mkI Fiesta - Retro Rides Rally Week

[dbizzle]

If you think of seventies Fords on the rally stages, you think RWD. But in 1979, two Fiestas took part in the Monte Carlo rally, one driven by Ari Vatanen and the other by Roger Clark. They ran 1600 crossflows (an early version of the XR2 engine); they weren't massively successful but Vatanen did manage to achieve 9th place overall, which did much to bolster the baby Ford's credentials and convince diehard rear-steerers that FWD wasn't the worst thing in the world...

(apologies for the watermarked pictures)

[con2k]

Some great shots! Reminds me I should finish my Mk1 (Not Group 2 spec though). Love it!

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

these used the federal (us spec to allow the use of 1600 ohv), there was also a rwd one BDA powered irc.

[ExJarkle]

I remember first reading about this project in an issue of Rally Sport magazine back in 1999 or something, in a feature called 'Born Under a Bad Sign.' Shame it wasn't tried a few years earlier really, I can imagine it would've given a better account for itself earlier in the 70's.

[BeMoreBeetle]

Just found this. I owned an ex-works G2 Fiesta for 5 years up until 2005.

It was a full ex-works car and had all the gear. Sold because I couldn't stand to see it out in the rain at the garage-less new house :-(

I'm soon to be rocking an ex-works Gp.n Mk2 Golf GTi as its replacement.

Anyone interested in a build thread?

[Deleted]

I haz slotcar

[BeMoreBeetle]

Love that.