In RACER's Heroes V Issue: Shooting Star

Henri Toivonen was fast. But until he joined Lancia's World Rally Championship roster, he'd lacked winning machinery. Tragically, his brief chance to shine ended in Corsica in 1986.

By today's standards of big-time World Rally Championship domination, three wins from 40 starts barely moves the needle. But within that statistical blip is the tale of 39 epic adventures. And one tragedy.

Collectively, they're Henri's story.

Henri is Toivonen, and Toivonen is Finland's rallying dynasty. Father Pauli was a Monte Carlo Rally-winning European champion; brother Harri a stage star in his own right. But Henri's light shone the brightest; Pauli's eldest son was the one touched by true genius.

Thirty years ago, that light was extinguished in an inexplicable crash on one of Corsica's few nothing corners. Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto were taken along with their Lancia Delta S4 in a terrifying inferno.

The accident also claimed Group B. Rallying's most spectacular category would be canned at the end of 1986.

The furor following that ultra-reactive decision somewhat overshadowed the loss of a man at the height of his powers. That Henri Toivonen would have been a World Rally Champion is beyond question.

The opinion of Toivonen's peers remains unchanged three decades down the line. Ask Markku Alén, Hannu Mikkola, Timo Salonen, any member of Finnish rallying royalty, who was the man back in the day? The answer's the same: Henri. Always Henri.

Virtually his entire career, Toivonen was the underdog; pitting a Group 2 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus against the grunting might of full-bore Group 4 Ford Escorts, or teasing traction out of an Opel Manta 400 or Lancia Rally 037 in the face of a game-changing, all-wheel-drive Audi Quattro.

From the moment Audi introduced the Quattro, the writing was on the wall for anything with less than four driveshafts. It took the rest of the world so long to catch up with the Germans, seats aboard the WRC's AWD express trains were severely limited in 1982 and '83. And Toivonen hadn't done enough to warrant one.

That's not to say his early career wasn't impressive. Eased into Simcas and Avengers, courtesy of his father's position at Chrysler Finland, Toivonen made full use of that early leg up; every other break came on merit.

Fifth overall on the 1977 1,000 Lakes, in only his second full season in the sport, was astonishing. His speed and bravery were beyond question; his ability to finish less so. That '77 success was the last time he would reach the finish of his home round of the WRC for seven years. A 131 Abarth, Sunbeam Lotus, Opel Ascona and Manta 400 were all comprehensively remodeled in Toivonen's efforts to make it through the Jyvaskyla woods quicker than anybody.

By the 1980 RAC, Toivonen had learned the art of being fastest at the finish, too. He became the WRC's youngest ever winner, aged 24.

While his 1,000 Lakes record might not have delivered many finishes, it did offer annual confirmation of his ever-increasing speed. Having switched to a factory Opel Ascona 400, Toivonen rubbed his hands in glee as damp weather moved in to central Finland in '82. He was ready to take the fight to Audi...

Read the complete version of this story in The Heroes V Issue of RACER magazine, on sale now.

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