1985 Lombard RAC Rally (day one - late)

[@iandone5926]

Happy memories .. this was my first full week of RAC rally ... spent Sunday in chatsworth marshaling... then drove down to catch the forest of Dean.. which we missed .. instead picked up a service area in South Wales... stood behind Ceaser Fiorio ( the lancia boss) at the chippy ... fantastic days

[@VHSRallies]

We need to know what Cesare ordered. That's the sort of detail that this channel was founded on!

[@dusankocisevic6823]

@@VHSRalliesdo you mean TYRES or PASTA😎😎 Cheers mate!

[@chunder27]

When you look at what the Beeb did back then, it really puts modern coverage to shame, simply brillaint and amazing times, so odd I was at Weston the other day, and the rally was all chicances and bales, lol

[@jamesrobert4106]

I had an urge to check Ceefax at the end 😄

[@colinstewart1432]

It's actually a crying shame what's happened to the Beeb. Hopelessly preachy these days. This is a great reminder of what they used to do well before it all seemed to go south about 2008

[@animalcol1]

My favourite rally of all time. I can still remember being blown away by the speedtrap on stage one; Henri was a god in my eyes. This is one of my most vivid memories as a young teen. This actual programme, this episode, made me totally and utterly fall in love with rallying. And the stars!!! Tomi, Markuu, Henri, Juha, Walter, Hannu, Jimmy, Tony, Russell, Malcolm, Bjorn, Stig, Per.......they're like childhood friends to me now. The mere mention of their names makes me smile, make S1 E2 sounds in my head and drive my invisible rally car around my home. How lucky was I to live through this? An age of heros driving monsters that roared with the fury of pride of angry lions and belched the flames of dragons. I'm so grateful that you're saving all of this footage for future generations of petrol heads. My 8 year old son is starting to love the sport now too thanks, in part, to your videos. Thank you!!

[@paulpearson3744]

Yes Henri is God. Him and Attelio Betagga are up in heaven having their own eternal rally party

[@robertrishel3685]

You nailed it✊. Rally was so much more interesting in the 70’s-80’s-90’s, so much better than today. It really peaked in the 80’s I think, with group B. All kind of downhill after that.....although there was admittedly some great stuff happening during the 90’s and early 2000’s.... it’s becoming almost ridiculous now days.

[@wilspu5590]

Where you there?

[@animalcol1]

The S1 PDK sounded amazing. I love the scene where Walter has to straighten the car up after a turn and then boots it on the straight. I remember reading Rally Sport magazine back in the day (where all my pocket money went! Read it, then cut out the pictures and put them on my wall, school folders, school books....everywhere!) and seeing the button on top of the audi gearstick that when it was depressed the clutch engaged so the driver could left foot brake all the time if they wanted. I think this was a precursor for PDK / DSG. Love the idea of the delta being twin charged also. And the T16 with the F1 turbo, and the dual shock Rs200 suspension.....it was just amazing tech for the time. Hearing about the S4 in tarmac spec being able to qualify 7th on the grid of an F1 race really brought home to me how quick these cars were. But to see them in the flesh, on tarmac Irish roads, as a kid, with the Williams developed 6R4 and older manta 400s, 240 Rs and a variety of Mk2 escorts.....man, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world 😊😊

[@Marvdogger2]

animalcol1 I think Michelle mouton hurt her left leg or foot once do Audi Sport cane up with the button on the gear stick for that reason. But they kept it on all the cars after that.

[@animalcol1]

@@Marvdogger2 Amazing engineers! Mr Piëch was a pretty demanding boss. Thanks for the info, I didn't know it came from and injury to my favourite woman in motorsport - she is a real wonder woman!! 😊

[@Jonc25]

"We do listen to what the more intelligent drivers do say". No wonder Group b got banned. Thanks for upload. 👍

[@jamesrobert4106]

Fast forward 6 months and the disastrous end came. Monumental stupidity.

[@dusankocisevic6823]

@@jamesrobert4106SO TRUE……….

[@ItsMeMattCarter]

@@jamesrobert4106 Sad part was this interview brought up all the points they should have listened to. This was much like Thanos, inevitable. Which is really sad considering it didn't have to be.

[@weallfollowmanutd]

That lancias speed trap at 104mph was really out of this world. Frightening

[@Odysseuss.]

105 think Walter could have smashed that if he hadn't spun preceding corner, saying that Henri's lines and momentum retention....Hmm we'll never know.

[@wilspu5590]

@@Odysseuss. maximum boost set

[@Spartanm333]

I remember how we would try to get back from the forest stages to wherever we were staying to catch the last BBC update for the day. And if we couldn't get to the rally at all you could rely on the BBC to cover it for you. One time I blagged my way into the restricted areas at the Harewood House hill climb stage near Leeds - borrowed a fairly hefty portable camera from work (Yorkshire TV) and told them I was press :) - that wouldn't work these days. Still have the footage somewhere on betacam tape - remember that ?

[@cvtt3194]

Amazing, what an era! What a fantastic event, legendary cars and drivers.

[@VHSRallies]

Yes it was!

[@Archiewinter920]

Remember watching this live and subsequently watching the video time and time again. Wonderful.

[@Marvdogger2]

Compare this to the super rushed more orless exclusive to youtube Rally coverage we get today. Now TV channels will not even pay to have a presenter to cover a rally. Instead we get coverage that consists 70% of onboard footage because the WRC are to cheap to have camera's down the stages and some helicopter footage squeezed into 3 minutes which is supposed to cover 1 days rallying

[@colinstewart1432]

Agreed. Today's coverage is piss - poor by comparison but I'm biased as I'm over 45 🤘👹🤘

[@chrismc1977]

Amazing footage. Oh to go back to see & hear these cars in person. Group B cars look so ponderous at low speed compared to a modern WRC cars-but boy did they ever go well in a straight line! Still hugely impressive 35years later!!

[@Ethan-ck6iz]

First footage I've ever seen of the dual clutch S1. Awesome.

[@foo4572]

I used to love when this came on Telly and always loved the Quattro ... I used to emulate them or so I thought when driving my Dads car ..... oh dear what a Pratt ..... 😀

[@weirdweld1227]

An interesting comment from Sue Barker about Wilson's bonnet pin failing and letting the bonnet fly up obscuring his view. I have a photo of the same thing happening to a John Price Rallying 6R4 in the Trelowarren stage of the Tour of Cornwall in I think 1993. That bought some great memories back

[@Marvdogger2]

Rohrl in the PDK equipped quattro borrowed from Porsche you can really see the difference in power delivery. Shame Audi Sport did'nt run one of the cars with it on the 86 Monte.

[@ELUSIVEJIM]

Anyway of sharing a link of the 1985 RAC Rally with you? It's not my clip but I have found some very rare footage which I have never seen before and thought you might like to see it.

[@Marvdogger2]

James I’ll message you tomorrow 👍🏻

[@ArnoldTriyudho]

Did it works like a dogbox manual..

[@doabarrellroll69]

Actually, the PDK didin't exist yet, Audi did that on their own

[@wilspu5590]

@@Marvdogger2 how?

[@EleanorPeterson]

Thanks very much for converting and uploading all these old vids. Have a kiss and a hug. ♥♥ It's great to know that this classic (and historically significant) action will live on digitally long after all forms of motorsport have been banned for being s-l-l-lightly silly... ;-)

[@mrbetamax1969]

Wow! Takes me back to my teenage days tape this on betamax been still in loft of my old house...cheers for sticking this stuff on...magic

[@minibus9]

cool video, I was born in 1990 so too young to have seen Group B so great to see old rallies on youtube

[@carcontrolcommitment]

Willy Woollard pressing home the point about the length of the route to Nick Brittain, and Nick denying there is even a problem and suggesting subterfuge on behalf of the drivers! 1980's PR rocks!

[@Marvdogger2]

billyboy205gti Quite a Cavalier attitude he has. The drivers were saying for long rally’s were too long and he’s there saying they just want more service time. What does the FIA say after Corsica in 86, no stages to be permitted longer than 30km and more rest time.

[@taffymk1244]

Ignorant, and in complete denial.

[@Andy_ATB]

@@Marvdogger2 Agree - Yes, rallying should be tough, but it needed to be fair and safe for the crews.

[@animalcol1]

@@Marvdogger2 Really great to see you on here Marv. Huge, huge fan of your work!

[@Marvdogger2]

animalcol1 Thanks mate.

[@jimbeamabarth135]

Amazing times of RAC, so fast for this times and very different technologys !

[@paulpearson3744]

Another superb upload. Thank you vhs rallies for providing excellent entertainment during this difficult time.

[@40022laconia]

6R4 What a sound.

[@Daniel-S1]

Thanks.

[@VHSRallies]

You're welcome

[@deepestdub]

Fantastic footage. Superb stuff

[@dusankocisevic6823]

Henkka trying to move a log with front bumper….. what a character🙏🙏😎😎

[@ryansta]

Thankyou

[@guyjones3665]

Great era...

[@robertrishel3685]

Russel Brookes and that “Andrews for Hire” livery ✊👍👍👍👍👍👍 I wonder if these guys (the ones still with us) know that there are fans out here who watch all these old rally’s on KZbin? I’d rather watch any of these older 1970’s -1980’s- 1990’s rallies than ANY modern racing. The cars are more interesting, the drivers more heroic, and the driving more exciting.

[@VHSRallies]

Hard to tell. It was good to see Alan Douglas, one of the popular rally commentators of that era, popping up here yesterday evening to say he was enjoying watching the old footage.

[@wilspu5590]

@@VHSRallies did he?

[@Pelleministeri]

Cool stuff! I love the Rx-7, if i remember right it has a peripheral ported engine.

[@losFondos]

With hindsight, the interview with Brittain is quite appalling. Were the drivers supposed to sleep during the transfers? I'd guess sitting in a Delta S4 isn't the most sleep-friendly environment to rest... Unthinkable to plan a rally with 10 hours of off time in three days.

[@bobanppvc]

13:54 we will never see this again

[@Silhillian1968]

Speed trap based on 6R4 readout was straight off the previous bend. Seems very conservative imo.

[@Iwillfindonesoon]

Now that's what I call presenting >1

[@waynerafferty1048]

No pace notes, but still very fast what a group of drivers.

[@markcowland5384]

in interviews Tony Pond is the way rallying was, Malcolm Wilson how rallying will be in the future.

[@colinstewart1432]

Correct. And Russell Brookes as usual is full of himself. Always liked it when Pondy beat him 🤣

[@037cwash]

i think Henri forgot his English when Neil Wilson told him “tight left...” on the opening stage

[@sporkybutterz]

Was this after Ari's crash since he is not piloting the Peugeot? I thought that happened in 86 unless I got my timeline mixed up. It's mind boggling to see Willy press on points and knucklehead going well its an excuse for service. Facepalm.

[@drazenbudis7881]

Jay S Yes its after, Ari had his accident at ‘85 Argentina rally

[@jamesstewart7224]

Grunt monsters 👍

[@dennismuthai9234]

Great coverage. Levels apart from today's scam

[@A555-m1n]

If anyone from the FIA /Rally GB organisation is watching this and wondering what them strange looking objects are in the background?. well I'm hear to tell you it's called a crowd..yes many yrs ago right up until 2003 one wkend in November thousands use to get up at stupid a'clock (me and my brother included) and go and stand at some stately home in the rain and watch this once great event..why oh why did you think it would be a good idea then to shift this whole event to Wales?..have you any idea the revenue and more so the enjoyment these Sunday stage's use to bring.well whoever you are I'd just like say thanks for alienating thousand's of rally fans in this criminal decision to move it. 200k turned out for this day alone!and it use to be like it every yr sometimes 7/8 deep. I doubt rally GB gets anywhere near that on the overall event.

[@RW-nr6bh]

The RAC Rally always seemed like it would be a huge event forever when I was a schoolboy in the late 1980s and 90s. I wish I'd gone to some of the Sunday stages but it was always something I was going to do with i grew up, only by the time I'd got my own car and could travel it was hacked back to the remnant we have now (and worse still it's not even happening at all this year). My parents took me as a very young boy to see the cars being driven through Leek town centre, I couldn't say the year, either 1985 or 1986, but back then it was a truly British event over a huge part of the country. Even if you couldn't get to a stage and see some action, you could see the cars in person being driven near where you live rather than travel to see them on static display.

[@polzovatel009]

Tony Pond, so glad he was presented with a speed bike xd

[@eddiec438]

What a spectacle those Mickey Mouse stages were for the fans. Todays 'Super Specials' are rubbish in comparison !

[@paulpearson3744]

I agree👍. The super specials are tracks not rally stages. Way too artificial for rallying. It's not what the sport is about but like most things money walks and bullshit talks.

[@dusankocisevic6823]

23:50 Oh how much they were wrong about it.. just 6 months later, it was all over🙄🙄

[@TucanoTMK1]

This Was Rallying at its Best and Most interesting,Unlike the Boring Hybrid Junk We Have to Put up With in 2023,Why Can We Not Have Propper Sounding Engines Again instead of EV Hybrid Junk.

[@wilspu5590]

4wd f1 cars with 2 seats

[@wilspu5590]

UFOs