The first rallycar you saw

[TMorel]

As a break from discussing if the Cardiff stadium should be bulldozed or the Argentinian organising team should be castrated...

What was the the first rally car you saw?

Mine was a Healey FrogEye Sprite.

I've no idea on the year (mid 70's I'd guess), no idea on the country let alone the event (father was a big fan of historics and also loved taking us to watch Monte Carlo and The Daily Mirror / Lombard RAC), but I do remember being too short to see over the crest, and just hearing the noise and then the cutest car (probably already a classic even back then) just popped into view over a square right coming straight at me and then turned square left.

(and as an aside, the *last* rallycar I saw was at work when an Aston Martin trundled past. Is the GT class going strong yet?)

[janvanvurpa]

December 1970: First rally car I saw I got a hair raising ride from Esso in Skärholmen up into Stockholm, then a crazy sideways circuit thru the snow covered streets then back on E4an to Esso Motor Hotel.
Saw nearly nothing from the low co+driver seating so popular then, completely deafening sound,, shaking when done.
Car: 196? Kortnos Saab 96 with the mighty 850cc 2 stroke. Owned by Jane
Driver: Björn ??? 'Mekarn' boyfriend of Jane.

And 2 years later Jane introduced me to the woman who would be my first wife!

[Tomi]

Cant remember, but propably some of Pentti's cars or Henri's Sunbeam.

[wrc_flipper]

MG Mereo 6R4 Driven by by Tony Pond and Rob Arthur in the 1985 RAC Rally

[jonas_mcrae]

embarassing compared to your "old school" esperiences, but the first rally car I saw was Carlos Sainz Xsara WRC in the first day of rally mexico 2004 in transit near the service park, I dropped a tear and Im not embarassed to say so. We were at a red light juts after arriving to Leon when it happened...

[pino]

B.M.C Cooper S :D

[jiipee64]

must be a mk 1 Escort 1970 in the 1000 lakes...
Mäkinen or Mikkola
(very vivid image ...)


Maybe someone drove by that bridge before
can´t remember them though...

[L5->R5/CR]

this one...

http://www.mach2racing.com/images/DSC00009.jpg

[SubaruNorway]

Henning Solberg Toyota Corolla Rally Hedemarken 2002 very much like Rally GB so it's always special to go there, actualy held in the same area as Rally Norway

[raybak]

Ford MK II Escort in about 1980 when a rally was run past our farm.

Ray

[Karbonyl]

I can not say exactly, which rally car I saw was the first one, but I can say my oldest remembrance - it was Leo Pavlik´s group B Quattro sliding between the snow banks of Rally Valasska Zima in 1986...

[jparker]

No doubts here, Peugeot 205 T16 during 1986 Rally Zlatni Piassatzi. It was the first and last time I witnessed this "monster", shortly after that Gr.B cars were banned. I was tarmac stage and I was in the middle of very long straight, and I don't know what was it (vibrations or sound waves), but I was able to feel my guts shaking when the car approached me. Never had the same experience again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOfueOt5wxY

:)

[gloomyDAY]

I got my cherry popped earlier this year in Mexico.

March 9, 2007 was the first time I ever witnessed a rally car in action. Marcus Gronholm was coming off "El Cubilete" and cruising onto surface streets. Then when I got onto the course Petter Solberg raced by me inches from where I was standing. I found out that later that day Petter had to retire due to engine problems.

After that I went south of Leon to a city named Guanajuato (ceremonial start of the rally) and fell in love with a Mexican gal.

I'm only 20 years-old and can say that was the best week of my life. Hopefully more great times like these will follow.

Mikko's car:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c123/killincommies/DSC_0072.jpg

The gal:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c123/killincommies/risitas_jeje.jpg

[Elgin Man]

Mine was Colin McRae when he was out in a Ford Puma in the Speyside Stages part of the Scottish Rally Championship. It was in 2001 i think.

[TMorel]

It's kinda cool watching someone else see a "proper" rally car for the first time.
We'd corkscrewed our Pug205 on the previous round of the BTRDA, so I wasn't codriving for my clubs event so offered to marshal.
A group of Venture Scouts had taken time out from some drill to come watch the event and wandered up to my junction - none of them had ever seen a rally, not even on TV so they had no idea what to expect (or where to stand)

After the last car went past they started to get their belongings together, chattering and smiling and full of excitement, all ready to go home.
I then explained it wasn't over, they just have a gap between the 1.6 2wheel drive cars and the *proper* rally cars.

The sound of Andy Burton sitting on the startline turned all these scouts into statues. It was such an amazing site to watch them not move, the anticipation building as they heard his beast getting closer and closer - as JParker said, feeling it before seeing it - and then woooooosh, he came past flicking it left and right, drifting round our corner and then off.
They still stood there for what seemed an eternity before jumping up and down screaming and yelling with excitement.

I think I'm going to have to go onto the British rally thread now and bitch about the MSA taking away the aweinspiring sights of Burtons creations.

[Magnum2300]

1992 1000 Lakes, Friday, SS something Ruuhimäki. We were bit late so we missed first two cars Lancias of Kankkunen and Auriol. Then came Markku with Toyota Celica and it was awesome. I loved the noise and the speed. Wow.

[ST205GT4]

No idea what sort of car it was as I was very young, but it would have been the Adelaide round of the Repco Rally in Australia back in 1979. God it was exciting!

[FrankenSchwinn]

not sure, but i think it was Peugeot 203 in a parking lot, or a R5 in a road section. but my mother always drove like a rally driver (Finnish police knows).

[Ferjancz]

My first was lancia delta HF inegrale 8V ! It was a rallycross car! I was stunned!!!

[Jonte]

My first (real) experience was Ingvar Carlsson in a Mazda 323 back in 1991. i

[Jonte]

My first (real) experience was Ingvar Carlsson in a Mazda 323 back in 1991. I will never forget it... It was on the stage that is called Lejen today. Back the it was run in reverse order. Up until that point I wasnt really interested in rallying. It was more of a crazy idea to visit the swedish rally, we did it only because we could (fresh driving licence).

BUT it was like being hit by a tornado!! I had never up until that point seen anything like it! It was like a combination of a jetfighter, a bomb and a car that came through that corner. I had to jump into the forrest because I could believe the speed he held. Amazing! Since then I havent missed the swedish rally (17 years now)...

[zehirsiz]

except from Ford Ka(one of Ford Motorsports Turkey's old press cup cars) that i saw while watching the cars pass in 2002


this is the first ever car i got in and explored in my hometown :)
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8579/2004trralliistmahalli21ej2.jpg

[Livewireshock]

My first rally car was a model of a Lancia Stratos when I was just starting schooling. It captured my imagination as to where it had come from & what if could do. First rally cars I ever saw live were in liason at the Begonia Rally at Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. Datsuns & Ford Escorts of the 80's.

Speedway was the local motorsport that was popular, with uncles & cousins driving sprintcars. Thus dabbled in speedway, karts & circuit racing.Took me until six years ago to actually attend my first live rally & now I am totally hooked. Wondering why I took so long.

[ettelbruck]

My first rally was Riihimäki-ralli on 1966; can't be sure which was the very first car but I remember seeing Leo Kinnunen on Volkswagen 1500 and Timo Mäkinen with Mini.

I was four years old and my uncle was teasing me as Kinnunen with Volkswagen won the rally, beating all Minis - my father was then driving Mini, too. But my point to my uncle was that he was driving Ford Anglia, and Anglias were not competitive at all...

[dyfi1]

Erik Carlsson in a Saab 93 or was it 96? Two stroke model anyway. The year was 1962 and the rally was R.A.C. I was 5 years old with Dad for company. I`ll never forget that little car, a 3cyl 2 stroke at `full chat` in a forest was something else to hear and I`ve been hooked on rallying since :D

@ ettelbruck. I also remember Timo Mäkinen in a BMC Mini! Also Rauno Aaltonen if my memory serves me well. Great memories ;) I`m also almost sure that it was Carlsson who brought left foot braking to rallying. Maybe someone knows different. Pentti?

[pantealex]

First car that I remember is Audi 80 (or 100) 1000lakes year 1979 or 1980

[koko0703]

My first would be Open Class Subaru Impreza driven by Pasi Hagstrom in the Wild West Rally 2003 of ProRally (now Rally-America) Championship. If I include the ones not moving, it was Subaru Impreza WRC99 or 2000 displayed at Subaru booth of North America Internatinal Autoshow, but it might've been a mock up....

[MadCat]

It's kinda cool watching someone else see a "proper" rally car for the first time.
We'd corkscrewed our Pug205 on the previous round of the BTRDA, so I wasn't codriving for my clubs event so offered to marshal.
A group of Venture Scouts had taken time out from some drill to come watch the event and wandered up to my junction - none of them had ever seen a rally, not even on TV so they had no idea what to expect (or where to stand)

After the last car went past they started to get their belongings together, chattering and smiling and full of excitement, all ready to go home.
I then explained it wasn't over, they just have a gap between the 1.6 2wheel drive cars and the *proper* rally cars.

The sound of Andy Burton sitting on the startline turned all these scouts into statues. It was such an amazing site to watch them not move, the anticipation building as they heard his beast getting closer and closer - as JParker said, feeling it before seeing it - and then woooooosh, he came past flicking it left and right, drifting round our corner and then off.
They still stood there for what seemed an eternity before jumping up and down screaming and yelling with excitement.

I think I'm going to have to go onto the British rally thread now and bitch about the MSA taking away the aweinspiring sights of Burtons creations.

I know what you mean about that. I took a friend from school to the plains rally a couple of years ago and the whole time the car was there, on the start line and away he stood open mouthed :D .. I still get so excited when i hear and see that car, awesome piece of engineering! If you dont know what this is, i'd surf youtube for 'Peugeot Cosworth' quick :D

First car I saw was a Talbot Sunbeam but that was because my Uncle had one :p :

[dutchmnofdoom]

My first rally car was sadly on TV... old show called Legends of Motorsport showed those old Castrol Film Unit productions of rallies and races. The one I always remember was a black and white shot of Pat Moss motoring through Monte Carlo at the end of the rally in her SAAB 93.

This hooked me on rallying when I read about the SAAB cars in a book later on. I now am 17 years old and am on my second 1967 SAAB 96 2 stroke! Viva 2 takt!

P.S. Dyfi1: the one you saw would have been a SAAB 96.

[WRXedUSA]

2004
Swedish Rally
SS1 Sunsjon
Sebastien Loeb

WOW!

[Woodeye]

It was one of the B-group cars in my first 1000 lakes rally in 1985. I really don't remember which one since I was 4 years old at that time. But I remember that my uncle bought me a box of candy and we sat on the Harju SS. That was great. :p

[Will L]

First rally car I ever saw, Peugeot 206 WRC '02. Sanremo Rally '02.

[Josti]

My first visit was more a one day rallysprint. I think it was '96 or '97. Escort RS Cosworth's were up front cars in those days, so I'm pretty sure those were the first ones I saw in action.

[turves]

I have no idea - I was 3 weeks old. If anybody knows who was running first on the road on the 1973 Wyedean, then their car was probably the first one I saw.

[Spud]

The first rally car I saw was a Mk11 Escort in Rothmans livery being driven by Ari Vatanen on TV when I was a little boy.The first one I actually saw in the metal was local hero Jeffery Panton's Ex TTE Celica GT4(ST-165)...what a machine!!!!

[Koz]

Valentino Rossi in NZ last year :(

[imull]

Got left in the carry cot of my dads firenza while it caught fire and he rescued his tools/maps if that counts.

First memories are of Ron Beecroft, Jon Ingram and co doing the Tour of Mull when men were men and before the MN series was emasculated into its 2 choke era. Also remember Dougi Hall wrapping his car into a ball on the Ensay steps as number 13!

First car I sat in was a works Nova GTE with Dave Metcalf :D :D :D :D a couple of months before he died :( Think I was about 6 years old and 2 weeks out of hospital after a burst Apendix- doc wasnt hapy when he arrived to see me climbing back out of hte car lol

[Iskald]

First rally car I saw in competition was a Fiat 850 (autumn 76). First rally car I co-drove was a Volvo 142 (january 79), driver Per Engseth. Since then I have seen hundreds (maybe thousands) of different rally cars - and I have co-driven this bunch:
Volvo 142, Volvo 242, Opel Ascona B, Lada Samara 1300, Lada Samara 1500, Ford Fiesta XR2, Ford Escort RS2000 MK1, Ford Escort RS2000 MK2, Ford Escort BDA MK2, Ford Escort RS Turbo, Ford Escort Cosworth, Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4, Audi 80 Quattro, VW Golf MK1 1.6, VW Golf MK2 1.8, Opel Kadett Gsi, Mazda 323 4WD, Mazda 323 GTR, Toyota Celica GT4 ST165, Toyota Celica 4WD ST185, Toyota Celica GT4 ST205, Toyota Corolla WRC, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, Nissan Almera GTi, Peugeot 205 Gti 1.6, Peugeot 206 XS, Peugeot 206 WRC and Honda Civic R-type. Anyway I think this is the lot...

Actually a great thread, which so to speak motivated me to list all the cars I have sat in. It won`t be many more as I have sort of semi-retired. Great pity, but all things must come to an end...

[teufel]

My first meeting with a rally car was in 2002 when I was invited to visit a test session of a Citroën Saxo kit-car (PH Sport one). It was a shocking experience and at the end of the test session I had the opportunity to co-drive aswell.
Since then it's over for me if it comes to rally :)

[jonas_mcrae]

My first rally car was sadly on TV... old show called Legends of Motorsport showed those old Castrol Film Unit productions of rallies and races. The one I always remember was a black and white shot of Pat Moss motoring through Monte Carlo at the end of the rally in her SAAB 93.

This hooked me on rallying when I read about the SAAB cars in a book later on. I now am 17 years old and am on my second 1967 SAAB 96 2 stroke! Viva 2 takt!

P.S. Dyfi1: the one you saw would have been a SAAB 96.

wait a minte ar we doing see in person or on TV?

[WelshLegend]

mine has got to be Richard Burns in 1999 in his stunning Imprezza. :D

[kleisj]

The first rally car I ever saw was on 80-81 a Lancia Stratos but not in a rally stage. I remember still how much fascinated I was , and couldn't take my eyes off her. What a beauty!
I had the opportunity to see one of them again 2 weeks ago in the Historic Acropolis in one of the most famous tarmac stages in Greece on the hands of Bianchini, winner of the event. Amazing sound, breathtaking looks!
It was the last stage of the rally and the contenders of the first place (Bianchini - Lancia and Jensen - Porsche 911) entered the stage with a difference of 0.50 second. Great stuff! Bianchini with the Stratos won by 9.50 secs at the end!

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e218/Kleis/.jpg

[Vargåsen]

I grew up living just some 100 meters from a Swedish Rally stage, so my first memories of rally comes from the training. I will never forget the roaring in the nights and the lights flashing by. They could train as much as they liked (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) then, and during the nights I guess they could drive faster since they could see if the were meeting anybody easier. The first rally driver I remember was Henri Toivonen, who stopped and waved to me and my brothers during training, when we were playing in the snow along the stage.

[306 Cosworth]

I can't remember the first rally car I saw, but it was on the 1998 Wyedean. The thing I can most remember is the smell of the brakes and the endgines after the cars had gone past, and just the noise of the cars echoing through the woods. Have been hooked ever since. However the first proper car I can remember seeing is the almighty Peugeot Cosworth, ever since that February day in 98 i've been hooked with that car, there's simply nothing like it :D Can't wait to see it again tomorrow on the Red Dragon :D

[TMorel]

306:
Andys Pug is great, but that Alferrari was a nice bit of work.
I remember competing against it - damn that was a lovely bit of kit too :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rROTHn5y0

[superg]

The first rally car I ever saw was in 1983. It was John Buffum's Audi Quattro. New to rallying, equipped with pathetic maps, I finally reached a stage in the middle of the night at 8000 feet in the Rampart Range of Colorado. Dead quiet, then the distant sound of the Quattro through the woods. Six Hellas turned night into day for a moment. It was spectacular and I was hooked.

Two years later I saw Stig Blomqvist drive a prototype Group B Audi S1 (E2)-- white with only a few sponsorship decals-- in the Olympus Rally in Washington. In 1986 at the same rally (a round of the world championship that year), I saw Alen (Delta S4) and Kankunen (205 Turbo E2.) Sadly, Audi had just retired from world rally after the Toivenen accident.

And the Audi S1's on Pikes Peak of Mouton and Rohrl. After Rohrl's run, I followed the S1 down the mountain in my Quattro, enjoying the glorious exhaust note.

Superg

[Miika]

I guess it was Timo Salonen´s Peugeot in the opening stage of the 1986 1000 Lakes Rally - can´t remember anything about it though being only just over a year old.

[Micke_VOC]

The first car i dont know but my first rally memory is Swedish Rally 1986 a flying Ford RS200 Group-B on the "Mölnbacka " stage.

[Mintexmemory]

Ist rally car I saw was my mate's Cortina Mk1 1500 GT (entered a 12 car as his Navigator. Ist International, Bjorn Waaldegaard in the Toyota Celica -Boltby night stage on the RAC iirc.

[Timole]

it´s really hard to remember the exact first rallycar i saw, but i remember my first rally. It was Saaremaa rally in the late 80´s. And then came the 90´s and Mitsus and Subarus were in our national champs aswell.

[imull]

Dads Firenza aside, the first rally car that I saw was probably Ron Beecrofts Mk2 Escort "Virginia".

Now that was a driver of awe inspiring speed and ability.