Old rally photos, Porsche 911

I associate Vic and Bjorn with bringing our cars to the forefront of what is to me the most interesting form of motor racing.

Sad loss of a tremendous talent

A interjuv with Björn Waldegård 2003 that tells a little more how was as a person.

Sorry if the translation is not perfect.
Thomas



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ARCHIVE: Read Christopher Brask interview with Björn Waldegård from January 4, 2003.

Bjorn Waldegård has had 15 loves.

Anita he married in 1968.

The other is called the Volkswagen, BMC Cooper, Porsche, Lancia, Citroen, Fiat, BMW, Opel, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi and Peugeot.


- Wait a minute ... is it Wednesday or Friday?

Bjorn Waldegård apologizes - he's worn, just returned from a motor show in Germany. Drive to Essen, a night in a hotel and then home again. 1380 km, easy trip.

Rally veteran explains:

- It's nice to be reminded of how hard it can be to drive a car. Others get kicks out of throwing themselves down precipices, scaling vertical rock walls or pull in white powder through the nose.

Bjorn Waldegård get behind the wheel of a Ford Mondeo.

- I like to go by car, and it may well be long stages.

Began with school essay
It's not about speed, but about old memories.

- A long-distance runs down through Europe, even down to the French Riviera without ceasing, give me an adrenaline rush. I am reminded of how it could be to run a tough rally.

- Most people think it is terribly sad to go straight down the Autobahn and on motorways in France. A regular car drivers can not be bothered to drive down there in a stretch, but for me it's almost the opposite. I feel more energized and healthier the longer it goes. I like to move me from place to place as quickly as possible.

He has it in their blood.

Grandfather was the first who got car in Rö Sweden. Dad was 14 when he drove his mother to Norrtälje, so it happened at that time. And Little Bear went his first rally when he was five. Lashed in the back seat of Dad's car. Before he had reached the age of ten, he knew a lot about cars and tractors.

Through a school essay got her classmates know that he would become a rally driver. Dear friend would be his co-driver. At twelve filled, he could do pretty advanced stuff. He trained on forest roads and fields around the farm. In winter he made rinks at the lakes.

- When I was 15, I could handle a car far better than many who had been driving in both 10 and 20 years.

"Proud that I finished"
At 18 he got his first car, a Volkswagen in 1200 as he competed with. Should he enter into Rimbo on Saturday night, he took the car to get exercise. It happened to Pigge Hurry - as he was known in the newspapers at the time - did not have time to dance floor in time. Driving was fun.

While the boy gang at the pub in Norrtälje low Bjorn Waldegård and bolted home in the garage. Gradually beat in the dreams, one by one. He made do without his friend from junior school - who became a painter instead of a co-driver - but took on their own to the end of the world and back: competitions in 55 countries, 16 wins in world championship rallies, contracts with 14 different makes of car.

- I am proud that I finished before it started to go downhill. I felt I was no longer as hungry, I did not take those extra risks to achieving the results I was used to reach. Suddenly I realized that I only had chance to be in fifth or sixth - and for me it is not good enough.

Was it a difficult decision?

- Yes, very. Terribly difficult. It was a life that you knew was going to be bloody awful to leave. Almost as to end up with a drug, I can imagine, with all the withdrawal symptoms.

Receive invitations
Now, 59 years filled, Björn Waldegård finally settled down on Ticksta farm in Rö parish. Here he would really have worked full time in the late 60s.

- It was a damn lucky it did not happen, the cars were more fun than farming.

He makes sure that everything works on the 250 hectares, but is still enough time for the garage. There stands a collection of old Volvos. He rents them out to people who want to try something cooler than karting. On the estate there is a rallycross track, and the landlord himself would be happy to lead by curves.

In addition, he constantly calls to veteran competitions, where he may see again their old loves.

- To get to step into a rally car ... thus, it is almost ridiculous to say it, but it's a blast. You become like a boy.

When he thinks back on his 25 years as a professional rally driver he sighs:

- What more could you ask of life?

"I became coveted"
We meet over lunch and a snack inside Stockholm. Bjorn Waldegård in town to meet with an ear doctor. In the noisy restaurant environment he finds it difficult to pick up all the words.

- Service from the time when hearing protection was not so well developed.

He stepped into the large, cavernous stage in January 1969, he was invited by Porsche as third driver in Monte Carlo Rally.

- It was a dilemma. I was newly married, newly in love and had a baby at home. Just then I got a chance to try rally for real, internationally. We discussed the conclusion, my wife and me. I said, Okay, I put two years of my life in rallying so it may be useful later.

The problem was that the Monte Carlo Rally was not quite as he had thought. It went so very much better.

- Victory in Monte Carlo was as an Open Sesame. I became coveted overnight.

Soon it was obvious that the rally would have bet more than a few years.

- But the family, I thought of all the time. I was homesick constant.

All time greatest
A few years ago voted a jury of experts in the English magazine Rally XS forward him all time greatest rally drivers.

- There are many who say: That's not true. It can not be bear, it must be Tommi Makinen and Carlos Sainz. But they had looked a little further on it, that I had run for and won an awful lot of car makes and that I had won on the snow, on asphalt and in safari. Maybe I was not the fastest of all times, but I had a wide range.

Bjorn Waldegård says coldly:

- When I understood how the jury had thought I said: Okay then, that's enough.

Although he won the Swedish Rally five times and became world champion in 1979, the Safari Rally most people associate him with.

- At that time, it was a long, tough race. The first time I won the Safari Rally held on for five days and 6000 km. Today is 2000 km in three days.

Aha, so it was better before?

- So it's easy to say if you are old, old man. Rally sport has changed, for better or worse. But I think it's a privilege to have been involved in the time when the rally was tough competitions, bordering on insanity.

As in 1977, when large parts of the road in Kenya was flooded. Early one morning forced Bjorn Waldegård and co-driver Hans Thorszelius brake hard. Above them in the light of dawn shone a 500 meter wide water collection. Somewhere out there the road continued.

- An awful lot of spectators had gathered at the waterfront. We waded out and checked the road was passed, and then we placed the spectators in the water, much like a stick . You had to pay them a penny, push money as it was called. Then they gassed on towards victory.

Remember all cars
Still, Kenya is one of the countries he visits any time.

- At customs, I need hardly show their passport. They say, Oh, Mr. Waldegård, welcome home.

What is the most enjoyable to drive rally? The speed ...?

- The speed was exciting of course, but in the end it was pretty uninteresting how fast it went. Everything's relative, depending on how the roads look like. It can be more dangerous to drive at 60 km / h on a bumpy road than in 250 straight. Satisfaction is to overcome the car in different situations.

Do you remember all of your cars?

- Virtually. I will remember how they behaved in certain situations. Porsche was the coolest thing that existed at the time. Then I drove the Lancia Stratos, the first car that was built specifically for rally activities. It was also awesome. My perhaps best period, I had a good old Ford Escort during the late 70s - a very ordinary car, but built to rally with. It was perhaps the most fun car to drive with, because it was forgiving and easy to drive.

Nowadays, he clings to simpler cars of the standard model, even if the urge for long painful stages remaining. After all the years of monster trucks he settles for cruising along in a Ford Mondeo in lawful speed.

- 90 it was you who said, hehe.

How is the feeling when you sit behind the wheel for a long run?

- Nothing special, more than that when you come to think: Well, that was it. But this is not something I do just to get kicks.

Bjorn Waldegård adds, with serious look:

- I'm just like that. I like to drive.

How would your life been without cars?

- Terribly meager. I can not even conceive. It had been ... worthless.




F

Thanks for that Thomas……excellent :)

Thank you Thomas...............

Here some more pictures of Mr. Waldedegård. He drove many other brands of cars than Porsche.

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Thank you Thomas, thanks for everything.

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Acropolis Rally 1980.

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Lars Helmer.

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Lars Nyström.

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BMW

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Fiat TAP Rally 1973.

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SPA 1967.

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Jean Pierron Porsche 356 B.



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Rally Hotell Lindköping Sweden.

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Albin Griberg Porsche 912 1968.

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Rally cross in Sweden

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Porsche 911 SC 1979 Rally Car.

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Segolen Monte Carlo Rally.

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Kalechesmien Monte Carlo Rally 1979.

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Grindou.

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Bos.



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Koob.

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Jurgen Barth.

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