Starting the rally
Alastair Caldwell takes to rallying for the first time in 1991. He decides to take part in the Classic Marathon but has to complete 4 races first to gain his international licence including the Highland Fling.
- 1991 Highland Fling
- 1991 Classic Marathon
La Cucaracha
La Cucaracha got to the end and the crowd loved it. And that night on the television the rally was on the news and everyone stood up to see the big screen and see themselves on telly. So the rally report came on and they had the guy leading the rally and in 64th place … La Cucaracha. There was a big long shot of La Cucaracha shooting along.
Alastair revels in the unpopularity of taking a car that no-one else approves off. Having started this trend with the Tart’s Car (Mercedes 280SL) he continues it by purchasing the ever-unsuitable Austin A35.
- 1992 Buying the Austin A35
- 1992 El Salvador and La Cucaracha
- 1993 La Carerra Panamericana
- 1993 Meeting The Wards
- 1993 Best car in rally
- 1993 Lands End to John o’Groats
Like for like
The joy of doing rallies in unsuitable cars is if you turn up in an unsuitable car people say “oh that’s unsuitable” and have a laugh. And then when you come third or second or fifth or something they say “oh didn’t he do well”. Whereas if you turn up in the all-singing, all-dancing car and you come tenth you’re just a twat in an expensive car.
Alastair tries his hand at racing Porsches to see how good a driver he is.
- 2000 Porsche Racing
- 2000 Porsche Colliding
Mr. Unsuitable
Whether it be straining for 1st place or simply making it to the end, Alastair always impresses with his unsuitable cars and mechanical skills. Rallying takes him all over the world.
- 2001 What are Ferraris good at?
- 2001 The Inca Trail.
- 2004 Rallying the Rolls
- 2005 World Cup.
- 2007 Norway
Though I’m blazé about it now because I’ve done lots of them I still enjoy rallying. I enjoy the traveling and I enjoy the competition. A rally I did in the Rolls went through Asia; I saw Malaysia, I saw Thailand, I saw Laos, I saw Cambodia, I saw Vietnam, I saw Ho Chi Minh City, I saw Saigon and I got to drive my nice old car. It combines tourism with competition and maintenance of the car.
Designed by