Post by cdm on Jul 1, 2022 7:50:08 GMT -5
1980s Rally – Group B – MG Metro 6R4
What a short but exciting time Group B was. It was F1 car racing in the forests. Life was different back then and unfortunately; the organisation just wasn’t keeping pace with that of the cars. Looking back in hindsight it’s very easy to be very critical, but that’s how rallying was, we didn’t know any better. We spectated on the National Breakdown, the Welsh, the Scottish, the Manx and the RAC Rallies throughout the Group B period. I was there it was fantastic.
The easiest way to cover the Group B cars is by make. So first up the MG Metro 6R4. It was late to the party, built in conjunction with Williams F1 team, non turbo, a bit of an ugly duckling and it barely looked like any Metro you could buy from your Austin Rover dealer!! But what a noise a proper 6R4 made. After Group B was banned, at the end of 1986, there were plenty of Clubmen spec 6R4s still in the compound and out of all the Group B cars the 6R4 was the most rallied, rallying in Britain for many years after the ban and still is now.
So how to pick just 12 models picked to reflect its long history. Some you will have never seen before and all are long out of production. Someone I know is currently selling his 1:43 MG Metro 6R4 model collection of nearly 250 different liveries!!
DSCN1917 aa
1984 - York National Rally 1st overall Tony Pond & Rob Arthur
Grand Prix Models resin kit- the cars debut rally. The debut car was shorter by 6" than the later version. All the wiring looms had been made so they had to add a 6" section of wiring into the roof area...!!!
The first resin kit released by GPM.
DSCN1918 aa
1984 – Welsh Rally unclassified Colin Malkin & Colin Francis
PJ Models resin kit. This kit was a copy of the GPM kit
The real car featured in a TV Soap called The Winning Team. The car was entered onto the Welsh Rally so they could get some action film. It ran with 7 on the door but actually ran ahead of the field, in what would be the 00 car today.
DSCN1929 aa
1984 Triple C Test Ayrton Senna
IXO diecast
Ayrton Senna was asked to test five rally cars for Car & Car Conversions magazine
Look for Ayrton Senna tests rally cars (CARS and CARS CONVERSIONS magazine) 1986 - YouTube
DSCN1919 aa
1986 Monte Carlo Rally retired Malcolm Wilson & Nigel Harris
F Project resin model. Very limited edition. F Project was Fernando Pinto. When Fernando started up Vitesse models this 6R4 model would become the basis of the Vitesse 6R4 model.
DSCN1920 aa
1986 Manx Rally 2nd overall David Llewellin & Phil Short
A Code 343 conversion on an IXO diecast
DSCN1921 aa
1986 Manx Rally 7th overall Cyril Boulton & Derek Ervine
Xavs Models limited edition a conversion using an IXO diecast
DSCN1926 aa
1989 Harry Flatters Rally 2nd overall Peter Lloyd & Alan McCann
GB Models a conversion using a Partwork diecast
DSCN1925 aa
1992 Donegal Rally 4th overall Andrew Nesbitt & Brian Murphy
143models limited edition model using an IXO diecast
DSCN1928 aa
1996 no rally
DAM/TPR 4100 a conversion I made using a Starter resin kit. Huge amount of work to reshape the square 6R4 body shape. DAM – Dave Appleby Motorsport / TPR Tony Pond Rally reworked the now ageing 6R4 into this new shape. Only 10 real ones were made, each one slightly different. Only 10 models will be made.
DSCN1923 aa
2000 Manx Trophy Rally 3rd overall Glenn Leece & John Tarrant
CD Models 020 a conversion using a Partwork diecast. The most recent model I made, all sold out
DSCN1924 aa
2002 British Champion John Price & Caroline Price
GB Models a conversion using an IXO diecast
Outside of the UK John Price is possibly not that well known but in the UK, he was the tarmac king winning 12 British Championships rallying 6R4s from 1987 to 2008. John passed away in 2020
John Price - eWRC-results.com
DSCN1927 aa
2006 Donegal Rally 8th overall Colin McRae & Nicky Grist
CD Model 001 a conversion using a Partwork diecast. This was my very first limited edition model, limited edition of 50 all sold out
What a short but exciting time Group B was. It was F1 car racing in the forests. Life was different back then and unfortunately; the organisation just wasn’t keeping pace with that of the cars. Looking back in hindsight it’s very easy to be very critical, but that’s how rallying was, we didn’t know any better. We spectated on the National Breakdown, the Welsh, the Scottish, the Manx and the RAC Rallies throughout the Group B period. I was there it was fantastic.
The easiest way to cover the Group B cars is by make. So first up the MG Metro 6R4. It was late to the party, built in conjunction with Williams F1 team, non turbo, a bit of an ugly duckling and it barely looked like any Metro you could buy from your Austin Rover dealer!! But what a noise a proper 6R4 made. After Group B was banned, at the end of 1986, there were plenty of Clubmen spec 6R4s still in the compound and out of all the Group B cars the 6R4 was the most rallied, rallying in Britain for many years after the ban and still is now.
So how to pick just 12 models picked to reflect its long history. Some you will have never seen before and all are long out of production. Someone I know is currently selling his 1:43 MG Metro 6R4 model collection of nearly 250 different liveries!!
DSCN1917 aa1984 - York National Rally 1st overall Tony Pond & Rob Arthur
Grand Prix Models resin kit- the cars debut rally. The debut car was shorter by 6" than the later version. All the wiring looms had been made so they had to add a 6" section of wiring into the roof area...!!!
The first resin kit released by GPM.
DSCN1918 aa1984 – Welsh Rally unclassified Colin Malkin & Colin Francis
PJ Models resin kit. This kit was a copy of the GPM kit
The real car featured in a TV Soap called The Winning Team. The car was entered onto the Welsh Rally so they could get some action film. It ran with 7 on the door but actually ran ahead of the field, in what would be the 00 car today.
DSCN1929 aa1984 Triple C Test Ayrton Senna
IXO diecast
Ayrton Senna was asked to test five rally cars for Car & Car Conversions magazine
Look for Ayrton Senna tests rally cars (CARS and CARS CONVERSIONS magazine) 1986 - YouTube
DSCN1919 aa1986 Monte Carlo Rally retired Malcolm Wilson & Nigel Harris
F Project resin model. Very limited edition. F Project was Fernando Pinto. When Fernando started up Vitesse models this 6R4 model would become the basis of the Vitesse 6R4 model.
DSCN1920 aa1986 Manx Rally 2nd overall David Llewellin & Phil Short
A Code 343 conversion on an IXO diecast
DSCN1921 aa1986 Manx Rally 7th overall Cyril Boulton & Derek Ervine
Xavs Models limited edition a conversion using an IXO diecast
DSCN1926 aa1989 Harry Flatters Rally 2nd overall Peter Lloyd & Alan McCann
GB Models a conversion using a Partwork diecast
DSCN1925 aa1992 Donegal Rally 4th overall Andrew Nesbitt & Brian Murphy
143models limited edition model using an IXO diecast
DSCN1928 aa1996 no rally
DAM/TPR 4100 a conversion I made using a Starter resin kit. Huge amount of work to reshape the square 6R4 body shape. DAM – Dave Appleby Motorsport / TPR Tony Pond Rally reworked the now ageing 6R4 into this new shape. Only 10 real ones were made, each one slightly different. Only 10 models will be made.
DSCN1923 aa2000 Manx Trophy Rally 3rd overall Glenn Leece & John Tarrant
CD Models 020 a conversion using a Partwork diecast. The most recent model I made, all sold out
DSCN1924 aa2002 British Champion John Price & Caroline Price
GB Models a conversion using an IXO diecast
Outside of the UK John Price is possibly not that well known but in the UK, he was the tarmac king winning 12 British Championships rallying 6R4s from 1987 to 2008. John passed away in 2020
John Price - eWRC-results.com
DSCN1927 aa2006 Donegal Rally 8th overall Colin McRae & Nicky Grist
CD Model 001 a conversion using a Partwork diecast. This was my very first limited edition model, limited edition of 50 all sold out
