Tony Fall
Encyclopedia
Richard Anthony Fall was a British
rally driver. He was born in Bradford
. He began his rallying career as a club rally driver in a Mini
. He was considerably better than his peers, however, and was soon spotted by the BMC
team; this led to a drive in their works team alongside Paddy Hopkirk
, Timo Mäkinen
and Rauno Aaltonen
. His first major international victory in the Mini was the 1966 Circuit of Ireland, where his co-driver was Henry Liddon.
Tony drove a Leyland (Austin) 1800, with co-driver Denis Johnson, in the 1968 Canadian Shell 4000 Rally, which ran from Calgary to Halifax, finishing 7th overall.
In the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally
, he participated with a celebrity co-driver, the footballer Jimmy Greaves
, they finished 6th overall.
After he stopped driving, he became founder of the British Dealer Opel Team (DOT) as well as the self-willed but successful director of the Opel
Motorsport Team in Germany, for which Walter Röhrl
won the World Rally Championship
for Drivers in 1982 with an Opel Ascona 400. Returning to England in the late 1980's Tony formed the company Opel Classics, with Steve Thompson Cars (UK Imrscher Car Dealership) and Tom May (Director of Irmscher UK). The company became responsible for restoring and maintaining ex Opel competition cars and they also built a small number of fully re-commissioned classics Opels's using the Opel GT
model, cars being from California and also a Opel GT purchased by Tony from an Opel Dealership during the 1982 San Remo Rally. After this venture Fall became first the manager and later the owner/director of the Safety Devices company. Tony's last major outing was the 2003 Historic Rally Championship with co-driver Jonathan Hall-Smith where he competed with his Datsun 240Z.
Fall died after a heart attack
on 1 December 2007 while a member of the organisation team of the East African Safari Classic Rally in his hotel room in Tanzania
, leaving his wife Pat and two sons from a previous marriage.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rally driver. He was born in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. He began his rallying career as a club rally driver in a Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
. He was considerably better than his peers, however, and was soon spotted by the BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
team; this led to a drive in their works team alongside Paddy Hopkirk
Paddy Hopkirk
Patrick Barron "Paddy" Hopkirk is a former rally driver from Northern Ireland.He was born in Belfast and educated at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare from 1945 – 1949 before attending Trinity College, Dublin until 1953. He started his winning career in professional racing and rally driving...
, Timo Mäkinen
Timo Mäkinen
Timo Mäkinen was one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is most famous for his hat-tricks of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally-Career:...
and Rauno Aaltonen
Rauno Aaltonen
Rauno August Aaltonen , also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. Before WRC was established Aaltonen competed in the European Rally Championship. He won the championship in 1965, with Tony...
. His first major international victory in the Mini was the 1966 Circuit of Ireland, where his co-driver was Henry Liddon.
Tony drove a Leyland (Austin) 1800, with co-driver Denis Johnson, in the 1968 Canadian Shell 4000 Rally, which ran from Calgary to Halifax, finishing 7th overall.
In the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally
1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally
The 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally was the first of two World Cup Rallies to be held and the second of four marathon rallies to be held in a nine-year period beginning with the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon...
, he participated with a celebrity co-driver, the footballer Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
, they finished 6th overall.
After he stopped driving, he became founder of the British Dealer Opel Team (DOT) as well as the self-willed but successful director of the Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
Motorsport Team in Germany, for which Walter Röhrl
Walter Röhrl
Walter Röhrl is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW.-Career:...
won the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
for Drivers in 1982 with an Opel Ascona 400. Returning to England in the late 1980's Tony formed the company Opel Classics, with Steve Thompson Cars (UK Imrscher Car Dealership) and Tom May (Director of Irmscher UK). The company became responsible for restoring and maintaining ex Opel competition cars and they also built a small number of fully re-commissioned classics Opels's using the Opel GT
Opel GT
The Opel GT is a two-seat sports car first presented as a styling exercise in 1965 at the Paris and Frankfurt motor shows, and introduced as a production model late in 1968 by Opel, a German subsidiary of General Motors...
model, cars being from California and also a Opel GT purchased by Tony from an Opel Dealership during the 1982 San Remo Rally. After this venture Fall became first the manager and later the owner/director of the Safety Devices company. Tony's last major outing was the 2003 Historic Rally Championship with co-driver Jonathan Hall-Smith where he competed with his Datsun 240Z.
Fall died after a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on 1 December 2007 while a member of the organisation team of the East African Safari Classic Rally in his hotel room in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, leaving his wife Pat and two sons from a previous marriage.