Other teams and privateers

Beyond the big four, dozens of teams took part: works teams with limited programmes, importers, and private outfits that bought cars from the factory. They filled the entry lists and occasionally sprang a surprise.

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Episode 7 — The Underdogs: Toyota, Opel, Nissan, Mazda, Renault, Citroën, Porsche & Ferrari

The smaller works teams and privateers of Group B.

Citroën Sport

Citroën built the BX 4TC with a longitudinally mounted turbocharged engine at the front. The twenty evolution cars were built by Citroën’s competition department at Trappes, with bodies by Heuliez. The car was too heavy and too cumbersome. Its best world championship result was sixth in Sweden in 1986 with Jean-Claude Andruet. On the Acropolis all three cars retired, after which Citroën pulled out. Only 86 of the 200 road cars found buyers; Citroën destroyed the rest.

Citroën BX 4TC.
Citroën BX 4TC.Photo: TaurusEmerald via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nissan

Nissan ran the 240RS, based on the S110 Silvia, and concentrated on the long-distance events. Timo Salonen finished second in New Zealand in 1983; Shekhar Mehta and Mike Kirkland took podiums in Africa. Racing driver Masahiro Hasemi helped with development.

Mazda Rally Team Europe

Former rally driver Achim Warmbold set up Mazda Rally Team Europe as Mazda’s European preparation arm, based in Brussels. The team competed in the World Championship from 1985 to 1992. The rotary-engined Group B RX-7 scored one podium: third on the 1985 Acropolis with Ingvar Carlsson. As early as 1986 the four-wheel-drive 323 4WD Turbo (Group A) made its debut — a car that fitted perfectly into the post-ban world.

Mazda RX-7 Group B.
Mazda RX-7 Group B.Photo: TTTNIS via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Renault

Renault competed on asphalt with the R5 Turbo and the Maxi Turbo. Jean Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse in 1982 and 1985; in Portugal in 1986, local driver Joaquim Moutinho won in an R5 Turbo after the works teams had withdrawn.

Jolly Club

Milan’s Jolly Club (founded in 1957 by Mario Angiolini, sponsored by Totip) worked closely with Lancia and Abarth. The team ran 037s and Delta S4s; Dario Cerrato won the 1985 European and Italian championships in a 037, and Miki Biasion won both titles in 1983.

Privateers

Privately entered Audi Quattros — driven by, among others, Franz Wittmann, Lasse Lampi and Jorge Recalde — took world championship podiums in 1982–84. In 1985 Austria’s Wilfried Wiedner finished second in Argentina in a Quattro A2. See more drivers and statistics.

In pictures 2 photos

1985 Citroën BX 4TC
1985 Citroën BX 4TCPhoto: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
1985 Citroën BX 4TC Evolution at Rétromobile 2017
1985 Citroën BX 4TC Evolution at Rétromobile 2017Photo: Thesupermat via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

More from Teams

Designers and engineersThe people behind the machines: Limone and Lombardi (Lancia/Abarth), de Cortanze and Welter (Peugeot), Southgate and Wheeler (Ford), Bensinger and Piëch (Audi), David Wood (Metro 6R4).Read more →Audi SportThe Ingolstadt team that changed rallying with four-wheel drive. Under Roland Gumpert: two manufacturers' titles (1982, 1984) and two drivers' titles (1983, 1984).Read more →Lancia MartiniCesare Fiorio's Turin team won the last manufacturers' title for a two-wheel-drive car in 1983 and introduced the Delta S4 in 1985 — with Abarth as its engineering powerhouse.Read more →Rothmans Porsche and ProdrivePorsche never fought for the world title, but David Richards' new Prodrive company ran the Rothmans 911 SC RS in the European championship and on world championship asphalt rallies.Read more →Opel (Opel Motorsport and Rothmans Opel)Opel won the 1982 drivers' world title with the Ascona 400 (Röhrl). Tony Fall ran the German works team; David Richards co-ran the Rothmans-backed team.Read more →Toyota Team EuropeOve Andersson's Cologne team won six world rallies with the rear-wheel-drive Celica Twincam Turbo — all of them in Africa.Read more →

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (EN), Mazda Rally Team Europe — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Rally_Team_Europe
  2. Wikipedia (EN), Achim Warmbold — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achim_Warmbold
  3. Wikipedia (EN), Citroën BX 4TC — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_BX#BX_4TC
  4. Wikipedia (EN), Nissan 240RS — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_240RS
  5. Wikipedia (EN), Jolly Club — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolly_Club
  6. Wikipedia (EN), Renault 5 Turbo — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5_Turbo

All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.

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