Wednesday 8th January 2025

Forgotten Rally Photos: A collection of rare professional rally photographs and stories from 1975 to 1982 Book review by Ken Davies

Perfectly defining the iconic 1970s epoch of stage and road rallying, this fascinating book provides a wide selection of high-quality images from the lens of professional photographer Peter Smith, matched with some clever investigative captions by former competitor, journalist and author Johnathan Pulleyn, providing background stories that perhaps weren’t available when the original photos were published.

Both men are eminently qualified to produce this pictorial record of rallying. Peter started his career as a talented amateur before turning professional and then joining respected motorsport photographer, Colin Taylor Productions. Peter later diversified into aerial photography whilst holding rallying close to his heart. Jonathan joined the York Motor Club aged 12 years, then having acquired his first rally car, a Cooper S, he competed in road and stage rallies, before changing to Escorts. When he gave up driving, he occasionally acted as co-driver and also serviced, organised and fulfilled media, commentator and radio interviewer roles. He is well regarded in northern rallying and recently published The Yorkshire Rally Mafia.

Forgotten Rally Photos captures stories to match the images; such as Chequered Flag Garage team principal Graham Warner wanting his winning Stratos crew of Andy Dawson and Andrew Marriot to return rally jackets intact after the 1976 Mintex prizegiving, or a car failing scrutineering for the Ridings Rally for having no first aid kit but returning later with two Band Aid strips and passing! Also, reigning World Champion Walter Rohl being fired by Opel team manager Jochen Bergen over breakfast prior the 1982 RAC Rally for failing to show up at the pre-event PR forum. Bergen then drafted Jochi Kleint into Rohl’s vacant Ascona.

As expected from a professional motorsport photographer, the images Peter has chosen from his large collection are high quality, with superb definition and composition, all more commendable coming from the wet-film era before the sophisticated flexibility of current and ever-improving digital photography. Peter’s tools of choice were Nikon F2 cameras fitted with 80mm non-zoom lenses and Photomic heads, loaded with Kodak Tri-x 400 ASA black and white film, as specified by the print industry in the 1970s.

Each one of the book’s 260 pages provides charismatic photographs requiring careful examination, as backgrounds and foregrounds often contain equally interesting subjects, such as location and faces in the crowd clear enough to be identified, many with typical ‘70s flared trousers and a few Zapata moustaches.

Arranged in nine Chapters, 1975-1982, the range of events covered span blue riband international rallies such as the RAC, 1000 Lakes, Scottish and Mintex, to national rallies including the Elcar Trophy, Lindisfarne, Cossack Stages, Tour of Lincoln, Stocktonian and many more at clubman level.

A generous foreword is provided by Malcolm Wilson OBE, who also features in action on the pages, thus adding weight to this great book from Peter and Jonathan. Published 2024 and limited to a print-run of just 500 copies, this quality hard-back book is essential and definitive reading for anyone interested in rallying.

Forgotten Rally Photos: A collection of rare professional rally photographs and stories from 1975 to 1982
Photographs by Peter Smith. Commentary by Jonathan Pulleyn
ISBN: 978-1-7385085-3-2
Published by BHP Publishing, Fife, Scotland
Price £55.00