Rebel with a cause
Group B remains firmly at the forefront of the collective memory as the most spectacular era in rallying, even though today’s WRC cars run rings around the explosive 1980s monsters. When an opportunity presented itself to drive one of only 200 homologation specials that brought Peugeot consecutive manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles, we could not pass it up.
Peugeot Talbot Sport barely existed when Jean Todt arrived in late 1981. PSA – Peugeot Société Anonyme, the parent automotive group controlling Peugeot and Citroën – had taken over Chrysler Europe in 1978, including Talbot and the motorsport hub in Coventry (UK) run by Des O’Dell’s. These facilities were responsible for the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, in which Todt had just finished runner-up in the 1981 World Rally Championship (WRC), navigating for Guy Fréquelin. This gave him a first-hand understanding of what was needed to claim a WRC title.
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