Group B rally cars are considered some of the most incredible racing machines of all time, and the Rallye Monte-Carlo is one of the most challenging events in motorsport history. Why not carve out 40 minutes of your day to check out this incredible video of the 1986 running of the Monte Carlo Rally?
We have to give a shout-out to our friends at Motor1 for showing us this video; it’s exactly the kind of high-quality content to keep us going through the holiday season. The snow-covered mountains of southern France and crowds decked out in their warmest attire give off the kind of wintry vibe that we just don’t get anymore thanks to our increasingly mild winters. Let the Rallye Monte-Carlo give you a little bit of the festive spirit.
You can check out the video from Passats de Canto below, which pulls from original televised recordings, used with permission:
If there’s one thing I need in this life, it’s video footage like this that allows me to pretend I’m standing on the sidelines, too, watching iconic cars crush the wildest conditions.
If you’re not familiar, Group B was the name given to the regulatory regime that dictated sports car racing and rallying between 1982 and 1986; basically, the regulations resulted in some of the most powerful and technologically superior rally cars ever built — but it came at a cost. Several high-profile deaths of drivers and spectators cast a stark light on the reality of rally; in 1986, development was banned for Group B rally machines, but you could still find the cars used in regional rally championships.
But all of those drawbacks haven’t totally killed the allure of Group B, which is still considered by many to be the “golden age” of rallying. The cars hitting dusty slopes and muddy country roads were some of the most sophisticated racing machines in history, and that also resulted in some breathtaking competition.