My time with the BMC competitions department saw me racing the big Austin Healeys, and later racing at Le Mans in an MG. The Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S came along and they became world beaters in every racing and rallying competition category they entered. This was due to it being so small and compact and having a transverse engine over the front driving wheels, so it was perfectly balanced.
The concept of front-wheel drive led to a completely different driving style; it wasn’t so bad for the “Nancy boys” who raced them on nice smooth tarmac tracks. On the other hand, for those of us who drove on all types of terrain—especially downhill on loose or slippery surfaces—it was a far more dangerous proposition. I would describe rallying as being similar to powder skiing in a car! Even a Citroen 2CV downhill is faster than any Porsche; believe me.
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