Originally Posted by FAL
Salonen was in a Group 4 Violet GT on the 82 RAC, but Andy Dawson drove an "official" Silvia Turbo. I can't claim to be a Datsun/Nissan expert and I saw very little of the works cars on the 82 RAC, as I was running at the other end of the field.
Half the time Datsuns seemed to be called something different in the UK from elsewhere, which doesn't help. This was also a transition period. The 82 RAC was the last outing for "official" Datsuns run by Dawson's outfit - Bill Blydenstein took over in 83.
It was also a transition period for FIA Appendix J. The new Groups N/A/B had come in for 82 but old Gp2 and 4 (but not Gp1) cars were allowed to run on for a year (82) (to help keep entries up). At very short notice, the old Gps 2 and 4 were then allowed to run on for another year (83) but I think they were then restricted to non-FIA A (and B?) seeded drivers.
Unfortunately, Rallysport magazine only started publishing a photo of every car on the RAC the next year, 83, and doesn't have one of Salonen (No.12) in 82. (Salonen retired in Hafren after breaking a halfshaft when in 7th place and not being able to climb a hill).
I can't find a photo but one report does say it was Salonen's first outing in a Violet in 82.
