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From the Audi Quattro to the Lancia Delta

After a major transitional period for international rallying during the 1970s, the scene was set for an era during which this highly competitive motorsport became high tech, high profile and very, very fast. This era was the 1980s.

Join Steve Rider as he looks back on a decade when international rallying began to command huge budgets, with manufacturers pushing forward into the four-wheel drive age. Turbo charging and four-wheel drive spawned the Group B years when the spectacle was greater than ever... but so were the dangers. Such danger and spectacle naturally demanded enormous skill from the drivers and now you can relive the sort of no-holds-barred competition that spawned a host of memorable champions.

BHP’s wealth of worldwide footage illustrates the major milestones of the 1980s with stunning action shots from both inside and outside the cars as Steve Rider brings you fascinating insights into some of the Greatest Years of Rallying - from the Audi Quattro to the Lancia Delta. The only course of action left to you, the viewer, is to sit back and enjoy a comprehensive profile of the sport's bravest drivers giving their all in rallying’s most spectacular decade.

"The rise and fall of Group B plus some of the greatest footage ever filmed." Car & Car Conversions

A compilation of classic original promotional films from the Nuffield and Standard Triumph archives remastered for DVD

The Alpine was Europe’s greatest summer mountain rally, renowned as one of the toughest of the classic events. The attainment of a ’Coupe des Alps’ award, achieved by undertaking a penalty-free run, brought fame to the victorious driver and much needed publicity for the car manufacturer. These films offer a rare glimpse into the Alpine of the Fifties. The roads were rough, rugged, dusty, unsurfaced and almost traffic-free. Armco barriers and support crews had not been invented. Protective clothing consisted of shirt-sleeves and woolly hats!

Thoroughbreds All (1950) (17 minutes)
This magnificent black-and-white documentary provides a technical tour of the Nuffield Organisation’s testing and development programme before the fun really begins.

Rallye des Alpes (1954) (27 minutes)
The route included the most challenging mountain roads of France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Triumph were indeed triumphant in the 1954 event when a team featuring the new TR2 took on the Sunbeam Alpines - one driven by the famous Stirling Moss - as well as Porsche. They emerged with both the Team Prize and one of the coveted ‘Coupe des Alps’.

Again Triumph In The Alps (1956) (32 minutes)
By 1956, consisting of 2,600 miles in six stages with no rest day, the Alpine had become one of the most grueling rallies on the calendar. The emphasis was on speed with durability so tyre wear became a vital factor and competitors had to carry any spares they might need. The Triumph factory team rallied with the TR3 hardtop and one of their drivers was a youthful Paddy Hopkirk, yet to achieve his Monte Carlo fame. 

This three-part DVD is a veritable feast of film-making for vintage rally fans. First up is the Golden Age of Rallying, a 1976 production covering a decade of die-hard of rallying from 1958 to 1968. It includes footage of all the well-known events, personalities and manufacturers of the era – from Sunbeam Rapiers to Austin Healeys, Minis and Escorts. The introduction and commentary is by rallying legend Steve Turner.

Reviewed next is the 1973 Scottish Rally,  a sure-fire success from the start with big name drivers such as Clark, Mikkola and Cowan competing. Nearly 2000 miles of hard driving with numerous special stages pushed the rally drivers to the edge in this short, riveting review.

Also included is highlights of the 1969 East African Safari Rally, during which the tough course claimed most cars before the finish line! Wildlife, dust, boulders and flooding through Kenya and Uganda did not stop Robin Hillyar and Jock Aird in a Ford Taunus. They narrowly claimed victory in an entertaining race.

Experience one of the most dramatic years in the history of the Monte-Carlo Rally with this comprehensive look at the 1986 World Rally Championship season-opener. Packed with incredible action footage from the historic mountain stages, plus interviews with legendary drivers and jaw-dropping slow-motion film, this is the complete story of an unforgettable event.
The '86 Monte-Carlo Rally was the first round of what would prove to be the very last year of the awesomely powerful Group B 'supercars'. Enjoy the sights - and incredible sounds - of the Martini Lancia Delta S4, Audi Quattro S1, Peugeot 206 T16 and Metro 6R4 as they do battle.
Lancia's Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresto took advantage of their Pirelli tyres in the opening stages to establish a healthy lead, but reigning World Champion Timo Salonen and Monte-Carlo expert Walter Rohrl were soon piling on the pressure.
Toivonen looked certain for victory, until a bizarre accident involving a spectator's car cost him the lead. However, the Finnish star refused to be beaten and clawed back the lost time to take a dominant victory.
Tragically, this would be the final victory for the popular Toivonen and co-driver Cresto. This look back at the '86 Monte-Carlo Rally is a fitting tribute to the pair, as well as a real feast of classic rallying action
Monte-Carlo Rally 1986 is part of a collectable set of classic Monte-Carlo rally highlights programmes.

"The 1986 Monte-Carlo Rally is wall-to-wall supercars; Lancia's Delta S4 took on the Audi Quattro E2, the Metro 6R4 and the Peugeot 205 T16....if you're a total Group B nut then you'll lap it up" Autocar magazine

The 1991 World Rally Championship was set to be one of the most competitive in recent years, and as the cars lined up for the opening round in Monte-Carlo the scene was set for a battle royal between the best drivers, and the top manufacturers.

Reigning World Champion Carlos Sainz in his Toyota Celica GT-4 would face competition not only from the five-strong Lancia Delta Integrale line-up, featuring Miki Biasion, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol, but also Timo Salonen, making his Mitsubishi debut, Hannu Mikkola, who remained with the Mazda 323, and the determined Ford team.

Sensational Sainz snatched an early lead, an advantage he would hold for three days in what looked like being a dominant performance.

The Deltas, starting to show their age, could not mount a genuine challenge to the Spaniard, leaving the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Francois Delecour as the only serious threat. On the final day Delecour produced a stunning performance to snatch the lead and took a 42 second advantage into the final 14 miles. Then cruel fate intervened.

This highlights programme features high-speed action, power slides and interviews with the stars as you relive the dramatic and emotion-packed 1991 Monte-Carlo Rally.

1955 MONTE CARLO RALLY - Standard Motor Company (20 minutes)
From the epic era of woolly hats, duffle coats and thermos flasks - all classic car life is here - from Aston Martin DB2/4 to Porsche 356, and Standard Ten to Armstrong-Siddeley. Spectacular colour coverage from the snows ofChambery to the rain-swept perils of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit.

1956 MONTE CARLO RALLY  - Standard -Triumph (27 minutes)
Five out of six Standard Vanguard Ills which competed in this event amazed everyone by finishing the Common Run down to Monte Carlo in the top 90, thereby qualifying to compete in the famous Mountain Circuit on the last night. With 309 entries these cars were up against much bigger and faster machinery including Porsches and Jaguar XK140s. This was very much the period of winter motoring for sportsmen with many cars competing on the 2,600 mile event with a three person crew.

1958 THE MONTE CARLO RALLY -Standard -Triumph (26 minutes)
This excellent film follows Paris starters as they first encounter the congestion of the French Capital, then the appalling snowy conditions that marked this event as one of the most gruelling of the period. It was an achievement to finish let alone win, and only 38 out of the 303 starters actually made it to the end. Only one driver from Paris made it to the finish! The weather finally improved when the contestants were literally in sight of Monte Carlo on La Turbie. In the words of the Raymond Baxter commentary this event "silenced the critics who said it (the Monte Carlo Rally) was not the adventure of bygone days."