MALCOLM WILSON SAYS:

While we were interviewing the M-Sport man about his own car (the Group A Escort Cosworth he used in the Swedish Rally in 1993 – full feature coming soon…) we asked Malcolm Wilson, McRae’s team manager in his Ford years, what he thought of the great man.

“Colin was Colin,” he says with a smile. “There was no one better. He was the fastest driver and, from an engineering point of view, he knew exactly what he wanted from the car. And if ever there was a mechanical problem, he was probably as good as any mechanic.

“Of course, from a team manager point of view, he was also a bit of a rebel and was mischievous. But that is part of his legend.”