Rallyist Puts Faith In Russian 'classic'
Newcastle Herald
Saturday July 12, 2008
WHEN most of us think of a classic rally car we think of a twin-cam Ford Escort BDA or Fiat 131 ripping up the forests or a "Grunter" Datsun 1600 sliding sideways across a dusty track.
Victorian rally driver Dan Murphy has a different vision. For him the idea of a classic rally car is a 1989 Lada Samara, a 1.5-litre hatchback built on the banks of the Volga.Murphy, 69, knows the sort of reputation the Russian marque has in Australia but he has confidence in the toughness of the car."She's not very fast but gee, she's great fun to drive," he said. "They are tough little cars because Russian roads were pretty poor back in the 1980s so they (Ladas) were made to take plenty of punishment." Based on a late 1970s Fiat 127 model, the little Russian has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine and is front-wheel-drive. Murphy's car is pretty well sorted, too. He has been running it in Victorian Historic Rally Association events since 2005.Interestingly, the car is completely standard except for stiffer suspension components and mandatory safety equipment.Murphy's Lada will line up in Alice Springs with another 100 classic rally cars.He is no novice when it comes to rallying. As well as his Victorian experience he has competed in Britain and has four around-Australia rallies under his belt.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald