After featuring the legendary eras of Group B and Group 4 rallying,
McKlein Publishing has now dedicated a book to the early years of the
sport.
“Group 2 - The genesis of world rallying” is a comprehensive
review of the 1950s and 1960s. Then rallying was a big adventure,
capable of capturing the imagination and enthusiasm of a Europe that was
rediscovering its romance with the motorcar.
Rallies like the Monte
Carlo, the Liège-Rome-Liège, the Acropolis, the RAC and the Rallye des
Alpes were the jewels in the diadem of the sport. And new challenges
arose like the East African Safari, the 1000 Lakes and the Tour de
Corse.All these events tested the crews that entered them to the
very limits of speed and endurance.
If the cars were less sophisticated
than those we are familiar with in the 21st century, the skills to
drive them quickly were perhaps of a higher order. Certainly the stars
of rallying from the period of this book are still well-known names
sixty years later - for example, Erik Carlsson, Timo Mäkinen, Paddy
Hopkirk, Eugen Böhringer, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Pat Moss.
The same
applies to the legendary cars that changed the sport such as the
Mercedes 220SEb, Mini Cooper, Porsche 911, Lancia Fulvia and
Alpine-Renault A110.“Group 2 - The genesis of world rallying” is
the first complete review of the sport in the period 1946 to 1972.
Over
256 pages, author John Davenport, who was part of that era as a
co-driver and journalist, tells the story of the evolution of a sport
from being largely something for amateurs to one that was fully
professional.
It was a time of growth, excitement and adventure and is
covered here by comprehensive annual reviews, interesting features -
such as a report on the great long distance rallies of that era - and
results from all rounds of the European Championship and the
International Championship for Makes.
All this is accompanied by the
greatest McKlein images from that era.
Technical details:Authors: John Davenport and Reinhard Klein
Format: 24.5 x 30 cm
Hardcover
Photos: 419
Number of pages: 256
Texts: English