It was November 28 1976 when, aged six, my parents took me to a windy New Brighton to watch Special Stage 35 of the 1976 Lombard RAC Rally. The cars had spent the night battling through a lunar landscape in Kielder forest and were extremely late. Having got there early to get a good spot - vital if you want to see the rally and are only four feet tall, a rather cold little Martin was rather dischuffed when several members of the motoring press turned up at the last moment and stood right in front of me. Fortunately a few words from Dad quickly moved them on.
The notes scribbled on the entry list we had with us, which still survives, say that Penti Airikkala was first through in his Escort, then Roger Clark in his Cossack liveried similar car, then Stig Blomqvist in the black Saab 99. However I don't remember any of these, nor Billy Coleman's fourth placed Escort.
However I still remember the car that came through next: Sandro Munari in a white and blue wedge that made an incredible noise. I'd apparently been taken to rallies, races and autotests before but I'd howled, or filled my nappy or fallen asleep or all three and don't remember them, but I still remember my first encounter with the immortal Lancia Stratos, and in particular the music of it's 24 valve Ferrari engine.
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