Blast from the past as Ford compares 30 years of rally technology

Blast from the past as Ford compares 30 years of rally technology

Ford has highlighted its advancement in rally technology over the past 30 years by pitting two iconic vehicles against each other.

Gwyndaf Evans, 1996 British Rally Champion, and son Elfyn, who won the 2010 Junior British Rally Championship, chose cars from the Ford range with a 30-year gap to race around the Snowdonia National Park rally course.

Gwyndaf was behind the wheel of a Viking Motorsport 1980 Ford Escort Mark 2, while Elfyn had a more comfortable ride in the Ford Fiesta R2 currently being used by the World Rally Championship Academy.

"It's a real driver’s car – the back end kicks out easily and with no power steering it's much harder work than I am used to. Certainly with my Fiesta you don't have to worry about the clutch and it is more predictable – it pretty much goes where you point it," Gwyndaf commented.

He added that while the technological advancement is clear to see, the older car is still a joy to drive, saying: "They are both wonderful pieces of rallying technology of their time ... but I do know that every time I get out of the Escort I have a big grin on my face � and that sums it all up."

Posted by Craig Salter