Mazda Rally Team Europe


The Mazda Rally Team Europe was a rally team created by Achim Warmbold that competed in the World Rally Championship from 1985 to 1991.

History

The Mazda Rally Team Europe was created by Achim Warmbold as European Mazda preparation business based in Brussels, Belgium. Mazda headquarters appeared to ignore it. Although eventually Warmbold gained their attention, this did not seem to help the project much at first. Warmbold first created a Group A Mazda 323. This 323 was old fashioned and front wheel drive, but did feature a turbo engine. The 323 was short lived as it was only a warm-up for a Group B Mazda RX-7 with a Wankel engine. It managed to get a podium in the 1985 Acropolis Rally.
Mazda finally realized the potential for a rally team, but they did not want to support the Group B RX-7, and instead wanted to throw their effort behind a Group A 323 again. There was a new model 4x4 323 with a turbo engine, and it promised to be just as good as the Group B car, even though it was in a lower class. The timing of this project could not have been more perfect: the 323 4WD Turbo debuted in the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally. While this was before the Group B accidents at the Rally Portugal and the Tour de Corse, its launch was only one year away from the ban of Group B and by the time Group A became compulsory only Mazda had a well proven 4x4 turbo car. With Ingvar Carlsson and Timo Salonen at the wheel, the 323 AWD brought Mazda three wins in the World Rally Championship.

Drivers

YearCarDriver123456789101112WDCPointsWMCPoints
1984Mazda RX7 Ingvar CarlssonMONSWEPORKENFRAGRC
Ret		ARGBRAFINITACIVGBR
Ret		-014th2
1984Mazda RX7 Achim WarmboldMONSWEPORKENFRAGRC
9		ARGBRAFINITACIVGBR53rd214th2
1984Mazda RX7 Philippe WambergueMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCARGBRAFINITACIVGBR
Ret		-014th2
1985Mazda RX7 Ingvar CarlssonMONSWE
8		PORKENFRAGRC
3		NZLARGFINITACIVGBR
10		16th1610th22
1985Mazda RX7 Achim WarmboldMONSWEPORKENFRAGRC
6		NZLARGFINITACIVGBR34th610th22
1985Mazda RX7 Mike MontgomeryMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZL
11		ARGFINITACIVGBR60th210th22
1985Mazda RX7 Neil AllportMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZL
Ret		ARGFINITACIVGBR-010th22
1985Mazda RX7 Stuart EyreMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZL
Ret		ARGFINITACIVGBR-010th22
1985Mazda RX7 Minna SillankorvaMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
Ret		ITACIVGBR-010th22
1985Mazda RX7 Rod MillenMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFINITACIVGBR
9		60th210th22

Group A Era (1986-1991)

YearCarDriver1234567891011121314WDCPointsWMCPoints
1986Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar CarlssonMON
Ret		SWE
Ret		PORKENFRAGRENZLARGFIN
Ret		CIVITAGBR
10		USA70th111th9
1986Mazda 323 4WD Achim WarmboldMON
Ret		SWEPORKENFRAGRENZLARGFINCIVITAGBRUSA-011th9
1986Mazda 323 4WD Rod MillenMONSWEPORKENFRAGRENZL
7		ARGFINCIVITAGBRUSA
10		44th511th9
1987Mazda 323 4WD Timo SalonenMON
Ret		SWE
1		POR
Ret		KENFRAGREUSANZLARGFIN
Ret		CIVITAGBR14th206th52
1987Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar CarlssonMON
4		SWE
4		POR
Ret		KENFRAGREUSANZLARG
Ret		FIN
Ret		CIVITAGBR17th206th52
1987Mazda 323 4WD Rod MillenMONSWEPORKENFRAGREUSA
4		NZLARGFINCIVITAGBR26th106th52
1988Mazda 323 4WD Timo SalonenMON
5		SWE
Ret		PORKENFRAGRC
Ret		USANZLARGFIN
4		CIVITAGBR
2		5th334th66
1988Mazda 323 4WD Hannu MikkolaMON
Ret		SWE
Ret		POR
4		KENFRAGRC
Ret		USANZLARGFIN
Ret		CIVITAGBR
Ret		30th104th66
1988Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar CarlssonMON
Ret		SWEPOR
Ret		KENFRAGRCUSANZLARGFINCIVITAGBR-04th66
1988Mazda 323 4WD Ray WilsonMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCUSANZL
2		ARGFINCIVITAGBR18th154th66
1988Mazda 323 4WD Rod MillenMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCUSA
8		NZLARGFINCIVITAGBR59th34th66
1989Mazda 323 4WD Ingvar CarlssonSWE
1		MONPORKENFRAGRCNZL
1		ARGFINAUS
Ret		ITACIVGBR
8		7th433rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Timo SalonenSWE
22		MON
Ret		PORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
2		AUSITACIVGBR
6		12th213rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Thorbjörn EdlingSWE
Ret		MONPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
5		AUSITACIVGBR34th83rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Mikael SundströmSWE
Ret		MONPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
Ret		AUSITACIVGBR
7		52nd43rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Hannu MikkolaSWEMON
4		PORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
Ret		AUSITACIVGBR
9		27th123rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Rod MillenSWEMONPORKENFRAGRCNZL
2		ARGFINAUS
5		ITACIVGBR11th233rd67
1989Mazda 323 4WD Ray WilsonSWEMONPORKENFRAGRCNZL
7		ARGFINAUS
Ret		ITACIVGBR52nd43rd67
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Timo SalonenMON
8		POR
Ret		KENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
6		AUSITACIVGBR
Ret		25th95th30
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Hannu MikkolaMON
Ret		POR
6		KENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
Ret		AUSITACIVGBR
Ret		34th65th30
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Grégoire de MeviusMONPOR
Ret		KENFRAGRCNZLARGFINAUS
6		ITA
Ret		CIVGBR34th65th30
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Ingvar CarlssonMONPORKENFRAGRCNZL
2		ARGFINAUS
5		ITACIVGBR10th235th30
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Rod MillenMONPORKENFRAGRCNZL
Ret		ARGFINAUS
Ret		ITACIVGBR-05th30
1990Mazda 323 4WD
Mazda 323 GTX		 Mikael SundströmMONPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
Ret		AUSITACIVGBR
Ret		-05th30
1991Mazda 323 GTX Hannu MikkolaMON
Ret		SWE
7		POR
Ret		KENFRAGRC
8		NZLARGFIN
Ret		AUSITACIVESPGBR
7		25th115th44
1991Mazda 323 GTX Jesús PurasMON
Ret		SWEPOR
7		KENFRAGRCNZLARGFINAUSITACIVESPGBR40th45th44
1991Mazda 323 GTX Ingvar CarlssonMONSWE
4		PORKENFRAGRCNZL
8		ARGFINAUS
Ret		ITACIVESPGBR16th135th44
1991Mazda 323 GTX Rod MillenMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZL
6		ARGFINAUS
6		ITACIVESPGBR23rd125th44
1991Mazda 323 GTX Tommi MäkinenMONSWEPORKENFRAGRCNZLARGFIN
5		AUSITACIVESPGBR
Ret		29th85th44
1991Mazda 323 GTX-----------------5th44