Toyota Celica Twin-cam Turbo Ta64 Group B Rally Car

The Toyota Celica Twin-Cam Turbo was the product of one of the most exciting phases of rallying, when the World Rally Championship adopted its Group B regulations between 1983 and 1986. It proved a powerful contender and its dominance of the Safari and Ivory Coast Rallies earned it the nick-name “King of Africa”.

The rules required car manufacturers to produce and sell 200 units of a model in order for it to achieve homologation for the new formula. Working in conjunction with Toyota Team Europe,Toyota devised a plan to build 200 road cars, 20 ‘evolutionary’ versions for rallying and a powerful new engine.

Some rival manufacturers opted for four-wheel drive, but the Celica Twin-Cam turbo retained a rear-wheel drive powertrain. The 2.1-litre engine could produce up to 380bhp, making the TA64 one of the most powerful two-wheel drive rally cars ever built.

The car made its debut on the 1983 1,000 lakes Rally and was driven by Juha Kankkunen to a sixth place finish. On its next outing it was an outright winner, piloted by Björn Waldegård to victory on the 1984 the Ivory Coast Rally.

The car proved to be particularly strong and reliable, a testament to the high standard of preparation achieved byTTE. This made it ideal for the gruelling African events and between 1984 and 1986 it won a clean sweep of three Safari and threeIvory Coastrallies. Its dominance was only ended when the Group B format was dropped at the end of 1986 in favour of the lower powered Group A cars.

The experience gained in developing the TA64 proved perfect preparation forToyota’s next generation of four-wheel drive rally cars, which succeeded in deliveringToyotathree WRC manufacturers’ titles and four driver’s championship titles.

The car appearing in action at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed was built in 1985 and was driven by Björn Waldegård to victory on the 1986 Ivory Coast Rally.  After the rally the car was returned to Toyota Team Europe (TTE) inCologne, where it remained almost forgotten until 2000 when an invitation from Goodwood prompted the team to bring the car back to running order.

The car was then entered in the Daun historic rally inGermanyfrom 2002-04, again driven by Waldegård. Following a crash on the last event, the car was stripped and rebuilt in 20 months. The Celica is now used in historic rallies acrossEurope.

TOYOTA CELICA TWIN-CAM TURBO (TA64) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION