1984 Lombard RAC Rally (day one)

Action from the first day of the final round of the 1984 World Rally Championship. Originally produced by BBC Top Gear Rally Report and broadcast on BBC2. Presented by William Woollard, with commentary by Barrie Gill and additional reporting by Sue Baker. Converted from VHS TV recording. For VHS Rallies' exclusive range of classic rallying t-shirts, hoodies and mugs, visit vhsrallies.teemill.com

[@cgarby]

Binge watching these 80s rallies. Thanks !

[@chap666ish]

Back when the Lombard RAC rally was simply an immense event. I remember standing in pitch dark Welsh forests waiting for the race director's car to go past, then the medics and then the safety crews. Then - eventually - you'd hear the first car and the whistles of the marshalls. Then blindingly bright headlights and tremendous speed and exhaust noise. Awesome stuff!

[@grahamatsea3575]

Epic, again, thank you. 1984... had just finished my 4 year apprenticeship and was taken on in the design office as a Draughtsman. In this Lombard rally I drove to Yorkshire to see many of the forest stages, it was amazing. My late dad and girlfriend at the time did the trip with me. Once again thanks for the upload, brings back some great memories and has lifted my spirits in these unpleasant, uncertain times

[@VHSRallies]

That's the idea, Graham. Stay home, stay safe.

[@RalioTypeR]

The stories I’ve heard about Group B from my uncle are spine tingling. Sitting in the forestry in Brechfa hearing that Audi for miles. Can’t help Feeling that I’ve mist out on the golden years. Was only a few months old in this year😩

[@scoobyking555cm]

Sorry to say your uncle is right, these were the golden years of rallying. I lived in West Wales at the time and never missed the RAC, great cars, great drivers and the greatest of all was the great times had by all of us spectators in the middle of the forests having the time of our lives regardless of the weather or the time of day or night the stages were run at. 👍🏁

[@davec197]

Yes I was 15 months old when this took place..my 1st RAC was 1990 Lombard as a skiving 7 year old missing school traveling with my mom and stepdad around the country

[@RW-nr6bh]

@@davec197 I always used to avidly follow it on TV and dream of when I would leave school and go and watch the RAC Rally, that was back in the early 1990s. Sadly by the time that came round the glory days had long gone. Still never got round to seeing it. The closest I got was as a very young boy, my parents took me to see the cars as they drove through Leek on the way from Trentham to Chatsworth, I was far too young to recognise anything, never mind a Metro 6R4 back then though.

[@Hargan]

So glad Jayemm shouted you guys out! Could watch this stuff all day!

[@scoobyking555cm]

Thanks for more trips down memory lane mate, epic 👍👍👍👍👍🏁

[@eddiec438]

I was at Knowsley. My first rally experience.

[@surality]

Cheers mate enjoyed that

[@ArnoldTriyudho]

They should bring those stages back for Rally GB..

[@ranjitsian5481]

Nice one

[@WerdnaLiten]

Proper rallying - as it's meant to be.....

[@liverush24]

A used to have a "Shaker Maker". It wasn't a rally driver, though.

[@weallfollowmanutd]

Michelle Mouton was a hell of a driver controlling that short wheelbase beast

[@jamesrobert4106]

The game had evolved too far by that point. They were probably more invested in the group S car which fate never allowed.

[@SteveM-ly7oy]

I am pretty sure the BBC did films of 1986 and 1987 Portugal, even though 1986 was a disaster. If you could find those that would be great.

[@chryneon6638]

I've been trying to find pics of the Audi quattro in the intro since I found this, to no results. Anyone had any luck finding an image?

[@ddt3619]

Did you remove 1998 Championship? For some reason couldn't find it yesterday...

[@VHSRallies]

Yes. Removed it myself as a precuation on copyright grounds.

[@ddt3619]

@@VHSRallies that's a shame...did you have this kind of problems before?

[@ArnoldTriyudho]

@@VHSRallies Just saying, but you could switch the video preference to private instead..

[@paultaylor5502]

That Sport Q looks seriously hard work

[@tomanderson6335]

A shorter wheelbase to exacerbate the extremely forward weight bias coupled with extra power and the extra turbo lag that comes with it. I wonder if Michele volunteered to run it or was assigned it...

[@paultaylor5502]

@@tomanderson6335 thanks for the reply, we worked on this and a couple of others at DSM, the car was poor for the reasons you mention add to that peak torque at 4800rpm and you have a very nervous car. She loved the car by the way unlike Walter and Stig

[@shakes.dontknowwhatyergettin]

For her it was, not so much for her teammates.

[@paultaylor5502]

@@shakes.dontknowwhatyergettin oh it was, it was a dog, Hannu, Stig and Walter all hated the sport.

[@sporkybutterz]

Ari in the Peugeot...ok everyone pack it up.

[@donc815]

did Lancia not enter the rally?

[@Marvdogger2]

Tony Ponds classic off.

[@VHSRallies]

Yeah. I kinda felt sorry for the tree, really. SD1 at unabated speed must have smarted, even for a well-established oak.

[@stephennoble2647]

That Rover SD1 was not much good as a rally car. Too heavy and clumsy..

[@christineayres7199]

Michelle 450bhp very fast car she had

[@craigpalmer347]

💣💣💥💥💥👌👌🤙🤙🤙

[@eddiec438]

Some of this footage is clearly speeded-up slightly.

[@housey4297]

eh?

[@TheSimonhammond]

Not it's not.

[@TheUnclepete]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2bQeWyLnreYaKs Debu-ting?

[@scoobyking555cm]

Lol I thought exactly the same when I heard it being pronounced that way 👍🏁