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Two
of rallying's most iconic winning machines, the
Lancia 037 Rally and Delta S4, are being
honoured in a dazzling exhibition of the Group B
era that Audi is presenting at its Ingolstadt
headquarters' museum as part of its centenary
celebrations.
To celebrate its centenary, the Audi brand
is looking back on an exciting rally era. In
a special exhibition entitled “The Cornering
Wizards: Group B Rally Cars” from August 12
to October 31 2009 at the Audi museum mobile
in Ingolstadt, Audi Tradition is displaying
no fewer than 12 rally cars from the 1983 to
1986 period – with a collective power output
of more than 5,000 bhp.
1983 to 1986 were among the most thrilling years in rallying. The Group
B cars in particular have lost nothing of
their appeal. The new special exhibition at
the Audi museum mobile provides what is
probably a unique overview of the cars of
this period, with the successful Audi
Quattro rally cars confronting their rivals
of yesteryear.
The so-called “Ur-quattro” is there too:
the Audi Quattro Rallye A1 Group B (340 bhp)
dating from 1983 that created a sensation
with super-fast lady Michèle Mouton at the
wheel. Hannu Mikkola, the “Flying Finn”,
took the world rally champion’s title in the
same year with this car. Also on display is
the Audi Quattro Rallye A2 Group B (360 bhp)
from 1984. In this car it was the Swedish
driver Stig Blomqvist’s turn to take the
world championship in 1984, with the
manufacturer’s title going to Audi. Then
there is the Audi Sport Quattro Rallye Group
B (420 bhp) from 1984, affectionately
nicknamed “Shorty” on account of its reduced
wheelbase. This car suited rally star Walter
Röhrl to perfection. And last but not least,
this collection of cars would not be
complete without the legendary Audi Sport
Quattro S1 Group B (476 bhp), the ultimate
evolutionary version in this group.
Eight competitors’ cars round are included
in the special exhibition and as well as the
two Lancia machines, also on show is the
Peugeot 205 Turbo, Renault R5 Turbo and MG
Metro 6R4.
Together with photo documentation and film
material, they provide a picture of that
dramatic period in which rally cars learned
to fly.
A change in the rules of rallying in 1983
led to a downright explosion in Group B
cars’ power outputs. The new ruling allowed
manufacturers of these rally cars more
design freedom than ever before. And they
didn’t need asking twice: highly tuned
engines developing well over 500 bhp soon
appeared, and were capable of accelerating
the cars from a standing start to 100 km/h
in scarcely three seconds. The drivers at
the wheel of these potent packages, which
needed extensive spoilers to keep them from
taking off altogether, seemed to have no
problems in taming them. Not surprisingly,
the 1983 to 1986 seasons were the most
exciting era ever encountered in rally car
racing.
Rally entrants had to cope with difficult
terrain and extremes of weather: icy
temperatures in Sweden, heat and dust in
Kenya, rough, loose-surfaced tracks in
Greece. Fans trekked by the hundred thousand
to the rally routes, for an opportunity to
hear the incredible sound of the engines and
to stand in the clouds of dust thrown up by
the cars as they hurtled past, often only a
few centimetres away. Spectators could
scarcely have wished for closer contact with
their motor-sport heroes. But all too often,
limits are there to be infringed. The power
race indulged in by the manufacturers and
inadequate awareness of accident risks on
the part of the rally organisers resulted
before long in tragic accidents. In 1986,
Group B was replaced for safety reasons by a
new ruling, and an epoch that had influenced
the sport of rallying more than any other
was over.
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