30 years ago: Mazda's last WRC victory

When we associate Japan with the World Rally Championship (WRC), images of red Mitsubishis and blue Subarus come back to mind. But another Japanese brand hit the slopes of the World Cup, and even won three events. Okay, the car wasn't as sexy as the Impreza, but that's with the 323 Group A that Mazda stood out in the late 1980s-early 1990s.

The manufacturer founded in Hiroshima had at the time made the bold bet of voluntarily abandon Group B at the end of 1985, and to develop a vehicle for Group A the following year. The Mazda RX7, with its singing engine but lackluster performance, was replaced by the 323 4WD (for four-wheel drive).

This sedan, with a not exactly exciting look, was equipped with a 1.6 liter turbocharged engine delivering 250 horsepower. The weight/power ratio was 4,4 kg thanks to a contained weight barely above a ton. 

The entry of this car is entrusted to the Mazda Rally Team Europe (MRTE), based in Belgium and created in 1985 by former driver Achin Warmbold. With a year ahead of Lancia and Audi, still involved in Group B in 1986, the Group A project was already reaching maturity when the official authorities banned the monstrous Group Bs.

The results were not long in coming with a victory for Timo Salonen in the second round in 1987, in Sweden. Unfortunately, the Mazdas do not compete in the entire championship and are not exempt from reliability concerns. 

We must therefore wait two years before seeing a 323 4WD at the top of the podium again, again in Sweden, but this time with Ingvar Carlsson. The 1989 campaign coincided with a strong effort on the part of the parent company. No less than seven drivers will defend the Mazda colors that season! 

The Mazda 323 4WD had real qualities on loose terrain. The slopes of New Zealand therefore constitute an ideal playground. On July 15, three MRTE examples departed from Auckland for the following crews: Ingvar Carlsson-Per Carlsson, Rod Millen-Tony Sircombe and Ray Wilson-Stuart Lewis. 

Among the 71 entered, two Ford Sierra RS Cosworths attract attention. They had never before participated in a rally world on earth. Not sure that with its wandering rear axle, it can compete. But that's without taking into account the identity of the drivers: Jimmy McRae, and his son, the young Colin McRae, not even 21 years old. 

Ce dernier se présente avec un manque cruel d’expérience, avec zéro départ en Groupe A et seulement trois participations en Mondial jusque là.  La feuille des engagés est l’occasion de repérer le nom de John Kennard ; le Néo-Zélandais, copilote d’Hayden Paddon avec Hyundai et M-Sport Ford en Finlande à l’été 2019, était déjà de service en 1989 ! 

The boss of M-Sport Ford, Malcolm Wilson, is also there, in a Vauxhall Astra GTE (not a version for 24 Hours of Le Mans !). Finally, the future winner of the 1997 Paris-Dakar Kenjiro Shinozuka represents Mitsubishi aboard a Galant VR-4. 

This may seem substantial from a contemporary perspective, but the route of the New Zealand Rally was not insurmountable at the time: four days of effort over 595 miles, divided into 42 special stages! 

The prologue was won jointly by Jimmy McRae and Kenjiro Shinozuka. We had to wait for the first real SS for Ingvar Carlsson to stand out. The Swede, winner a few months earlier of the first edition of the Rally Australia, and at ease in the Antipodes. 

Proof of this is that he will dominate the rest of the event, achieving a whopping 27 scratch times! However, he will be lenient enough to leave the 32nd sector (Bryce Road, 11,3 km) to the fiery Colin McRae, who for the first time enters his name in the book of victorious rallymen in special. 476 others will follow. 

On arrival, it’s a big hit for Mazda. Ingvar Carlsson won with a 2'42'' lead over Rod Millen (who finished six times in the top 6 on his home soil without ever winning). Malcolm Wilson collects his first podium at this level (he will wait four years before doing it again at the RAC). Finally, Colin McRae stays on his wheels to record fifth place overall. 

Mazda would finish two more times on the podium at the World Cup before packing up at the end of 1991, and leaving the way open to other companies from the Rising Sun, which had finally developed four-wheel drive cars.