Shortly before the start of the 1972 Summer Olympics, the largest rally event to date took place in Germany. The Olympic Rally started at the sailing areas in Kiel and led the teams to the Olympic Stadium in Munich. 417 teams wanted to cover the 3371 kilometers from north to south, 307 were ultimately allowed to start. The decisions were based on the times achieved on the 62 special stages with a total length of 632 kilometers. The marathon event ran non-stop from the start on Monday to the finish on early Friday, with the only overnight break being on Tuesday night.
The winners' podium of the 145 teams remaining in the classification was international: Frenchmen Jean-Pierre Nicolas/Jean Todt won in an Alpine Renault A110 ahead of the Swedes Anders Kulläng / Donald Karlsson, who also drove an Opel Ascona 19 SR like the third-placed Frenchmen Jean Ragnotti / Jean-Pierre Rouget. The Olympic Rally 72 also marked the birth of the international rally career of two-time world champion Walter Röhrl. As a nobody in a private Ford Capri, the man from Regensburg set the first of a total of eleven fastest times immediately after the start, outdid the international competition a few times and fought for the lead before having to retire shortly before the finish. "The Olympic Rally was the greatest and most beautiful rally that Germany has ever seen and will probably ever see," says the 'Lange' enthusiastically to this day.
After 50 years: The route leads from Kiel to Munich again
In August 2022, it will be exactly 50 years since the Olympic Rally was held. This anniversary was reason enough for a group of more than 25 'noble fans' of this remarkable event to come together. The interim result of these 'slightly crazy' organizers from all over Germany, in the most positive sense, is already impressive: The route of the Olympic Rally '72 Motorworld Revival 2022 will once again lead from Kiel to Munich from August 8 to 13, 2022. The historic legacy of the Olympic Rally will follow the original routes and - in keeping with its age - will be held as a modern classic car regularity rally. And although there is as yet neither an invitation to tender nor a precise route description: As soon as the project became 'rumored', the run on the almost 200 possible starting places began. In the meantime, around 300 teams have expressed their interest in taking part.
The organizational work of the organizers of this non-profit event is in full swing. The further development of the website, the determination of the exact route, the creation of the invitation to tender and, and, and. Exciting tasks await the organizers and they will certainly not be bored. Some highlights have already been announced. In 1972, the event was accompanied by a then ultra-modern double-decker, the Neoplan 'Skyliner'. As a press bus, it was the contact and information point for the many journalists from all over Europe who accompanied the rally. This very bus has been freshly restored in the Auwärter Museum in Pilsting and will once again take the route from Kiel to Munich after 50 years. This time it will also be used as a press bus, making it the traditional contact point for journalists along the entire route.
Focus on environmental friendliness
The organizers already had environmental friendliness in mind for the 'original' in 1972. They dedicated a special concept to it when preparing the mammoth event and were subsequently able to see that it was successfully implemented: The drivers were met with a wave of sympathy all along the route, and there was a real 'Monte Carlo' atmosphere at some of the special stages. The population did not see the rally drivers as troublemakers, but as a real attraction. One of the main objectives of the Olympic Rally was achieved. The Motorworld Revival 2022 in the footsteps of the '72 Olympic Rally will be completely climate-neutral - with a view to the requirements of environmental protection. To offset the expected 150,000 kg of C02. emission pollutants, the contracts have already been signed and ClimatePartner assures the availability of the offset values. This means that even classic cars with combustion engines can be driven in a climate-neutral manner. The funds flow into reforestation projects in the Harz Mountains, in the heart of Germany. The hazel, elder, wild pear and sloe bushes planted are suitable for the location and, together with the beech, black alder and sycamore maple, form a healthy mixed forest that is also resistant to climate change.
Thinking outside the box: classic car owners set an example
The owners of classic cars are certainly privileged and therefore like to look beyond their own backyard to the socially disadvantaged: This is a view held not only, but above all, by the organizers of the 2022 Olympic Rally'72 Motorworld Revival, who plan to do good and donate aid in all the regions they pass through. The aim is to generate money from participants and visitors that can be passed on to various regional social organizations for support. For example, raffle tickets could be purchased at the transit points for a donation of five euros, with the main prize being a vintage car. Other ideas include auctioning off a signed motorsport artwork and/or racing memorabilia from the VIP drivers. The first collaborations, such as the classic car fundraiser with Lebenshilfe in Giessen, are already ready to be signed and all projects will be agreed and published by the end of 2021 at the latest.
