still feel sad about it.
No successors for icons like the Stratos, 037, the different specs Deltas.
No follow ups that try to succeed onto what LC1 and LC2 failed to do.
Hence why, apart from remembering the last three men that died behind the wheel of the iconic cars of the company they drove for, I also feel sad about the demise as a serious competitor worldwide of the legendary brand they drove for.
And the founder of that company.
Vincenzo Lancia would have be proud of men like Attilio Bettega, Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto.
All of you, rest in peace and thanks for the memories.
Henri