OK, so perhaps you need to be a bit of a geek to want to buy this, but don’t just tune out, read on a little. When I saw that Veloce Publishing were printing a study of the Celica GT Four as a rally car, I wondered who might want to buy it. For sure, I would, because GT Fours are one of my favourites and I love reading about the history of Toyota and motorsport, but who else?
Well actually, author Grahan Robson has done a very good job at providing not just an accurate, comprehensive guide to the various versions of GT Four rally cars, but also a very good insight into that period of TTE’s history and the early days of the Group A rally scene generally.
There are lots of great colour and black & white shots, some of the iconic ones you’ll have seen before, but many I’d not from the collections of people like Phil Short. It goes into detail about the road cars, the thinking behind Toyota head office when TTE had to choose the Celica as a base for the project and the restrictions of having to develop a world championship rally car from a road car that wasn’t the lightest or best suited to the task.
GT Four drivers are all profiled, including superstars like Sainz and Kankkunen, plus lesser known but equally capable such as David Llewellin and Kenneth Eriksson.
There’s also significant coverage of the famous disqualification of TTE after being caught cheating in 1995 and the impact it had at the team.
Even if you’re not into the Celica GT Four, it’s a good book. If you’re into 1990′s rallying, you should buy it. If you’re into 1990′s rallying and you have fond memories of GT Fours, Sainz and Kankkunen, it’s an absolute must have addition to your book case.
The softback cover and dimensions of the book are just right and Robson does a good job at making what could be a heavy going subject easy to read and understand. It’s available from Veloce Publishing and no doubt all good motoring book stores.