|
|
Post by René on Mar 22, 2020 11:07:55 GMT
JC, thank you for posting those movies. As to the second one, from the 1982 Circuit of Ireland, I actually remember it well. At that time, when video recorders started to become popular, a number of tapes with recordings of motorsport broadcasts on British TV circulated in a group of friends of my father's; so we got a tape with just that broadcast. I recall seeing it innumerable times back then, so seeing it again at this time is almost like meeting an old friend.
It often happened that local drivers could beat the stars on home ground. Something like that happened often also in motocross. Many a time, established riders were "shaken" by an unknown local rider, who knew his track in-and-out.
Great story, Mikael! That is what you call nostalgia.  |
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Mar 22, 2020 12:55:37 GMT
JC, thank you for posting those movies. As to the second one, from the 1982 Circuit of Ireland, I actually remember it well. At that time, when video recorders started to become popular, a number of tapes with recordings of motorsport broadcasts on British TV circulated in a group of friends of my father's; so we got a tape with just that broadcast. I recall seeing it innumerable times back then, so seeing it again at this time is almost like meeting an old friend.
It often happened that local drivers could beat the stars on home ground. Something like that happened often also in motocross. Many a time, established riders were "shaken" by an unknown local rider, who knew his track in-and-out.
Mikael that is great to hear, such memories can be so special. I have many VHS tapes stored away from the late 1970's right into the 1990's; throughout the 1980's I always used to record the Grand Prix programs that were shown by the BBC etc, and many other categories including rallying. I think that period of rallying just before the Quattro's completely changed the face of competition were one of the best, the cars looked and sounded fantastic, and were so amazingly spectacular. It was during the 1982 season that a friend and I travelled up to Yorkshire in February/March, can't recall without looking up the exact time for one round of the British Championship with stages in the Dalby Forest. Some of the stages in the dark were spectacular as there was nothing like being a dark forest with flash lights all around while walking to vantage points and some spectators who obviously had recently left a public house shouting out strange Pythonesque phrases and similar. While waiting for the stage to begin that was probably the coldest night I have ever spent in a car, even while wrapped in a sleeping bag. |
|
|
|
Post by chrisb on Mar 24, 2020 21:18:22 GMT
great stories chaps, I transferred a lot of my VHS onto CD and taped from 1981 to about 2005 - I have some of the rallies and as many races from the Group C and Indycars, what an era, shame about the music but
|
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Jul 7, 2020 15:03:26 GMT
Last night I sat down to watch some YT films and came across some that i had seen on my computer a while back, but viewed again as they are so much better on a large TV screen.
Both are some wonderful period 1958 films of that years Alpine Rally; great film quality for the period and so much nostalgia for that decade. Nothing like the rallying of today, more an adventure in cars that were in fact standard production vehicles with some slight tuning and preparation. The roads are an eye opener many not much more than cart tracks up a mountain pass, but absolutely spectacular.
The first film was produced by the British car manufacturer Standard Triumph and obviously centred on their factory entrants. The voice over was done by the doyen of motor sport commentators Raymond Baxter, who also was a competitor in the event and can be seen on many occasions.
In the second film of the same event and produced by Shell was equally superb and featured some spectacular coverage. In the film I noticed one DSJ (look for the bit where the young French lady driver shunts her factory Triumph TR3, he is there) and in the end credits he was part of the production team.
|
|
|
|
Post by Carl on Jul 8, 2020 21:35:30 GMT
Last night I sat down to watch some YT films and came across some that i had seen on my computer a while back, but viewed again as they are so much better on a large TV screen. Both are some wonderful period 1958 films of that years Alpine Rally; great film quality for the period and so much nostalgia for that decade. Nothing like the rallying of today, more an adventure in cars that were in fact standard production vehicles with some slight tuning and preparation. The roads are an eye opener many not much more than cart tracks up a mountain pass, but absolutely spectacular. The first film was produced by the British car manufacturer Standard Triumph and obviously centred on their factory entrants. The voice over was done by the doyen of motor sport commentators Raymond Baxter, who also was a competitor in the event and can be seen on many occasions. In the second film of the same event and produced by Shell was equally superb and featured some spectacular coverage. In the film I noticed one DSJ (look for the bit where the young French lady driver shunts her factory Triumph TR3, he is there) and in the end credits he was part of the production team. John Charles, Although entering a strange new world, I enjoyed both films for the fascinating competition and historical record. Rallies of this type were popular in America, but almost none approached the distance and difficulty of this event. Thanks to your heads-up, I saw Denis Jenkinson as he signaled caution at one of the many amazing Stelvio switchbacks, hairpins so tight as to hurt. Several beautiful creations I would have hesitated to risk were entered; the Alfa-Romeos, the one Citroen, the Jaguar and baby blue Sprite Mk1, and Annie Soisbault, for whose lovely legs the train should have stopped. I know I am displaying my ignorance, but an aspect of rallying that's always seemed strange to me is the importance of timing to the second and, at this event, lapping Monza at predetermined speed. The exactness of time and speed seems more a challenge of planning, modulation and control. A civilian award for courage should have gone to the portly local on a moped, riding opposite the rally cars on a very narrow and dusty mountain pass. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
― John Wayne
|
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Jul 9, 2020 13:16:41 GMT
Last night I sat down to watch some YT films and came across some that i had seen on my computer a while back, but viewed again as they are so much better on a large TV screen. Both are some wonderful period 1958 films of that years Alpine Rally; great film quality for the period and so much nostalgia for that decade. Nothing like the rallying of today, more an adventure in cars that were in fact standard production vehicles with some slight tuning and preparation. The roads are an eye opener many not much more than cart tracks up a mountain pass, but absolutely spectacular. The first film was produced by the British car manufacturer Standard Triumph and obviously centred on their factory entrants. The voice over was done by the doyen of motor sport commentators Raymond Baxter, who also was a competitor in the event and can be seen on many occasions. In the second film of the same event and produced by Shell was equally superb and featured some spectacular coverage. In the film I noticed one DSJ (look for the bit where the young French lady driver shunts her factory Triumph TR3, he is there) and in the end credits he was part of the production team. John Charles, Although entering a strange new world, I enjoyed both films for the fascinating competition and historical record. Rallies of this type were popular in America, but almost none approached the distance and difficulty of this event. Thanks to your heads-up, I saw Denis Jenkinson as he signaled caution at one of the many amazing Stelvio switchbacks, hairpins so tight as to hurt. Several beautiful creations I would have hesitated to risk were entered; the Alfa-Romeos, the one Citroen, the Jaguar and baby blue Sprite Mk1, and Annie Soisbault, for whose lovely legs the train should have stopped. I know I am displaying my ignorance, but an aspect of rallying that's always seemed strange to me is the importance of timing to the second and, at this event, lapping Monza at predetermined speed. The exactness of time and speed seems more a challenge of planning, modulation and control. A civilian award for courage should have gone to the portly local on a moped, riding opposite the rally cars on a very narrow and dusty mountain pass. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
― John Wayne
Carl, They really are of a different world aren't they! Nothing really like rallying today more a matter of endurance and careful planning. Not much in the way of back-up for the competitors either with the driver and co-driver(s) doing the maintenance on route. The timing of sections is more like that of car trials that are still popular at club and national level in the UK, where you have to keep to a maximum and minimum time for a given section. Back in the 1970/80's Road rallies were very popular, even to a British Championship level and this was how they were conducted. Normal roads were used at night time, and the roads were not closed to normal traffic, so the competitors were supposedly restricted to national speed limit restrictions. There was one every year that went right past my family home in the early hours of the morning and many of the cars used were typically proper rally cars like Ford Escort Mk1 & 2's in full trim. The skill being that you had to plan the route that was given and then work out how to meet the exact time given by the organisers, so very like those early rallies seen in these films. Just brilliant to watch these films that are now becoming available once more. John Charles |
|
|
|
Post by chrisb on Jul 13, 2020 8:01:05 GMT
aren't they just wonderful? I too have watched that Raymond Baxter film and marvelled at them, having ridden Stelvio twice and gotten the tee shirt, which was expensive and a non-negotiable 15 Euros! once with a dodgy clutch so had to do some shall we say 'sweat palming' overtakes that were decidedly interesting which may have upset a few, the second time was a bit boring, Grossglockner is much more interesting, in a 50's rally car it would have been a hoot and one wonders how the tyres got on, I would love to take a rally car up there now without any traffic that is
John, the British rally scene up until the late 90's was thriving and I miss it, waiting in ice cold conditions on snowy hills freezing parts of various anatomies was part of the fun....but the cars I will try and post a picture taken at the RAC that emphasis that point
|
|
|
|
Post by chrisb on Jul 13, 2020 8:02:57 GMT
here goes  Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Jul 14, 2020 12:03:20 GMT
aren't they just wonderful? I too have watched that Raymond Baxter film and marvelled at them, having ridden Stelvio twice and gotten the tee shirt, which was expensive and a non-negotiable 15 Euros! once with a dodgy clutch so had to do some shall we say 'sweat palming' overtakes that were decidedly interesting which may have upset a few, the second time was a bit boring, Grossglockner is much more interesting, in a 50's rally car it would have been a hoot and one wonders how the tyres got on, I would love to take a rally car up there now without any traffic that is John, the British rally scene up until the late 90's was thriving and I miss it, waiting in ice cold conditions on snowy hills freezing parts of various anatomies was part of the fun....but the cars I will try and post a picture taken at the RAC that emphasis that point There are more and more of these old films coming to light on YouTube now, and that is just brilliant. The whole feel of those films is just fantastic and puts a great deal of the modern material to shame with its over dependence on sound track overlay and anaemic content. Some of the early 1960's Monte Carlo Rally films are superb and you can really feel the level of challenge that they posed just on the road sections, things back then were not as they are now. |
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Feb 27, 2021 16:48:51 GMT
 I have just seen that it has been reported in "motorsport.com" that Hannu Mikkola has passed away at the age of 78 years. Very sad news of this great rally drivers passing. A former world rally champion in the iconic Audi Quattro. Hannu made his name in factory Ford Escorts before joining Audi and the course of rallying changed for ever. |
|
|
|
Post by René on Feb 27, 2021 17:13:19 GMT
Another famous name that has left us. A true rally legend. RIP Hannu.
|
|
|
|
Post by chrisb on Feb 28, 2021 9:20:43 GMT
I had the pleasure of meeting Hannu once or twice, quiet and undemonstrative outside the cockpit, a real master in it, he was amazing and I don't remember ever hearing one negative comment about him, rest in peace and thank you Hannu
|
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Feb 28, 2021 18:15:31 GMT
Hannu was an absolute gentleman and a truly great rally driver, and as you state Chris, so understated, as were many from that era.
I was thinking yesterday that we have lost quite a few of those factory or factory supported Ford Escort drivers, Hannu; Bjorn; Roger Clark; Timo Makinen and Russell Brookes. Strange that Hannu and Timo were more or less the same age when the passed away at 78 & 79.
I came across a picture of Hannu & Stig during their Audi days and it was telling how physically and mentally drained they both looked, just makes one realise how demanding rallies were in the 1980's, and those cars just monsters.
|
|
|
|
Post by charleselan on Mar 15, 2021 15:11:02 GMT
I came across this delightful film last night while looking through some recommended material on YouTube. It is a Castrol produced film of the 1952 Rally Of Great Britain and really illustrates the difference in rally from that period and the modern day events, plus how different times were back then.
Those rallies really were feats of endurance and so challenging to the cars back then. As the film describes the cars had to be completely standard road cars with no modifications what so ever. The roads are unbelievable and make one realise how far we have come in how we get from one place to another . Think about the fact that many cars were forced out of the rally as they failed to make the climbing terrain in the Lake District, clutches failed etc.
A wonderful period film not only for the cars but the glorious scenery of the British Isles in the 1950's.
|
|
|
|
Post by mikael on Apr 4, 2021 9:06:29 GMT
This is the movie "The Fascinating world of motor-sport (Le corse che passione)", commissioned by Fiat in 1977, dealing with the 1977 World Championships in Rally and in Formula One. A part of it (dealing with the 1977 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, starting at 25:30) was posted here before; but the movie is mostly about rally, so I placed it here. It's really a great movie!
|
|
