In 1986, rallying’s latest world
‘supercars’ started to appear in the Scottish forests, and it wasn’t long
before they were dominating. The Autofit Stages Rally in Argyll that year was
no exception.
Ken Wood and Peter Brown scored victory with the Golden
Wonder MG Metro 6R4 while only ten seconds behind at the finish was the Arnold
Clark Metro 6R4 of David Gillanders and Graham Neish. Just over two minutes
behind the winners was the RWD Opel Kadett 400 of Murray Grierson and Roger
Anderson.
And yet despite the heavyweight machinery that
dominated the top ten there was a pretty basic wee 1600cc Talbot Sunbeam still
running on steel wheels which finished ninth overall. In his first full season
of forest events, young Colin McRae with Nicky Jack on the maps was beginning
to make a mark on the stages as well as the results sheets. Pictured presenting
the prizes was the Autofit boss himself, Ian Wilson, who incidentally finished 11th
overall with Charlie Young in a Peugeot 205.
Further down the field, a certain Derek Ringer navigated
Barrie Lochhead to 16th overall in their Talbot Sunbeam while the
number 96 seed, one Robert Reid, was 45th overall with navigator Ian
Rae in a Ford Escort.
Three future world champions on one event in Argyll.
Them were’t days, eh?
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