While there’s a lot of fodder for bagging on the 1970s like the clothes, the weak sauce factory performance cars, the disco music, etc we cannot fault the racing. From the drags to NASCAR to F1 and in this video, rally, it was a great time. In the clip below there’s a couple minutes of great sideways action featuring some of the coolest rally cars ever. Ever seen a Lancia Stratos getting after it in its native habitat? You will be below. There’s Ford Escorts in the video as well and the crowning glory? That would be a screaming bright green Saab.
Don’t get us wrong, this is not 1,000hp Group B stuff from the 1980s, this is rally before it spiraled completely out of control and we dig it. The ride we took last summer with Ken Block was the most insane automotive experience of our lives and it proved just how incredible the modern rally machine is. The technology is space age and the performance of the drivers is otherworldly. But what about these guys? They had a co-driver and a stopwatch basically. After that it was pure driving skill that got you through a stage and through a stage alive.
There has always been a great element of danger in rally racing. The trees, brick walls, and other immovable objects were just as immovable back then but the cars were way less prepared to bounce into them. There’s no wreckage in this video but there is plenty of sideways driving and that’s the stuff we love. The fact that all the cars are rear wheel drive is also a bonus. Nothing against all wheel drive but sliding a rear wheel drive machine around is just cosmically right.
We think you’ll dig this look into rallying past. We only wish we could be behind the wheel of one of these cars!
