Monte-Carlo Rally

Audi’s new 4-w-d Quattro (above) astounded everyone by its early performances but a leter collision with a bridge put Mikkola out of the running.  Therier’s Porsche 911SC (below left) is fettled in the Monaco service area; Toivonen’s Sunbeam Lotus (below top) lost time when a human jack of spectators dropped the car during a wheel change; Darniche’s Stratos (below bottom) couldn’t achieve the traction to get up with the leaders.

Much of the area through which the rally passed had an unseasonal scarcity of snow (above) but on some of the higher passes there was plenty of it about.  Waldegard’s Escort (below), from Monaco’s Publimmo Racing, had wrongly machined stud holes in its wheels which brought serious and dangerous problems.

Back in harness after a long absence from the Monte was former winner Rauno Aaltonen, but his Datsun Violet (above) didn’t seem to have the power its 16-valve engine should have provided. The two Opel Ascona 400s were quite reliable, and Kleint’s car (below) finished third, one place ahead of team-mate Kullang.