Documentary | 02 April 1986

Always one of the toughest events in the World Rally Championship, the 1986 Safari Rally lived up to character. A field of 76 set off from Nairobi, including defending champion Juha Kankkunen of Finland (Peugeot 205) and twice former Safari winner Bjorn Waldegaard of Sweden (Toyota Celica Turbo). As this video forcibly demonstrates, the terrain of the 2,600 mile event provided a severe challenge, taking crews first to the south-east of Kenya, including the night-drive through the Taita Hills. Marku Alen in the Lancia showed that his vivid style is not restricted to tarmac road events, while Lars-Eric Torph (Sweden) provided admirable back-up to Waldegaard. The punishing heat, strength-sapping sand and grass lanes and dunes tested the world championship aspirants to the limit, and it's here on this film waiting to be seen and re-seen.