The “wild ones” are back
The Red Bull Ring Classics brings the veterans of yesteryear back to Austria’s one and only Grand Prix circuit. Rally cars from the 1980s are always guaranteed to arouse a strong sense of nostalgia, with the Group B PS cars in particular making die-hard fans go weak at the knees. These legendary vehicles, driven by internationally acclaimed stars of the race track such as Walter Röhrl, are still revered around the world today. They are reminiscent of a time when the art of engineering was still given free rein.
Björn Waldegard, the first world rally driver champion, once said of the Group B cars: “Handling is non-existent. They are only good for accelerating and braking.” Because they became too fast and too dangerous, Group B cars were even banned in 1986. Some of these historic rally cars, such as the Opel Ascona 400 (Group 4, 1982), will be on parade at the Red Bull Ring Classics.
In 1982, Walter Röhrl (Opel Ascona 400) and Michèle Mouton (Audi Quattro) fought a thrilling contest for the world championship title. With a reputation as a plain speaker, Röhrl vindicated his boast of “being able to win in any car” with an impressive track record in the Opel Ascona 400.
