Reinhard Klein

During 1986 there were several fatal accidents to competitors and spectators involving Group B cars during events of the World Rally Championship. The governing body of motorsport, the FIA, decided that the regulations concerning which cars were eligible to enter the WRC had to be changed and they opted to go for Group A where 5,000 cars of a particular model had to be manufactured in order to qualify. The change was implemented within six months of the decision being taken and thus at the beginning of 1987 season, there were very few cars that both qualified and were also competitive. The rally stars from the previous era like Walter R hrl, Hannu Mikkola, Juha Kakkunen and Markku Al n were still there with new stars like Carlos Sainz, Didier Auriol, Tommi M kinen and Colin McRae emerging. Rallying technology was forced to undergo an almost complete re-start and it took some time before more than just one or two manufacturers could produce a winner. When they did, the side-effect was astounding with thousands of four-wheel drive, turbocharged road cars coming onto the global market. The new McKlein book, Group A: When Rallying created Road Car Icons, covers the ten years from 1987 to 1996 when Group A went from featuring fairly unexciting road cars to exotic, hi-tech rally cars whose performance was not much less than their predecessors. As well as an overview of the major events, the leading cars and crews, the factory teams, the changes of regulations--both technical and sporting--as well as results of all the major events and the championships associated with them, the books are lavishly illustrated with photographs from the famous McKlein archive. In addition, there are many stories of incidents and occurrences that give the reader an insight into just what rallying was like during the period covered and how Lancia, Ford, Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi fought for the WRC title.

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 Li ge-Rome-Li ge, 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 M kinen, Paddy Hopkirk, Eugen B hringer, 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.