Eventually, the best cars are always outlawed.
General MacArthur famously cited an old Army song when he quipped, 'old soldiers never die, they just fade away.' Racing fans know that good race cars never die, they just get regulated out of existence.
Over the years, many legendary rally cars have been relegated to the scrap heap through model updates, financial upheaval, and ambitious regulatory control in the name of safety and competition. Pulled from the annals of rally royalty, here are 10 of the best rally cars of all time, the kings of the road before time and circumstance sent them to that gnarly gravel road in the sky.
10 Nissan 240 RS
The Nissan 240 RS was by no means a very successful rally car, but in the capable hands of the legendary Colin McRae it enjoyed at least one victory. Nissan's mild-mannered, naturally-aspirated 240 hp answer to the muscle-bound Group B cars of the '80s was underpowered to say the least, but McRae managed to pilot the car to his first overall victory in 1987 at the age of 19, with his future wife Allison at his side as co-driver.
9 Ferrari 308 GTB Gr4
When you think mud-slinging, ditch-hooking, gravel-packed action the name Ferrari is not the first to come to mind. Nevertheless, it makes the list simply for the fact that Ferrari and specialist manufacturer Michelotto were willing to get a little mud on the tires of one of these mid-engined Italian beauties. After several successful seasons in the French and Italian rally championships, the Ferrari made international headlines when Jean-Claude Andruet piloted the car to a second-place podium at the WRC-sanctioned Tour de Corse in 1982.
8 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
The Cosworth Escort was no slouch, over the course of 5 years managing 10 outright WRC victories before its retirement in 1997. The most long-lasting legacy of the car is probably the road-legal versions that were spawned as a result of homologation rules, allowing the great unwashed masses to hoon around in their very own street-legal rally car. A favorite platform among classic enthusiasts, Escorts are found in many historic rallies today and are occasionally being burned alive by the likes of Ken Block.
7 Citroen C4 WRC
The French-made Citroen C4 WRC was a dominant force in the latter part of the 2000s. Introduced for the 2007 WRC season, the deadly combination of Citroen and Sebastien Loeb came together to wreak havoc on all comers. Loeb won 8 out of 15 events that year in the C4 netting a driver's championship, and then went on to repeat the feat for the next three years running, giving Citroen the manufacturer's title each season. Included in the C4's 36-win history is every single tarmac event for four straight years, 13 in total.
6 Toyota Celica GT-Four
The Toyota Celica GT-Four WRC was a breakthrough car in more ways than one. Toyota was the first really successful Japanese automaker in a sport dominated by Europeans, and the Celica was the company's ticket to 30 wins across its six-year tenure in the WRC. The GT-Four resides in infamy, though, for its famed restrictor cheat of 1995. The Toyota team devised a turbo restrictor that appeared within spec when removed from the engine, but once installed would distort imperceptibly to allow extra air to bypass the restriction for up to 25% power gains.
5 VW Polo WRC
The Volkswagen Polo was one of the most successful WRC cars of all time, in four years accumulating 43 wins, 37 podiums, and securing the driver's and manufacturer's championships every season. Sebastien Ogier demonstrated complete dominance in the four years he drove the Polo, and Volkswagen showed superior restraint in their introduction of the car, developing for over two full years without a WRC program before finally entering the car in competition; a move that paid off well as the Polo proved worth the wait, winning the second race of its inaugural season and never looking back.
4 Ford Focus RS WRC
One of the longest-tenured models on the WRC circuit, the Ford Focus RS WRC was in use for 11 years, from 1999 through the 2010 season. Even though the car would undergo several revisions and design changes over that timeframe such as lightening the shell and aero designs, the basic package would remain the same. In the hands of legendary drivers like Colin McRae, Marcus Gronholm, and Mikko Hirvonen the Focus would collect a total of 44 wins over a span of 173 WRC events.
3 Subaru Impreza WRC
Holding a close tie for the most wins by model and manufacturer in the WRC, no brand is more synonymous with rally than Subaru. The incredible following that the small Japanese automaker has forged over the years is undeniable. The punchy Impreza proved its mettle early on in the WRC, earning its first win in 1994 at the hands of Carlos Sainz. The perennial crowd favorite would go on to collect 46 wins over its illustrious 14-year career, along with three manufacturer's titles from 1995-1997.
2 Lancia Delta Group A
The most successful rally car of all time, the Lancia Delta Group A was a phenom that couldn't be beat. Birthed as a byproduct of the defunct Group B rally era, the Delta was untouchable in its six-year reign in the WRC, taking home manufacturer's titles all six years, and driver's championships four times. With a total win count of 46, only the Subaru Impreza would come close to the success of the Delta, but it would take many more years to accomplish it.
1 Audi Quattro
No car changed the face of rally more than the Audi Quattro. The German automaker was the pioneer of all-wheel drive systems in the WRC, and as the kinks were being worked out the fabled Group B era was dawning, combining to create the most legendary monster in rally history. With an inline 5-cylinder rumored to output north of 450 horsepower and revolutionary all-wheel drive, the Quattro tallied 10 WRC victories and set records at Pikes Peak as it raced to three first-place finishes there. The unfortunate end of Group B rallying heralded the demise of the Quattro's reign but it would live on forever in the hearts of rally fans everywhere.
Rally cars are a special breed. Not the single-focus machines of F1 or NASCAR, rally cars are made to handle anything. Turbocharged, all-wheel drive beasts that brave mud, snow, rain, and tarmac, they are the most versatile and entertaining race cars on the planet, and these are the best of the best.