Unsinkable Seven
Encyclopedia
Unsinkable Seven was a nickname
given to the seven drivers and co-driver
s who managed to survive to finish the notoriously difficult East African Safari Rally
that began and ended in Kenya
, in the unusually difficult rallies of 1963 and 1968.
Inaugurated in 1953, the rally's notoriously tough conditions required cars to be adapted to cope; despite this, it made it popular with factory teams. From the 1960s onward, they travelled from as far as Japan
and Europe
to compete.
Courses lasting 3,100 miles to the finish line made the rally a challenge to complete, sometimes made worse by adverse weather conditions. The "Unsinkable Seven" nickname was awarded on two occasions, in 1963 and 1968, when a number of mishaps were caused by heavy rainfall, both before and during the rally. Also exclusion for a number of reasons including lateness and disqualification, meant that a large number of competitors had to retire. So only 8% finished, making it the lowest rate ever. Alternatively, the competitors are nicknamed "The Magnificent Seven
".
– Cape Town
– Nairobi run, were approached by their cousin Eric Cecil, who was a chairman of the motorsport committee of the REAAA, to race at the 3.3 mile Langa Langa (now known as Gilgil
) circuit that was made up of perimeter roads of a World War II
military camp
. The Vincents were unenthusiastic at the idea as they had grown tired of circuit racing but were interested in the idea of a long-distance driving event similar to the one in which they had competed for the previous year. Cecil considered a road race around Lake Victoria
but shelved the idea when he realised that parts of northern Tanzania
, where the race would be likely to take place, was prone to seasonal flood
ing, making that idea impractical.
Eventually various ideas began to gel together forming the basis of the rally that was to be run over roads in the three East African states of Kenya
, Uganda
and Tanzania. This idea became a reality in 1953 when it was staged over the holidays as the East African Coronation Safari, a celebration of the coronation
of Queen Elizabeth II
.
Overseas interest grew from the 1959 rally with entrants from the British motoring press. By the following year, the Safari was filmed for British television stations; by then over one hundred overseas journalists covered the event.
Factory teams and drivers soon began to arrive with the likes of the future husband and wife Pat Moss
and Erik Carlsson
competing in the event.
With a course of 3,100 miles of bush road varying in elevation from sea level to 7,000 feet over a short period of days, that tested the limits of drivers and co-driver
s and their machines with very little chance of a rest in between stages.
The rally has sometimes been marred by flooding during a thunderstorm period, meaning route changes were necessary even before the start. Flooding also made the rally far more difficult with normally treacherous roads becoming booby trap
s with unseen and terrifying hazards.
Each stage gave either large or small cars a disadvantage. High altitude of up to 9,000 feet above sea level
gave a disadvantage to small cars as it robbed them of power, requiring altitude correctors to the carburettor main jet to maintain the correct air/fuel mixture to the engine.
With flooding on the course, roads turned to mud, giving a disadvantage to larger cars as they slipped, slithered and ground to a halt on tracks where the rain and dust had combined to turn the roads into a sea of bottomless mud that saw cars bogged down to ground level. Many of the competitors resorted to using snow chains on their tyres, some of those stuck to their normal tyres instead of the snow tyres favoured by competitors.
The deep treads of snow tyres offered more grip in the mud, but required more power. Many of the Volkswagen Beetle
drivers favoured normal tyres as the car offered better traction in the mud.
As a result, for those who were less fortunate, competitors got themselves trapped in the Mau Escarpment
along the western rim of the Great Rift Valley
.
In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari; in 1965 the "Rally" tag was added and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally; by that time it was awarded a World Rally Championship
status.. Until 1970, Nairobi was the rally's start and finish point.
World Rally Championship
. It was also significant as Japanese factory teams (Nissan
and Hino
) made their debut there, which in the forthcoming years played a significant part in the rally; it also had the strongest contingents of factory teams at the time. With the demise of the Liège–Sofia–Liège Rally the previous year, the Safari was beginning to establish itself as the toughest rally on the calendar.
Eighty-four cars of ninety-one registered entrants started the rally that ran on a 3,100 mile route through Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika
over three days and four nights.
With dry parts of the road earlier in the rally, Erik Carlsson
comfortably led the rally earlier, leading the local Nick Nowicki in a Peugeot 404
by three minutes at Kampala
and extending it over another local, Beau Younghusband, by half an hour at Nairobi until he ran into an ant bear
at Mbulu
, requiring repairs but retaining a fifteen minute lead over Younghusband at Dar es Salaam
. Carlsson's Saab 92
later succumbed to those damages, breaking a driveshaft
. Younghusband's Ford Cortina
began to lose oil and retired with a seized engine. By then the rally was marred by torrential downpours and floods causing chaos for competitors.
The factory Ford team lost all their Cortinas – Moss, Anne Hall and Bert Shankland – as soon they entered Tanganyika
. The Ford Anglia
of Peter Hughes was to take the lead, but got stuck in the mud for 50 minutes and had to be helped out by eventual winner Nowicki, leaving himself to finish second.
Amongst the factory drivers, Rauno Aaltonen
participated in his second Safari with Tony Ambrose
in a Morris 1100. They were amongst the top finishers until mud filled up the wheel arches of their car, effectively eliminating them.
The factory Nissan Bluebird
of Takashi Wakabayashi (who later managed the factory rally team, instrumental for its successes in the 1970s) and Yasuharu Nanba (who became the first president of the newly merged Nismo
in 1984) were also casualties of the rally.
The pairing of Bill Bengry and Gordon Goby was the only non-African team to finish. Only seven of the 84 starters who struggled back to the finish line lasted until the end and were awarded the nickname "Unsinkable Seven"; only 8% of those who started completed the rally, making it the record lowest rate ever.
, then to Mount Kenya
. The southern loop went through Mombasa
, then south of Dar es Salaam
, then back to Nairobi.
Like it was five years earlier, it was chaos again with a thunderstorm anticipated; also the rains broke out six weeks earlier than expected and turned the route into one of the toughest and most hazardous ever, leading the organisers to extend the maximum lateness from four to eight hours.
President Jomo Kenyatta
came to flag away the first cars of the rally.
Pat Moss in her Renault 16
retired when she crashed into a stone barrier erected by locals in Uganda. Timo Mäkinen
rolled his BMC 1800 before he reached Uganda; teammate Aaltonen, although he placed third at Kampala, failed to reach Nairobi. Rally leader Vic Preston in a semi-factory Ford Cortina Mk. II
was excluded for missing passage control. Meanwhile, Joginder Singh
in a factory Datsun Cedric
led the twenty-one survivors but fell to fifth after engine problems slowed him down. Howard Lawrence-Brown in his Triumph 2000
regained the lead at Mombasa
but by the time he reached Dar es Salaam, German born local Peter Huth in his Cortina overtook him.
By the time the competitors reached Kiroka Pass, the chaos of previous years began when one of these sections was a path that was messed up by lorries
, making crossing difficult, meaning that the rally leader Huth required an hour and a half to cover 20 miles and all others required more time for the same section.
By the time he came to a flooded river to wait for the water to subside, he lost his lead as all others caught up with him. Nick Nowicki in his Peugeot 404
took the lead with Bert Shankland in the same car behind, but his car suffered from a split sump, sustained from a damaged steering earlier on with the crew topping up oil; this meant with just three controls to go, the engine gave up. Hugh Lionet in his Peugeot 204
was excluded for fixing a mud flap at the parc fermé
. Shekhar Mehta
in his debut Safari driving in the same car also retired.
As seven of those finished, the nickname was given to the group again; amongst those, only Nowicki and Singh were awarded it twice. At that rate of those who finished, only 8% completed the rally, matching the 1963 record for the highest attrition rate of finishers..
broke through the African stranglehold. With the exceptions of Shekhar Mehta
and Joginder Singh who dominated the 1970s and early 1980s, no other Africa
ns managed to win the rally, with the exception of Ian Duncan
in 1994, until the rally lost its WRC status in 2003 due to lack of funding and organisation but became part of the FIA
organised African Rally Championship
.
Following the 1968 rally, no other editions could match the record of attrition rate of finishers with the fewest being ten cars (17%) in 1990, amongst fifty-nine starters.
The 1968 rally was the last to be held in Tanzania
due to political problems with the local government later in the year when they ruled that the rally was not permitted to enter into their territory.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
given to the seven drivers and co-driver
Co-driver
Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...
s who managed to survive to finish the notoriously difficult East African Safari Rally
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
that began and ended in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, in the unusually difficult rallies of 1963 and 1968.
Inaugurated in 1953, the rally's notoriously tough conditions required cars to be adapted to cope; despite this, it made it popular with factory teams. From the 1960s onward, they travelled from as far as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to compete.
Courses lasting 3,100 miles to the finish line made the rally a challenge to complete, sometimes made worse by adverse weather conditions. The "Unsinkable Seven" nickname was awarded on two occasions, in 1963 and 1968, when a number of mishaps were caused by heavy rainfall, both before and during the rally. Also exclusion for a number of reasons including lateness and disqualification, meant that a large number of competitors had to retire. So only 8% finished, making it the lowest rate ever. Alternatively, the competitors are nicknamed "The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
".
Overview
The idea of the rally began in 1950 when a pair of Nairobi businessmen, Neil and Donald Vincent, who recently had set a new record at the NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
– Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
– Nairobi run, were approached by their cousin Eric Cecil, who was a chairman of the motorsport committee of the REAAA, to race at the 3.3 mile Langa Langa (now known as Gilgil
Gilgil
Gilgil, Kenya is a town in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The town is located between Naivasha and Nakuru and along the Nairobi - Nakuru highway. Gilgil has a population of 18,805 . Gilgil is also the centre of the Gilgil division in Nakuru District.- History :During the 1920s - 1940s, some...
) circuit that was made up of perimeter roads of a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military camp
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...
. The Vincents were unenthusiastic at the idea as they had grown tired of circuit racing but were interested in the idea of a long-distance driving event similar to the one in which they had competed for the previous year. Cecil considered a road race around Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
but shelved the idea when he realised that parts of northern 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...
, where the race would be likely to take place, was prone to seasonal flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing, making that idea impractical.
Eventually various ideas began to gel together forming the basis of the rally that was to be run over roads in the three East African states of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Tanzania. This idea became a reality in 1953 when it was staged over the holidays as the East African Coronation Safari, a celebration of the coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Overseas interest grew from the 1959 rally with entrants from the British motoring press. By the following year, the Safari was filmed for British television stations; by then over one hundred overseas journalists covered the event.
Factory teams and drivers soon began to arrive with the likes of the future husband and wife Pat Moss
Pat Moss
Pat Moss, after her marriage Pat Moss-Carlsson, was one of the most successful female auto rally drivers of all time, scoring 3 outright wins and 7 Podium Finishes in international rallies. She was crowned European Ladies' Rally Champion five times...
and Erik Carlsson
Erik Carlsson
Erik Carlsson, aka "Carlsson på taket" , was born March 5, 1929 in Trollhättan, Sweden and was a rally driver for Saab. Because of his public relations work for Saab, he is also known as Mr. Saab....
competing in the event.
With a course of 3,100 miles of bush road varying in elevation from sea level to 7,000 feet over a short period of days, that tested the limits of drivers and co-driver
Co-driver
Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...
s and their machines with very little chance of a rest in between stages.
The rally has sometimes been marred by flooding during a thunderstorm period, meaning route changes were necessary even before the start. Flooding also made the rally far more difficult with normally treacherous roads becoming booby trap
Booby trap
A booby trap is a device designed to harm or surprise a person, unknowingly triggered by the presence or actions of the victim. As the word trap implies, they often have some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. However, in other cases the device is placed on busy roads or is...
s with unseen and terrifying hazards.
Each stage gave either large or small cars a disadvantage. High altitude of up to 9,000 feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
gave a disadvantage to small cars as it robbed them of power, requiring altitude correctors to the carburettor main jet to maintain the correct air/fuel mixture to the engine.
With flooding on the course, roads turned to mud, giving a disadvantage to larger cars as they slipped, slithered and ground to a halt on tracks where the rain and dust had combined to turn the roads into a sea of bottomless mud that saw cars bogged down to ground level. Many of the competitors resorted to using snow chains on their tyres, some of those stuck to their normal tyres instead of the snow tyres favoured by competitors.
The deep treads of snow tyres offered more grip in the mud, but required more power. Many of the Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
drivers favoured normal tyres as the car offered better traction in the mud.
As a result, for those who were less fortunate, competitors got themselves trapped in the Mau Escarpment
Mau Escarpment
The Mau Escarpment is a steep natural cliff approximately 3,000 m high, running along the western edge of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.-External links:...
along the western rim of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
.
In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari; in 1965 the "Rally" tag was added and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally; by that time it was awarded a 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...
status.. Until 1970, Nairobi was the rally's start and finish point.
1963
The 1963 running of the rally, taking place between 11 and April 15, was significant as it was included for the first time as a qualifying round for the RACRoyal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
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...
. It was also significant as Japanese factory teams (Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
and Hino
Hino Motors
-External links:Global* * * Overseas offices****.*.***.*.* - Philippines**...
) made their debut there, which in the forthcoming years played a significant part in the rally; it also had the strongest contingents of factory teams at the time. With the demise of the Liège–Sofia–Liège Rally the previous year, the Safari was beginning to establish itself as the toughest rally on the calendar.
Eighty-four cars of ninety-one registered entrants started the rally that ran on a 3,100 mile route through Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
over three days and four nights.
With dry parts of the road earlier in the rally, Erik Carlsson
Erik Carlsson
Erik Carlsson, aka "Carlsson på taket" , was born March 5, 1929 in Trollhättan, Sweden and was a rally driver for Saab. Because of his public relations work for Saab, he is also known as Mr. Saab....
comfortably led the rally earlier, leading the local Nick Nowicki in a Peugeot 404
Peugeot 404
The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by...
by three minutes at Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
and extending it over another local, Beau Younghusband, by half an hour at Nairobi until he ran into an ant bear
Aardvark
The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...
at Mbulu
Mbulu
Mbulu is one of the 5 districts of the Manyara Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by the Arusha Region and Lake Eyasi, to the East by the Babati Region, to the South by the Hanang District and to the West by the Singida Region....
, requiring repairs but retaining a fifteen minute lead over Younghusband at Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
. Carlsson's Saab 92
Saab 92
Saab 92 is an automobile from Saab. The design was very aerodynamic for its time, and the cW value was 0.30 . The entire body was stamped out of one piece of sheet metal and then cut to accommodate doors and windows. Full-scale production started December 12, 1949, based on the prototype Saab 92001...
later succumbed to those damages, breaking a driveshaft
Driveshaft
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, propeller shaft, or Cardan shaft is a mechanical component for transmitting torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drive train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement...
. Younghusband's Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
began to lose oil and retired with a seized engine. By then the rally was marred by torrential downpours and floods causing chaos for competitors.
The factory Ford team lost all their Cortinas – Moss, Anne Hall and Bert Shankland – as soon they entered Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. The Ford Anglia
Ford Anglia
The 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car....
of Peter Hughes was to take the lead, but got stuck in the mud for 50 minutes and had to be helped out by eventual winner Nowicki, leaving himself to finish second.
Amongst the factory drivers, 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...
participated in his second Safari with Tony Ambrose
Tony Ambrose
John Anthony Ambrose was a British rally driver who, as co-driver, twice won the RAC Rally, in 1956 and 1965.-Early life and Oxford University:...
in a Morris 1100. They were amongst the top finishers until mud filled up the wheel arches of their car, effectively eliminating them.
The factory Nissan Bluebird
Nissan Bluebird
Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...
of Takashi Wakabayashi (who later managed the factory rally team, instrumental for its successes in the 1970s) and Yasuharu Nanba (who became the first president of the newly merged Nismo
Nismo
Nismo is the motorsports and performance division of Nissan Motor Company. Formed in 1984 as a result of a merger of two motorsport departments, Nismo cars have participated in JSPC, Formula Nippon, JTCC, 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona...
in 1984) were also casualties of the rally.
The pairing of Bill Bengry and Gordon Goby was the only non-African team to finish. Only seven of the 84 starters who struggled back to the finish line lasted until the end and were awarded the nickname "Unsinkable Seven"; only 8% of those who started completed the rally, making it the record lowest rate ever.
| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Class | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Nick Nowicki |
Paddy Cliff |
Peugeot 404 Peugeot 404 The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by... |
E | 185 |
| 2. | Peter Hughes |
William Young |
Ford Anglia Ford Anglia The 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car.... |
C | 264 |
| 3. | Jim Cardwell |
David Lead |
Mercedes-Benz 220 SEb Mercedes-Benz W111 The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to its top-range vehicles, including 4-door sedans, produced from 1959 to 1968, and 2-door coupes and cabriolets from 1961 to 1971. The W111, was initially attributed only to 6-cylinder cars with 2.2 litre engines. The luxury version with big-block 3... |
F | 267 |
| 4. | Joginder Singh Joginder Singh (rally driver) Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu was a successful endurance rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.-Career:The eldest of ten children... |
Jaswant Singh |
Fiat 2300 Fiat 2300 The Fiat 2300 is an automobile which was produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat between 1961 and 1969.Mechanically the 2300 lived up to its expectations with power assisted brake discs for all four wheels and a powerful 2.3 litre six cylinder engine... |
F | 290 |
| 5. | Hugh Lionnet |
Ian Philip |
Peugeot 404 Peugeot 404 The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by... |
E | 304 |
| 6. | J.S. Bathurst |
Ian Jaffray |
Peugeot 403 Peugeot 403 The Peugeot 403 is a car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1955 to 1966.-History:The 403 made its debut in saloon body style on 20 April 1955 at the Trocadéro Palace in Paris... |
C | 346 |
| 7. |  Bill Bengry |
Gordon Goby |
Rover P5 Rover P5 The Mark II version of the P5 was introduced in 1962. It featured more power from the same 3.0 L engine and an improved suspension, while dropping the glass wind deflectors from the top of the window openings which also, on the front doors, now featured "quarterlight" windows .The most... |
G | 408 |
1968
After a dry rally the previous year, the rally began as usual at Nairobi, then to Uganda before returning to Nairobi around Mount ElgonMount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
, then to Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
. The southern loop went through Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, then south of Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, then back to Nairobi.
Like it was five years earlier, it was chaos again with a thunderstorm anticipated; also the rains broke out six weeks earlier than expected and turned the route into one of the toughest and most hazardous ever, leading the organisers to extend the maximum lateness from four to eight hours.
President Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
came to flag away the first cars of the rally.
Pat Moss in her Renault 16
Renault 16
The Renault 16 is a hatchback produced by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France. The reviewer in the May 1965 edition of the English "Motoring Illustrated" said: "The Renault Sixteen can thus be described as a large family car but one that is neither a four door saloon...
retired when she crashed into a stone barrier erected by locals in Uganda. 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:...
rolled his BMC 1800 before he reached Uganda; teammate Aaltonen, although he placed third at Kampala, failed to reach Nairobi. Rally leader Vic Preston in a semi-factory Ford Cortina Mk. II
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
was excluded for missing passage control. Meanwhile, Joginder Singh
Joginder Singh (rally driver)
Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu was a successful endurance rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.-Career:The eldest of ten children...
in a factory Datsun Cedric
Nissan Cedric
The Nissan Cedric is a large automobile produced by Nissan since 1960. It was developed to provide upscale transportation, competing with the Prince Skyline and Gloria which were later merged into the Nissan family...
led the twenty-one survivors but fell to fifth after engine problems slowed him down. Howard Lawrence-Brown in his Triumph 2000
Triumph 2000
The Triumph 2000 is a mid-sized, rear wheel drive automobile which was produced in Coventry by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. Larger-engined models, known as the Triumph 2.5 PI and Triumph 2500 were also produced.-Engine:...
regained the lead at Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
but by the time he reached Dar es Salaam, German born local Peter Huth in his Cortina overtook him.
By the time the competitors reached Kiroka Pass, the chaos of previous years began when one of these sections was a path that was messed up by lorries
Lorry
-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
, making crossing difficult, meaning that the rally leader Huth required an hour and a half to cover 20 miles and all others required more time for the same section.
By the time he came to a flooded river to wait for the water to subside, he lost his lead as all others caught up with him. Nick Nowicki in his Peugeot 404
Peugeot 404
The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by...
took the lead with Bert Shankland in the same car behind, but his car suffered from a split sump, sustained from a damaged steering earlier on with the crew topping up oil; this meant with just three controls to go, the engine gave up. Hugh Lionet in his Peugeot 204
Peugeot 204
The Peugeot 204 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1965 and 1976.The 204, known in development as Project D12, was available in many body styles including a sedan/saloon/berline, convertible/cabriolet, coupe, estate/wagon, and a van...
was excluded for fixing a mud flap at the parc fermé
Parc fermé
Parc fermé, literally meaning "closed park" in French, is a term used to describe a secure area at a Grand Prix circuit wherein the cars are driven back to the pits post-race. According to the FIA Formula One regulations, the area must be sufficiently large and secure so as to prevent unauthorised...
. Shekhar Mehta
Shekhar Mehta
Chandrashekhar "Shekhar" Mehta was a Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver. He won the Safari Rally a record five times , including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally Championship...
in his debut Safari driving in the same car also retired.
As seven of those finished, the nickname was given to the group again; amongst those, only Nowicki and Singh were awarded it twice. At that rate of those who finished, only 8% completed the rally, matching the 1963 record for the highest attrition rate of finishers..
| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Class | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nick Nowicki |
Paddy Cliff |
Peugeot 404 Peugeot 404 The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by... Injection |
C | 686 |
| 2. | Peter Huth |
Ian Grant |
Lotus Cortina Lotus Cortina The Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"... |
C | 708 |
| 3. | Kim Mandeville |
Stuart Allison |
Triumph 2000 Triumph 2000 The Triumph 2000 is a mid-sized, rear wheel drive automobile which was produced in Coventry by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. Larger-engined models, known as the Triumph 2.5 PI and Triumph 2500 were also produced.-Engine:... |
C | 752 |
| 4. | Mike Armstrong |
Derek Paveley |
Peugeot 404 Peugeot 404 The Peugeot 404 is a large family car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1960 to 1975, with the exception of the truck which was sold until 1988. It was also made under licence in various African countries until 1991 . It was also built in Argentina by Sevel.Designed by... Injection |
C | 774 |
| 5. | Joginder Singh Joginder Singh (rally driver) Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu was a successful endurance rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.-Career:The eldest of ten children... |
Richard Bensted-Smith |
Nissan Cedric | C | 904 |
| 6. | Robin Ullyate |
Michael Wood |
Ford Cortina Ford Cortina As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era... GT |
C | 904 |
| 7. |  Lucille Cardwell |
Geraldine Davies |
Nissan Cedric | C | 1158 |
Aftermath
Until 1972, no foreign drivers won the rally until Hannu MikkolaHannu Mikkola
Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :...
broke through the African stranglehold. With the exceptions of Shekhar Mehta
Shekhar Mehta
Chandrashekhar "Shekhar" Mehta was a Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver. He won the Safari Rally a record five times , including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally Championship...
and Joginder Singh who dominated the 1970s and early 1980s, no other Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
ns managed to win the rally, with the exception of Ian Duncan
Ian Duncan
Ian Duncan is one of Kenya's most successful rally drivers. He was Kenyan Rally Champion six times , and achieved outright victory in a World Rally Championship round when he won the 42nd Trustbank Safari Rally in 1994...
in 1994, until the rally lost its WRC status in 2003 due to lack of funding and organisation but became part of the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
organised African Rally Championship
African Rally Championship
The African Rally Championship is an international automobile rally championship organized by the FIA. The championship was first held in 1981 and won by Shekhar Mehta...
.
Following the 1968 rally, no other editions could match the record of attrition rate of finishers with the fewest being ten cars (17%) in 1990, amongst fifty-nine starters.
The 1968 rally was the last to be held 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...
due to political problems with the local government later in the year when they ruled that the rally was not permitted to enter into their territory.