Silly Season 2019

[deephouse]

Citroen have Total and Abu Dhabi and now want RedBull aswell. And Still they discuss about 3rd car... They behave like they are not works team. M-Sport could use those kind of sponsorships to stay in the game.

What about Subaru? What did 555 mean in that days?

[Mirek]

What about Subaru? What did 555 mean in that days?

555 is a tobacco brand but that's really long time a go when it was involved in rally.

[Allez Andruet]

555 is a tobacco brand but that's really long time a go when it was involved in rally.

Btw, does anyone know why the '555' logo was allowed during 1993-1995 in countries where tobacco advertising was otherwise banned? Sure the car model was called "Impreza 555" but still - what kind of ruling and by whom was that?

[er88]

Whatever the way, I hope Abu Dhabi will manage to continue; it’d be strange to see them leaving when, for the first time, they have a serious chance to get a title with Citroen.

It's better for the sport if Msport get the Abu Dhabi money. Citroen are locked in for the next two/three years regardless, and now have the red bull backing that Msport relied upon in the last two years.

Ostberg would bring money and he could maybe share a car with Loeb if they're scrounging for extra money that badly.

That's a team that could win the manufacturers title; Ogier, Lappi, Loeb/Ostberg - but maybe Loeb and Ostberg both want to do more than 6/7events so that arrangement might not work.

[OHL]

Btw, does anyone know why the '555' logo was allowed during 1993-1995 in countries where tobacco advertising was otherwise banned? Sure the car model was called "Impreza 555" but still - what kind of ruling and by whom was that?

Subaru did that to get around the ban on tobacco advertising. By making it part of the model name it wasn't technically advertising even thought it really was. If Mitsubishi had renamed the Lancer to be a Lancer Marlboro it would have been the same thing.

[Tarmop]

Btw, does anyone know why the '555' logo was allowed during 1993-1995 in countries where tobacco advertising was otherwise banned? Sure the car model was called "Impreza 555" but still - what kind of ruling and by whom was that?

Probably some politically correct thing what Ferrari and Marlboro did in F1.

[AnttiL]

Btw, does anyone know why the '555' logo was allowed during 1993-1995 in countries where tobacco advertising was otherwise banned? Sure the car model was called "Impreza 555" but still - what kind of ruling and by whom was that?

One explanation I've heard is that 555 wasn't sold in Europe at the time.

[Allez Andruet]

One explanation I've heard is that 555 wasn't sold in Europe at the time.

That could be it.

[Allez Andruet]

Subaru did that to get around the ban on tobacco advertising.

Sure they did, but the interpretation of whatever authority it was, obviously changed during 1995-1996. I'm willing to buy the theory AnttiL presented.

[Norm75]

555 is a tobacco brand but that's really long time a go when it was involved in rally.

Yes 555 is tobacco company, part of British American tobacco along with lucky strike. Hence why some of the Subaru's had *555 BAT prefix number plates.

They were also title sponsor of BAR F1 team that ran lucky strike livery. Back in the day when Dave Richards was running BAR they wanted to run one car in 555 blue and yellow livery, and one car in white and red lucky strike livery. This was not allowed by FIA, so one solution was to run the cars with the livery of each tobacco company on each side of the car split down the middle.
This was only used for one or two practice sessions though I believe. (I know it's F1 but kind of interesting)