Austin Rover World Rally Team

The Austin Rover World Rally Team was a rally team created by Austin Rover that competed in the World Rally Championship from 1985 to 1986.

Austin Rallying
Full nameAustin Rover World Rally Team
BaseUnited Kingdom Great Britain
ChassisMG Metro 6R4
World Rally Championship history
Debut1985
Manufacturers' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0
Rally wins0

At its launch in 1985, Rover announced that it would complete the necessary number of cars required for homologation by November of that year. This was undertaken at the group's large manufacturing facility at Longbridge. The car was to participate in the Lombard RAC rally in November 1985, and an example, driven by works driver Tony Pond, finished a highly respectable third, behind two Lancia Delta S4s.

This good start was unfortunately not repeated, and although a 6R4 was entered in rallies at Monte Carlo, Sweden, Portugal and Corsica during the 1986 season, none of the Metros managed to complete a course. The majority of these problems were related to the V6 powerplant which suffered teething issues. Halfway during the 1986 season, Group B was banned (following a series of fatal crashes in which both competitors and spectators lost their lives). From that point on, the 6R4 was always going to be limited in front line competition, although they were run with limited success for the remainder of the year. A number passed into private hands and have proved formidable rally and rallycross cars. Despite the expiry of the 6R4's homologation the MSA still allow the cars to run in competition although engine sizes have been limited to 2800cc (single plenum engines) and 2500cc (multi-plenum engines).

Austin Rover withdrew from the rallying scene at the end of the season, but in 1987 all the parts and engines were sold to Tom Walkinshaw Racing, whereupon the V6 engine reappeared in the Jaguar XJ220, this time with turbochargers added.

WRC Results (Group B era)

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Year Entrant Car Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points WMC Points
1985 Austin Rallying MG Metro 6R4   Tony Pond MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
3
18th 12 13th 14
  Malcolm Wilson MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret
- 0
R.E.D.   Geoff Fielding MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret
- 0
1986 Austin Rover World Rally Team MG Metro 6R4   Tony Pond MON
Ret
SWE POR
Ret
KEN FRA
Ret
GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA
Ret*
GBR
6
USA 36th 2 9th 12
  Malcolm Wilson MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
POR
Ret
KEN FRA
Ret
GRE NZL ARG FIN
10
CIV ITA
4*
GBR
17
USA 70th 1
  Per Eklund MON SWE
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
7
USA 34th 8
  Marc Duez MON SWE POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA
Ret*
GBR
Ret
USA - 0
  Didier Auriol MON SWE POR KEN FRA
Ret
GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA - 0
  Harri Toivonen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
8
CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA 49th 3
  Jimmy McRae MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
8
USA 49th 3
  David Llewellin MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
9
USA 60th 2
Jean-Luc Thevenod   Jean-Luc Thevenod MON SWE
16
POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA - 0
Tony Teesdale   Tony Teesdale MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL
23
ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
Clarion Team Europe   Per Eklund MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
7
CIV ITA GBR USA 34th 8
Mika Arpiainen   Mika Arpiainen MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
Ret
CIV ITA GBR USA - 0
Alistair Sutherland   Alistair Sutherland MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
Willie Rutherford   Willie Rutherford MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
Ken Wood   Ken Wood MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
David Gillanders   David Gillanders MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
Geoff Fielding   Geoff Fielding MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
USA - 0
  • 1986 Rallye San Remo points and results were not counted towards World Rally Championship.
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