From Cars and Car Conversions 5 (1969), no. 7 (July):
Rootes have withdrawn from international motoring events. This sad fact had been rumoured for some time before the official announcement, though we were reluctant to believe it, because of the company's recent successes - the Marathon, Peter Harper winning the Rallycross championship and Colin Malkin scooping the MN rally series last year.
The anonymous spokesman's reasons for withdrawal? "The commercial value obtainable is now outweighed by costs", he said.
Veijo Pääkkönen & Martti Tiukkanen were 8th overall in their Sunbeam Imp (17749 points)
Org.: BRSCC. 18 stages
Class winner up to 1000cc: R. Piper / L. Skoog in a Sunbeam Imp Sport 875cc
The Circuit of Ireland Retro event
Billy Tobin & Liam McGuiness (Cork) won Class 5 (1965 - 1974) and achieved a 5th overall (out of 120 cars). The Imp involved is a 998 Stiletto.
There were 32 starters in the Historic Rally of the Circuit of Ireland in 1996 on Friday 5th April. Three of those were Imps:
In class B1: no. 213, a Sunbeam Stiletto driven by Derek Parling/Christine Parling from Bridlington and no. 218, a Hillman Imp with Philip Wylie/Gregory Lockwood from Kusnacht
In class C1: a Hillman Imp with no. 235 with David Moore/Gary Moore from Newtownards
In Class H13 a Hillman Imp competed: car no. 112, driver/codriver John Morris / Peter Rust. It finished 2nd in class and as 67 overall (which wasn't last ;-) It took him 108:11. The winner in a Escort Cos needed 78:11. No. 68 overall, a Nova which won Class A5 needed 116:34. So there.
Peter Hurst competed in a Californian, no. 27
A painting by David Shepherd: an Imp competing in the East African Safari Rally
Jari Pehkonen drove his 27th race on ice and gravel in an Imp and became 10th. He has won 24 times in class and once overall.
In the Touring Saloon class under 2000cc, Jari Kämäräinen won his first championship with his Citroën-engined Stiletto, and Ilkka Jutila came second. There were eight starts. Jari won seven and Ilkka one, beating many more powerful cars.
| Nigel Davies, 9 Feb 2001: I have recently purchased TFD 46 N  Nigel Davies, 2 Oct 2002: TFD 46 N (ex Jon Lloyd Rally car which won the 1975 British Rally Championship) presently sits in my garage awaiting restoration. 1974 Hillman Imp, built by Andy Dawson & John Lloyd. The car won the 1976 BTRDA/CCC Rally Championship. Ken Green, Feb 8, 2001: I helped with service for Jon and the Imp and have memories of sleeping in the car when the Transaxle broke in Broxa forest. |
Over 10 rounds
Although a Mini Cooper S won outright, it was Imps which shone in the 1300 class, with three of them in the overall top 20, proving that a one litre class would have been rather superfluous (They were in Class A: up to 1300cc).
4. Jonathan Lloyd 43 pts. (TFD 46N, double headlights)
5. Peter Bryant 40 pts. (WGT 6M)
16 Dick Lust 13 pts
Org.: South Wales Automobile Club. 39 stages
Class winner of Group 2, 851 to 1000cc: C. Wood / M. Smith in a 1.0 Hillman Imp
The Suffolk Stages, one of the series of Autumn day-stage Rallies. It was run jointly by the West-Essex and West Suffolk clubs. In 1970 there were 120 entries. The class up-to 1000cc was taken by Mark Perry's Imp (Group 2), built by Car Accessory Motors of Potters Bar, using some of the parts from the Imp that Mark drove for Lynton Racing.
In 1975 Vince Findlayson / Doug Riach were occupied driving a one liter Hillman Imp around on several rallycources. They were class winners (Up to 1000cc) in the following:
1 March - Valentine (Dunfermline Club). Restricted; 13 stages; Scotsman/Gealic championship.
22 March - Hackle Rally (55 Car Club). National; 15 stages; Scotsman/Gaelic championship
12 April - Granite City Rally (Aberdeen Motor Club). National; 17 stages; Scotsman/Gaelic + RAC Championship
20 Sept. - Rippin Structures Saltire Rally (St. Andrew's MC). Restricted; 18 stages; Scotsman/Gaelic championship
23 Aug. '75 - Burmah '75 Rally (Lanakshire C.C.). National; 15 stages; RAC + Castrol/Autosport championship
class up 1000cc won by A. Conley / C. Dunn in a 1.0 Clan Crusader
20 Sep. '75 - Castrol '75 (Wolverhampton C.C.). National; 9 stages; Castrol/Autosport championship
class up to 1000cc (not group 1) won by J. Bothwell / M. Kind in an Imp (unspecified)
29/30 Nov. '75 - Martin Group Trophy Rally (High Moor MC). Restricted; MN championship
Robert Fisher / Kevin Jones finished 9th in a 1.0 Imp
BTRDA Gold Star Rally Championship '75
Peter Bryant finished 9th in a 1.0 Imp
A-Z of Works Rally Cars : From the 1940s to the 1990s
by Graham Robson
List Price: $32.95
Our Price: $23.07
Hardcover (July 1994)
Motorbooks International; ISBN: 1870979427 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.86 x 10.52
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