Russell Brookes, 1945-2019

Opel’s Group B rally champion remembered

Russell Brookes, the two-times British Rally Champion known for his mastery of rear-drive cars against four-wheel-drive opposition, outspoken nature and crowd-pleasing rivalry with Jimmy Mcrae, has died aged 74.

Entering an expensive sport from humble origins, Brookes was one of the first professional motor sport drivers to benefit from the era of car sponsorship. His prowess at club level and in the Ford Escort Mexico Championship led to a sponsorship deal with Andrews Heat for Hire, resulting in one of the sport’s most iconic and enduring liveries.

After joining Ford’s works team in 1976, Brookes won the British Rally Championship on his second attempt in the works Escort RS1800. He entered the Group B era with Opel alongside Jimmy Mcrae, piloting the rear-drive Manta 400 alongside fourwheel drive opposition from the likes of Audi and Peugeot. The drivers’ abilities overcame technological disadvantages, and they infamously spurred each other on via colourful sparring in the motoring press. Mcrae would win the Championship in 1984, Brookes again in 1985.

After Group B’s cancellation, Brookes returned to Ford and remained competitive until his retirement in 1992.

Although his greatest achievements were on British soil, in an interview with Classic

Cars in 2013 Brookes admitted that his greatest regret was never contesting a full World Rally Championship season.