Is it fair that we pay so much attention to the Group B era of rally racing? No, it’s not. Sure, Group B has the stories, the unhinged factor of both the cars and the races themselves, where you saw literal seas of fans parting just in the nick of time from becoming the hood ornament of a Ford RS200, and of course you have the tragedies that occurred that wound up killing the breed, but there was more than just Group B. There was Group 4, for instance, where the Lancia Stratos battled with the likes of the Opel Kadett, the Ford Escort RS and the Chrysler/Lotus Sunbeam prior to the arrival of the Group B cars. Then there was Group A, the class that followed up Group B. Some of the mysticism of Group B might have been lost, but performance certainly wasn’t out of the door…in fact, by 1990 a Group A car could hang, if not outright stomp a Group B car on a stage. Cars like the Ford Sierra Cosworth, Peugeot 206, Opel Calibra and Toyota Celica GT-Four could have at each other on the streets and the special stages of the World Rally Championship. Group B has the glory, but they don’t have all of the cars.
This footage is from the 2018 Monza Historic Rally Show in Italy, and showcases a pretty broad array of rides, from known and loved beasts like the three Lancia kings (the Stratos, 037 and Delta HF Integrale) to some lesser-seen cars, including a BMW M3 and a Group B Mazda RX-7. The only noise is the engine howl, with no music to take away from the experience, so whether you like the 037’s twin-charged scream, the flat-six Porsche’s growl or the fire-and-fury light show of the RS Cosworth, there’s a bit for everyone…unless you absolutely have to have a V8 noise. Sorry, but even though it was a Group A vehicle, it wasn’t likely to see an IROC Camaro on a stage. Though, that would have been awesome!
