I have great memories of Billy as I was General Manager of Dealer Opel Team Ireland when Billy drove the Manta 400 for us. The whole season was completed without any damage or mechanical failure and it really was a case of the fluids being changed and the car checked over between events. Billy, to me , was always the rally equivalent to Jim Clark, and quite unsurpassed in his ability. Apart from which he's a really nice guy.
What a feat that was in 1974. No Internet. No mobile phones. Getting as far as Britain was a victory in itself. After getting that far there was no in car cameras. No pace notes. And this man wins the British Rally championship against the great Roger Clark in his own back yard. A man who could beat the best in the world in Britain. To say he was the best that Ireland has ever produced is doing the man a disservice to be honest. In the 70s and early 80s he was World Class. Full stop.
Those of us of a certain age, even if we were not petrol heads at the time, can remember Billy winning. Let's face it, victories in an international setting, of any sort, were rare. Billy's victories gave us a sense of national pride and made many of feel, that maybe, we could achieve something ourselves.
I remember driving to England with Michael Delaney getting engine rebuilt days before Billy won the Lakes in Killarney in the borrowed G3 from his father Sean Delaney.
Stratos, escort, manta, 911, 6R4... Big fan of Billy Coleman and his awesome rally career...
I have great memories of Billy as I was General Manager of Dealer Opel Team Ireland when Billy drove the Manta 400 for us. The whole season was completed without any damage or mechanical failure and it really was a case of the fluids being changed and the car checked over between events. Billy, to me , was always the rally equivalent to Jim Clark, and quite unsurpassed in his ability. Apart from which he's a really nice guy.
Lucky bugger, the 400 is my fave car of all time bar none, nothing. Dream car!
What a feat that was in 1974. No Internet. No mobile phones. Getting as far as Britain was a victory in itself. After getting that far there was no in car cameras. No pace notes. And this man wins the British Rally championship against the great Roger Clark in his own back yard. A man who could beat the best in the world in Britain. To say he was the best that Ireland has ever produced is doing the man a disservice to be honest. In the 70s and early 80s he was World Class. Full stop.
Legend, and legendary cars. The Mantas make the hair on my neck stand. Stunning cars.
Those of us of a certain age, even if we were not petrol heads at the time, can remember Billy winning. Let's face it, victories in an international setting, of any sort, were rare. Billy's victories gave us a sense of national pride and made many of feel, that maybe, we could achieve something ourselves.
I remember driving to England with Michael Delaney getting engine rebuilt days before Billy won the Lakes in Killarney in the borrowed G3 from his father Sean Delaney.
All action and no talk 👌
Great film - it made me realise you've got to get an Opel Manta 400 into the collection next.
RIP Bob Champion ... 🙏
Nice one 🏁
What an awful loss, John Campion was!