In 1986, when Group B (and the already prepared Group S) were considered too dangerous for rally use and had to be replaced by a new formula, an alternative was already available, Formula A. In fact, this had already been created in parallel to Group B at the beginning of the 1980s, but the manufacturers had hardly bothered with it apart from touring car racing.
A competitive Group A rally car was therefore needed in order to achieve victories in the World Rally Championship. Lancia solved this task best of all, resulting in six one-make world championship titles. The balance of power changed in the early nineties, with Toyota and Subaru winning the following years. 1996 was the last year of Group A rallying.
In the end, the cars with four-wheel drive and turbochargers were hardly slower or even faster than the Group B cars that replaced them, which was due to inventive engineering on the one hand, but was also made possible by relaxed regulations (e.g. approval of evolution models) and loopholes in the technical regulations on the other. And a lot of money was also involved.
To the fourth
With the new book "Group A - Rally Wolves in Sheep's Clothing", McKlein is already publishing the fourth part of his rally retrospectives; the previous volumes dealt with Group 2 and the early years of rallying, with the Group and the decade of rear-wheel drive cars, as well as Group B and the much-cited "rally monsters".
So now a book on Group A, which initially seemed almost a little boring because the cars were more reminiscent of the practically unmodified Group N and had little to do with the brute Group B cars that the public loved. But this changed with every year.
Proven pattern
As with their predecessors, John Davenport and Reinhard Klein have taken a chronological and structured approach to the subject matter. The ten championship years are presented first, followed by the individual teams/brands. At the very back of the book there is a data section with the results.
The book is of course illustrated by hundreds of archive photos from the period, most of them taken by Klein & Co. Many of the pictures have never been seen before.
A look behind the scenes
Anyone interested in rally sport should read this book. It is also valuable as a reference book on the Group A years. We particularly recommend reading the chapters on the individual brands in the Group A World Rally Championship, where you can take a look behind the scenes. There are also portraits of brands that never made it to the front but still provided a splash of color in the championship, such as Renault, Opel/Vauxhall and Skoda.
Chapter 14 "Black Arts", which deals with the tricks of the engineers, should be mentioned as an example. For example, the "Anti-Lag-System" is described, which maintained the boost pressure even in coasting mode and thus enabled full power after the bend. Rally spectators will certainly remember the flames and loud bangs produced by this technical finesse, which was not prohibited by the regulations.
EUR 49.90 may not be a small price to pay, but it is certainly a worthwhile investment for rally fans.
Bibliographical details
- Title: Group A Rally Wolves in Sheep's Clothing (1987-1996)
- Authors: John Davenport & Reinhard Klein
- Language: German
- Publisher: McKlein Publishing
- Edition: 1st edition December 2019
- Format: Hardcover, 24.5 x 30 cm
- Size: 256 pages, 663 photos/graphics in color
- ISBN: 978-3-947156-20-7
- Price: EUR 49.90
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, online at McKlein Publishing or at the relevant bookstore
