The oil crisis decimated the WCR knocking out the Monte Carlo, Swedish, Moroccan, Polish and Alpine rallies - the last two never to return. The championship finally started in Portugal and was a walk over for Fiat. They must have thought it was going to be their year for whilst they skipped the Safari and couldn't beat the Escorts of Mikkola and Makkinen on the 1000 Lakes, they appeared to be the only team taking the championship seriously. Renault Alpine had thrown in the towel, Ford seemed only intetersted in doing British and Finnish rallies and Italian rivals Lancia had only managed a third place in Kenya with the aging Fulvia.
All this was to change in the next event. Although it was now October, the championship wasn't even half over yet, and so when Lancia wheeled out their new, purpose built rally winning machine in Sanremo there was still everything to play for.
The Stratos proved a winner straight out of the box and after success in Italy they sent Sandro Munari across the pond for the two North American rounds. He won the Rideau Lakes at a canter but on the wonderfully named Press-on-Regardless rally the car eventually conked out, a consequence of trying to do three rallies on the trot without a rebuild.
With a new car he managed a respectible third on the RAC. Timo Makkinen's RS1600 and Stig Blomqvist's venerable Saab 96 beating the Italian racer through the blind forest stages. The Fiat team though were hopelessly off the pace.
Lancia went into the last round in Corsica with a healthy lead, but a mathematical chance of loosing to Fiat. Munari's engine gave out, leaving Jean-Claude Andruet to take on the challenge of his former team mate Jean-Pierre Nicholas who was still driving for Renault Alpine. In the end the French team had to concede that the Italian wedge was now the master of the black stuff.
Lancia had their first crown. Winning with a car only homologated in October was a remarkable, and almost certainly never to be repeated feat. The Stratos legend was born.
1974 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Results
Great Blog Martin...
ReplyDeleteWe have a Group B Club here in the US and are wondering if you know if Lancia ever built the Monte Carlo to use in Group B Competition ?
By the way I live in the Press On Regardless area and competed in it back in the late 80's and early 90's...
Tim
Tim@groupbrallyclub.com
Thanks Tim - sorry about the delay in replying, but I never really got the comments sorted out.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know the Lancia Monte Carlo was only ever homologated into Group 5 for circuit racing and rally-race hybrid events like the Giro d'Italia (see Before Group B, above).
However the mid-section did go on to be used in the Group B Lancia 037 Rally, although they opted not not to use the Monte Carlos rather dodgy brake and handling set up on that car!
It's a pity rallying never really caught on big time in your neck of the woods, however the Press On Regardless does have its place in history - if only for being the only World Rally won by a Jeep.
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ReplyDelete