Rally Recollections
After its victory the winning Renault Dauphine stood unceremoniously with other cars in the Casino square. It had 1063R engine modifications, a twin-choke Solex carburetter, four separate exhaust pipes, and a five-speed non-synchromesh Pons-Redele gearbox. On a compression-ratio of 8.2-to-1 the power output is some 52 b.h.p. at 6,000 r.p.m. Shell fuel and oil and Ferodo brake linings were used and the tyres were Michelin.
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In spite of the many badly-battered cars which arrived at the finish not a single competitor was badly injured and the only fatality involved an official—an answer to those who condemn rallies as highly dangerous.
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The most outstanding of British small cars were the two Standard Tens, one in each category. Corbishley’s Category 1 Standard was second in the under-1,000-c.c. class.
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It is excellent that cars in the Concours de Contort have to complete the road section within the time-limit and although only Banks’ startlingly-hued Rover 105S did so this year, making a fiasco of this contest while underlining the excellence of the Rover’s performance, we hope this rule will never be altered.
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Lots of non-competing Britons invaded Monte Carlo for the Rally and amongst their cars were a Peerless and a Meadows Friskysport.
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Although the Citroen DS19s, which were excitingly new entrants in the 1956 Rally, did not place very high this time (the best were 11th and 12th), five of these advanced motor cars completed the road section and all came through the Final test, although Cotton’s couldn’t hurry on the later stages.
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Greatest drive of the Rally?—Edward Harrison did magnificently until his Ford Zephyr liquidated its gears.
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We have had glowing reports in this country of the Swedish Volvo, which their Team Prize victory confirms. Sweden was not so well represented by Saabs, Greta Molander’s being too sick to attempt the Final test, while four others failed the road section.
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The little Brissoneaus. none of which qualified, are neat Renault-base coupés.
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The Editor of Motor Sport went to Monte Carlo in a Vauxhall Victor Super which served very well on this 1,700-mile journey, apart from rather rapid front brake wear, a broken exhaust-pipe bracket and a bad rattle from a bonnet hinge. It was rendered sure-footed on ice and snow by the presence of Tyresoles Weather-soles on the back wheels. Its fuel consumption worked out at 28 m.p.g.
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Final thought—premier honours in this toughest of winter rallies went to two cars, the Renault and the D.K.W., which are regarded as furiously unconventional by British engineers!