Background
1990 saw the formation of Subaru World Rally Team, a joint venture between Subaru and Prodrive. The first car to rally under the Subaru World Rally Team banner was the Legacy RS, which made its WRC debut on the Safari Rally in 1990, finishing 8th overall. Its best place finish of the year came on Rally Australia when Possum Bourne secured 4th overall.
However, it is the 1991 British Rally Championship that the car will be remembered for most, as a young Scot called Colin McRae secured a drive with Prodrive sponsored by Rothmans in a works specification Group A Legacy RS. This season was also the one that earned McRae his nickname of ‘McCrash’ as he frequently redesigned the car on events. No matter how many times he put his car off the road he could drag it out of the ditches or trees and still go on to win the rally anyway.
Having won the British Rally Championship in 1991 McRae was entered alongside Ari Vatanen on the Swedish round of the WRC in 1992 with the Subaru World Rally Team. Ari crashed out on SS1 which piled on the pressure for Colin to step up to the mark, he won 5 stages challenging for the lead and secured second spot for the team and 15 championship points on his debut works outing.
The 1992 season saw Colin win every stage bar two on every rally in the British championship in his Rothmans backed Legacy securing his second British Championship title. The Legacy’s only WRC victory was to be in the hands of Colin on the 1993 New Zealand Rally, which was the last time a factory car appeared on a WRC event. Following the victory, the Legacy was retired and replaced by the newer, smaller and ultimately dominant Impreza.
1993 saw a new arrival to the Subaru rally team, with his 1992 National rally championship title secured rising star Richard Burns drove a works specification Legacy Group A to overall championship victory making it three British Rally Championship titles in a row for this iconic car.
This Car
Is a replica of the Rothmans McRae car from his 1991 British Rally Championship. Although unlike many replicas this one has been built to as true a copy as possible by the engineer who built the original car.
Technical :-
Engine : 2000cc, 4 cylinder, 16v, Twin DOHC, 300bhp
Induction : Turbo Charged, Fuel Injected
Transmission : Four Wheel Drive, Six Speed
