Visited the Classic Car Show last weekend and was impressed by the variety and number of cars on display. Also lots of car preparation companies and equipment suppliers. One of the interesting cars on display was a Lancia Beta Montecarlo Group 5 race car. Group 5 was the race category which preceded the iconic Group C sports prototypes which competed from the early 80's to the early 90's. The Lancia is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that delivered in excess of 400 HP, the Montecarlo Turbo won the 1980 World Championship for Makes, the 1980 German Racing Championship (DRM), and the 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes.
The Beta Montecarlo was also the basis for Lancia's 037 Group B rally car, which also inherited the engine, but had it mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. The late great Henri Toivonen drove the Lancia 037 with great success given that it was two wheel drive against the latest 4WD Group B machinery. The photo below shows Toivonen 'flying' at the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland in 1984. Why don't they make rally cars like that any more?
