They're off! 72 truck: ladle the Sahara
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THE ElGIFIl I Paris-Dakar Rally — the event which gained brief notoriety a few years ago when the British Prime Minister's son went missing in mid-Sahara — started in sub-zero temperatures on New Year's Day.
Seventy-two trucks and 282 cars (sonic: of them fourwheel-drive vehicles with all the characteristics of commercial vehicles) set off on the 15,000km 211-stage route which crosses six African territories after leaving France.
"l 'hose which survive the journey are expected in Dakar on January 22.
This year British teams include a I .and-Rover Oneleo sponsored by Unipart, a private entry Mitsubishi Shogun and another Mitsubishi driven by Andrew Cowan and Johnstone Syer which was best-placed British entry as we closed fOr press (Tuesday).
Daf Trucks' main 1986 entry — the Turbo Twin — is a twin-engined development of its standard truck, but with the engines located in the centre of the chassis. As CAI went to press it was leading in the truck class and 1:ith overall, having completed the fifth stage in Algeria.
Pegaso celebrated Spain's entry to the EEC by entering two 7222 military-specification four-wheel-drive trucks.
In last year's rally, only 12 of the 38 trucks which took part completed the route. Above: Principal British entri the Unipart-sponsored La Rover driven by Philip Yo and Chris Bruce.
Left: Among the more colon support vehicles is this 14 used by the Yashica motorc team from Italy.
Below left: One of Pega 7222 trucks. The Spanish Ai uses similar vehicles for tr transport.
Below: The British-entered subishi Shogun is driven by R sell Gooding and Ch Atkinson.
!love: The Anis 'louring Club
s • entered this vintnE4re desi,qn meriran nodge in the same dy class as the Land-Rover.
rghi: Dors Turbo Twin, drin by rally vetevart Jan de any, is powered by two 1L6re engines which ioReiker delop 74011' (/,000hp).
dour: For sheer eccentricity, it hard to beat Pierre David's itroen 2C1/ amonq dos year's rtries.