Austin Rover World Rally Team

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Austin Rallying
Full nameAustin Rover World Rally Team
BaseUnited Kingdom Great Britain
ChassisMG Metro 6R4
World Rally Championship career
Debut1985
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
Rally wins0

The Austin Rover World Rally Team was a rally team created by Austin Rover that competed in the World Rally Championship from 1985 to 1986.

At its launch in 1985, Rover announced that it would complete the necessary number of cars required for homologation by November of that year. This was undertaken at the group's large manufacturing facility at Longbridge. The car was to participate in the Lombard RAC rally in November 1985, and an example, driven by works driver Tony Pond, finished a highly respectable third, behind two Lancia Delta S4s.

This good start was unfortunately not repeated, and although a 6R4 was entered in rallies at Monte Carlo, Sweden, Portugal and Corsica during the 1986 season, none of the Metros managed to complete a course. The majority of these problems were related to the V6 powerplant which suffered teething issues. Halfway during the 1986 season, Group B was banned (following a series of fatal crashes in which both competitors and spectators lost their lives). From that point on, the 6R4 was always going to be limited in front line competition, although they were run with limited success for the remainder of the year. A number passed into private hands and have proved formidable rally and rallycross cars. Despite the expiry of the 6R4's homologation the MSA still allow the cars to run in competition although engine sizes have been limited to 2800cc (single plenum engines) and 2500cc (multi-plenum engines).

Austin Rover withdrew from the rallying scene at the end of the season, but in 1987 all the parts and engines were sold to Tom Walkinshaw Racing, whereupon the V6 engine reappeared in the Jaguar XJ220, this time with turbochargers added.

WRC Results (Group B era)[]

Year Entrant Car Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points WMC Points
1985 Austin Rallying MG Metro 6R4 United Kingdom Tony Pond
3
18th 12 13th 14
United Kingdom Malcolm Wilson
Ret
- 0
R.E.D. United Kingdom
Ret
- 0
1986 Austin Rover World Rally Team MG Metro 6R4 United Kingdom Tony Pond
Ret

Ret

Ret

Ret*

6
36th 2 9th 12
United Kingdom Malcolm Wilson
Ret

Ret

Ret

Ret

10

4*

17
70th 1
Sweden Per Eklund
Ret

7
34th 8
Belgium Marc Duez
Ret

Ret*

Ret
- 0
France Didier Auriol
Ret
- 0
Finland Harri Toivonen
8

Ret
49th 3
United Kingdom Jimmy McRae
8
49th 3
United Kingdom David Llewellin
9
60th 2
Jean-Luc Thevenod Switzerland
16
- 0
Tony Teesdale New Zealand
23

Ret
- 0
Clarion Team Europe Sweden Per Eklund
7
34th 8
Mika Arpiainen Finland
Ret
- 0
Alistair Sutherland United Kingdom
Ret
- 0
Willie Rutherford United Kingdom Willie Rutherford
Ret
- 0
Ken Wood United Kingdom
Ret
- 0
David Gillanders United Kingdom
Ret
- 0
Geoff Fielding United Kingdom
Ret
- 0
  • 1986 Rallye San Remo points and results were not counted towards World Rally Championship.

External links[]

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