Timo Mäkinen

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Timo Mäkinen
Timo Mäkinen (1966) (cropped).jpg
Timo Mäkinen (1966)
Personal information
NationalityFinland Finnish
Born(1938-03-18)18 March 1938
Helsinki, Finland
Died4 May 2017(2017-05-04) (aged 79)
Helsinki, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years1973–1981, 1994
TeamsFord, Toyota, Peugeot
Rallies39
Championships0
Rally wins4
Podiums7
Stage wins73
Total points7
First rally1973 Monte Carlo Rally
First win1973 1000 Lakes Rally
Last win1975 RAC Rally
Last rally1994 Monte Carlo Rally

Timo Mäkinen (18 March 1938 in Helsinki, Finland – 4 May 2017) was one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is best remembered for his hat-trick of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally.

Career[]

Mäkinen at the 1965 1000 Lakes

Mäkinen's start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland), in a Triumph TR3. He later drove works Austin-Healeys and Minis. In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the RAC Rally in 1963. Mäkinen drove Minis during most of 1964 but came second in the RAC Rally in a Healey, at the end of that year. He returned to the Mini Cooper S in 1965, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and the 1000 Lakes, and capturing a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally.[1] He came second in the 1965 RAC Rally, again in a Healey.

In 1967, Timo Mäkinen drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the car's bonnet open. Leather straps holding the bonnet were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces. He tried to put his head out of the side window but his helmet was too big and he could only stick his head halfway out. So he had to skid the car sideways continuously to see the road ahead. Even so, Mäkinen was third fastest on that special stage and he also won the rally overall, for the third year in a row.

In 1975, Mäkinen won the RAC for the third time in a row, at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800, preceded only by Erik Carlsson (Saab 96) in that feat. Mäkinen won the Finnish Rally Championship three times, the ice track championship six times and the saloon car race championship three times.

In 1969, Mäkinen competed in the very first Round Britain Powerboat Race, which he won. In 1994, Mäkinen made a brief return as Mini celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1964 Monte Carlo win by Paddy Hopkirk, who also participated in the event. Mäkinen retired on the second stage with a fuel system problem. In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Carlsson, Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.[2]

Mäkinen also traveled to Australia to race Mini Coopers in the Bathurst 500 road race. He finished 6th outright and 3rd in class in 1965 co-driving with N.Irish rally driver Paddy Hopkirk while finishing 7th outright and 3rd in class in 1967 with Australian driver John French.[3][4]

Death[]

Timo Makinen died on May 4, 2017 of natural causes in Helsinki, Finland.[5]

Career Results[]

Complete WRC results[]

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points
1973 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON
11 		SWE POR KEN
Ret 		FIN
1 		AUT ITA USA GBR
1 		N/A N/A
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MOR
Ret 		GRE POL
1974 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504
C
C 		POR KEN
Ret
C 		N/A N/A
Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600
2
1
1975 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MON
Ret
4 		N/A N/A
Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800
3
Ret
1
1976 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800
Ret 		SWE
Ret
4
Ret 		N/A N/A
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
Ret
Peugeot 104 ZS
Ret
1977 Fiat S.p.A. Fiat 131 Abarth
Ret
Ret
Ret
11 		NC 0
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
Ret
Peugeot 104 ZS
Ret
1978 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
Ret
2 		NC 0
Peugeot 104 ZS
7
1979 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
Ret
Ret 		NC 0
Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT
Ret
1980 BMW France BMW 320i
14 		35th 7
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
10
Ret
Ret
Timo Mäkinen Racing Triumph TR7 V8
22
Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800
6
1981 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
Ret 		NC 0
1994 Timo Mäkinen Rover Mini Cooper
Ret 		NC 0

Complete IMC results[]

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1970 Ford Motor Co. Ford Escort Twin Cam
7
Ret
Ret
1971 Ford Motor Co. Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI
Ret
5
Ford Escort Twin Cam
20
1972 Ford Motor Co. Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI
31
8
Ret

Complete Bathurst 500 results[]

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1965 Australia BMC United Kingdom Paddy Hopkirk Morris Cooper S C 128 6th 3rd
1967 Australia BMC Works Team Australia John French Morris Cooper S C 127 7th 3rd

International wins[]

  • 1964 Tulip Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1965 Monte Carlo Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1965 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1966 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1966 Three Cities Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1967 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1972 Hong Kong Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 Arctic Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 1000 Lakes Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1974 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1974 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1975 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1800)
  • 1976 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Peugeot 504 V6)

References[]

  1. ^ Pfundner, Martin (2005). Alpine Trials & Rallies: 1910 to 1973. Veloce Publishing Ltd. pp. 90–91.
  2. ^ "New Inductees to Rally Hall of Fame". Neste Oil Rally Finland. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  3. ^ The Armstrong 500 (1965)
  4. ^ Mount Panorama Bathurst - The Great Race - 1967 highlights
  5. ^ "Finnish Rally Legend Timo Makinen Has Died". 5 May 2017.
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