Anytime, Any Place - Montecarlo for Instance

In 1969, as Fiat looked forward to a new decade, there was a desire to reflect that milestone with a new, stylish coupe to appeal to younger customers.  Design was commissioned from Pininfarina, where Paolo Martin took charge of the job. Designated as project X1/8, initial 128 platform-based proposals featured a low, ‘sharp’ bonnet line and a variety of rear roof/boot profiles:

By mid-1970 a first prototype had been rendered, as below:

Followed at the beginning of the subsequent new year by this:

Further detail development resulted in the form as seen in July 1972, and renamed as X1/20:

As may be apparent from the illustrations above, there was difficulty in this design with resolving the rear of the car.  A harmonious whole-form profile was largely realised with the X1/20, but achieving a balance of aesthetic appeal with the practical issue of visibility for the driver continued to exercise the stylists, as evidenced by these studio sketches:

In the meantime, another interpretation of Fiat’s new model aspiration had been under development at rival carrozzeria, Bertone.  There, led by Marcello Gandini, the styling team came up with the form that reached production as the Fiat X1/9.  The process had begun with a front wheel drive layout, Fiat having decided that this was to be the format of choice for small cars of the future.  However, Gandini’s 1969 proposal was deemed unsuccessful, especially in regard to a high bonnet line, dictated by the front powertrain location.  Bertone, on its own initiative sought to resolve the problem by adopting a mid engine form template.  Fiat management was resistant to the idea, but Gianni Agnelli himself was completely taken with the concept on his first viewing of the render.  With the boss’s blessing, the car’s progression through to production was swift, and the X1/9 was launched in November 1972. 

With the X1/9 in place, Fiat’s reviews of Pininfarina’s X1/20 from 1973 were conducted on a challenging basis: was there any future for this car/should the project be terminated?  Significant investment had been made in this car and there was considerable appreciation of its more traditionally elegant lines as compared with the staccato angularity of the X1/9.  Once again, according to an anecdote, Agnelli intervened, directing that the car could and should wear the Lancia marque badge.  Finalisation of the design in Spring 1974 was then unimpeded and enabled unveiling as the Lancia Beta Scorpion/Montecarlo  at the Geneva show in March 1975.  Fiat targeted the U.S. as the primary export market and ‘Scorpion’ was the name chosen to market the car there in its spider form.  This was not, however, a conventional drophead – the car simply featured a Pininfarina-patented, large aperture, fabric sunroof, affording targa-style functionality.

As built for Europe, the Montecarlo retained the platform on which the prototypes had been developed rather than being engineered as a Beta variant in the technical sense.  It did, however, feature the Beta’s 118 bhp 2.0 twin cam 4 cylinder engine.  Most significantly for Pininfarina, Fiat sanctioned production of the car as a totality at the Carrozzeria’s factory in the Grugliasco district of Turin, as seen below:

Montecarlos began to appear in motorsport the following year, for instance with two Group 4 cars entered for the 1976 Giro d’Italia.  Both finished, but near the back of the field.  In Group 3 form, a car was driven the following season by Giorgio Airoldi and Aurelio Gorla, finishing 28^th, as seen below:

Co-opting Gianpaolo Dallara into the process, the Montecarlo body/chassis was drastically revised to create a Group 5-compliant endurance racing car.  This was much lighter (at around 770 kgs) than the production model, with fibreglass and aluminium panels substituted for the central cell, combined with spaceframe structures to carry the front end running gear and the rear-located components and aerodynamic appendages.  The overall effect, and performance potential was similar to that which Porsche developed with the 934/935 models.  In total, 11 pure racing examples of the Montecarlo were constructed. 

As to motive power, the standard ‘Lampredi’ 1995 cc engine lacked potential for output-uprating in normally aspirated form.  Lancia sought to compete in the up-to-2.0 class, for which turbocharged engines were permitted with an equivalency factor-calculated lower cubic capacity.  Abarth’s special expertise with high performance small engines was called in to collaborate, resulting in a 1425 cc version of the engine, boosted with a single KKK turbo.  On modest boost, this was capable of over 350 bhp and could be run, (but not for too long!), at 23 psi for 415-420 bhp.  The car was unveiled at Pininfarina in December 1978, but it was not until the following Spring that the turbocharged engine was ready for installation.  Race debut in the hands of Ricardo Patrese and Walter Röhrl was at the Six Hours event at Silverstone in May, as seen below, (Courtesy of Motorsport Images):

Though the car’s initial results were problematic, at its third outing – Pergusa – Riccardo Patrese and Walter Röhrl came in 2^nd, 1^st in the sub-2000 cc class.  Although the campaign had been flawed by missing the first three Championship rounds because of the delayed availability of the turbo engine, competition in the smaller capacity class was not especially strong, allowing the Montecarlo to take the 1979 class title after a further win at Brands Hatch.  The points tally was 50, with BMW second, on 38 points and Ford third with 30.  Porsche was supreme in the over 2000 cc class, victorious in all 9 rounds.  Such domination was however to be replicated by Lancia in the following season. 

The opening round of the 1980 World Championship for Makes season saw a maximum class points score courtesy of Jolly Club – its drivers, Carlo Facetti and Martino Finotto, finished 10th overall, but well ahead of several Porsche 935s/K3s, including, for example, the Brumos Porsche 935 of Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Bruce Leven.  Although the factory team – Lancia Corse – took over the front running for the rest of the season, Montecarlos finished 1-2-3 at four rounds, the Jolly Club entry filling the 3^rd place with a strong performance in each instance.  The Lancia Corse winning driver pairings were:

 

Race	Drivers
Brands Hatch Six Hours	Riccardo Patrese/Walter Röhrl
Mugello Six Hours	Riccardo Patrese/Eddie Cheever
Monza 1000 Kms	Riccardo Patrese/Walter Röhrl
Silverstone Six Hours	Walter Röhrl/Michele Alboreto
Nurburgring 1000 Kms	Riccardo Patrese/Hans Heyer
Watkins Glen Six Hours	Riccardo Patrese/Hans Heyer
Mosport Six Hours	Walter Röhrl/Hans Heyer
Vallelunga Six Hours	Riccardo Patrese/Eddie Cheever

Missing from that list is the Le Mans 24 Hours – this being the event in which Jolly Club once again flew the flag for the Lancia Marque – winning the class, whereas the two Lancia Corse entries both retired early with oil pump failures.  However, Lancia Corse did have the satisfaction of defeating Porsche for overall victory at the Mugello and Vallelunga rounds.  For these events the Lancia Corse cars were equipped with a slightly over-bored 1429 cc version of the engine, taking it just above the lower class capacity limit.  In the over-2000 cc class, the final top of the table read: 

Porsche         160 points
Lancia             40 points
Ferrari            12 points

For the sub-2000 cc class: 

Lancia           160 points
BMW               59 points
Porsche           15 points 

Thus, Lancia was once again the World Champion constructor.

Top row, left to right: Patrese at Brands Hatch (Courtesy of Riccardo Patrese Website); Patrese/Cheever at Mugello (Courtesy of Carlo Rovatti); Patrese/Heyer in the pits, Watkins Glen (Courtesy of Fred R Palmer); Rohl/Heyer at Mosport (Courtesy of Ron Kiebiski)  Bottom row, left to right: Rohl/Alboreto at Silverstone (Courtesy of R J Colmar); Patrese/Cheever at Vallelunga (Courtesy of Motorsport Images); Patrese/Heyer at Nurburgring (Courtesy of Lothar Spurzem)

Class win for Jolly Club by Martino Finotto/Carlo Facetti at Le Mans (Courtesy Motorsport Images)

 

In addition, Hans Heyer clinched the German DRM (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft ) Championship (sub-2000 cc class) for Lancia.  Despite having to miss one round following destruction of the car at Norisring, Heyer outpointed Hans-Joachim Stuck 156 to 145, with Klaus Ludwig not far behind with 143 points.

Hans Heyer, Lancia Montecarlo, 1^st DRM, Hockenheim, April 1980. (Courtesy Thomas Dirk Heere)

The car was prepared and run by GS Tuning, founded by Gerhard Schneider as an extension to his BMW dealership business.  Located in Freiberg, GS Tuning became a successful motorsport team, especially with the BMW 2002, during the 1970s.  Considerable turbocharging expertise was accrued, particularly with the 320 in 1978/9.  When Hans Heyer became involved with the team, he encouraged a collaboration with Lancia whereby GS effectively ran the DRM Group 5 Montecarlo on Lancia Corse’s behalf. 

Lancia interest in the Italian National Championship remained focused on the Stratos for much of the season.  However, at the Magione round in October, Carlo Facetti scored a win for a Montecarlo, ahead of a pair of Stratos and 935s.  He then managed 2^nd overall and 1^st in class at Vallelunga the following month. 

An engine development programme provided increased performance potential for the 1981 season.  425 bhp became readily available, increased to 440 bhp using twin turbochargers with the 1429 cc version.  Also introduced was a 1775 cc, twin turbocharged unit, putting out 490 bhp. 

For Round 1 of the Championship – now named the World Endurance Championship of Makes - the 24 Hrs of Daytona, Lancia Corse in the name Martini Lancia Racing, entered two cars, in a new livery of the drinks-maker, with three-driver teams of, Riccardo Patrese/Hans Heyer/Henri Pescarolo, and Michele Alboreto/Beppe Gabbiano/Piercarlo Ghinzani.  A third Montecarlo was once again present, entered by Jolly Club and driven by Carlo Facetti/Martino Finotto/Emanuele Pirro.

Montecarlo of Patrese/Heyer/Pescarolo at Dayton, February 1981. (Courtesy Mike Heselton)

5^th overall and 1^st in class for Jolly Club’s Facetti/Finotto/Pirro. (Courtesy Fred Lewis)

The Jolly Club car finished an excellent 5^th overall, 1^st in class, whereas both Martini cars suffered engine troubles, resulting in a lowly placing and a retirement. 

At the Mugello round, Martini ran a single car, for Patrese/Ghinzani, but this was disqualified as a result of a gearbox failure.  Still in Italy, the next round, at Monza, saw four Montecarlos competing.  The lead Martini car, driven by Patrese and Cheever, was an early retirement, attributed to engine trouble.  The second car, now crewed by Ghinzani and Andrea de Cesaris, also suffered a failure (fuel pump), but having run 129 laps and held the lead, it was classified 13^th, 2^nd in class.  Better than that was the outcome for the private entry, 1979-built car of Germano Nataloni/Gianfranco Ricci, 7^th overall and class winner.  Jolly Club’s entry for Giorgio Pianta/Beppe Gabbiano/Giorgio Schön retired with transmission trouble just short of half distance.

Nataloni/Ricci winning sub-2000 cc class at Monza (Courtesy Girardo)

Next up was Silverstone and disappointment was the theme for the Martini cars.  Ghinzani/de Cesaris were out very early with an accident and Patrese/Cheever followed suit in the latter stages.  As at Daytona, a third car came to the rescue, this time run by Lubrifilk Racing/Jolly Club, driven by Giorgio Pianta/Beppe Gabbiano/Giorgio Schön, finishing 7^th and 1^st in class. 

Schön enjoyed considerable success as a ‘Gentleman Driver,’ and retains a particular affection for the Lancia racing cars he drove in the original era.  His collection of the cars and recollections of the racing are featured in this Classic Driver post.  It includes Giorgio’s comments: 

The Beta Montecarlo was fast, light and easy to drive, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant because the power only arrived in the final 1,000 revs. . . . It was also tough racing in the same team as six Formula 1 drivers (we were all good friends and treated the same, the only difference was in our lap times!) and under the direction of the stern team principal, Cesare Fiorio. But I’m proud that we brought home points in the Silverstone Six Hours and contributed towards Lancia’s title win that year.

 

His collection includes one of the 1981 campaign Montecarlos, seen third from the left below:

Courtesy Classic Driver

The 1000 kms at Nurburgring was marred by the tragic death of Herbert Muller.  De Cesaris/Henri Pescarolo did however win the sub-2000 cc class, whilst Ghinzani/Heyer were 4^th overall, 2^nd in the 2000 cc+ class.

There were three Martini and one Jolly Club Montecarlos at Le Mans for the 24 Hours.  The Martini car of Cheever/Alboreto/Facetti ran well to 8^th overall, winning the sub-2000 cc class, whilst the Jolly Club entry of Pianta/ Schön/Finotto, though 30 laps in arrears, managed 14^th,2^nd in class.  So, a successful Le Mans for the second year running, despite retirements for Patrese/Heyer/Ghinzani (engine) and Pirro/Gabbiano (accident).

Alboreto winning the sub-2000 cc class at Le Mans

Championship points were awarded in 1981 for just 6 rounds, the last being at Watkins Glen.  Lancia was represented at this event by just three cars, all in the Martini livery.  Patrese/Alboreto took overall and class victory, two laps clear of the similar car of de Cesaris/Pescarolo in second place.  Thus, the Martini team finished in style, being designated World Champions once again.  Though Porsche had accumulated the same points score – 100 – Lancia took the title on the basis of six class wins to Porsche’s five.

The Martini Racing Montecarlos at Watkins Glen

The 1981 Le Mans-winning Montecarlo was sold by Bonhams in 2007 for €225,000 - see www.bonhams.com/auctions/15487/lot/169/ 

Hans Heyer once again contested the DRM Group 5 series.  The Ford Capris and Porsche 935s were especially strong in 1981, and though the Championship was close-fought, Heyer was unable to take the title for a second successive season, finishing 4^th in the final points table.  He had scored two victories, five second places and four 3rds, so he had demonstrated that the Montecarlo remained a fully competitive car in Group 5 racing.

 

The Martini Racing success at the Glen was especially fitting, as Lancia’s fortunes were set for radical change in 1982.  The Championship would be notably different, with the technical regulations, which had been so successfully exploited with the Montecarlo Group 5 cars, being revised to accommodate Group C and Group B machines.  Group C was a development of the previous Group 6 Prototype format, but allowing fairly free rein in regard to engine capacity, performance being mainly governed by a 800 kgs minimum weight and a maximum fuel tanks capacity of 100 litres.  Group B encompassed GTs and was secondary in terms of the Championship and generally perceived status.

Lancia responded with a brand new Group 6-compliant spider, the LC1.  This was a ground-up racing car – no production car basis – featuring a Dallara chassis.  However the design and initial manufacturing process was undertaken before it became clear that the manufacturers’ Championship would be decided exclusively on the results achieved by Group C runners.  The LC1 was thus a compromised project from the start and it would be replaced within two years by the Group C LC2.  However, a strength of the LC1 in the interim was the engine, since it was the Montecarlo-proven 1425 cc turbocharged 4 cylinder.  With reliability developed over three seasons of running, this engine was highly instrumental in helping the LC1 record wins at Silverstone, Nurburgring, and Mugello.  Riccardo Patrese was beaten to the Driver’s Championship by only 8 points, finishing second to Jack Ickx, who had had the Porsche 956 at his disposal.

The Montecarlo lived on in 1982’s top line Group 5 racing, with two of the Martini Racing cars passing onto the ownership of Scuderia Sivama di Galliate.  Run by Vesuvio Racing, the drivers mainly involved were Joe Castellano, Gianni Giudici, Guido Dacco, Aldo Bertuzzi and Mark Thatcher.  The team achieved two 2^nd in class finishes, but no significant points placings in the final driver’s table.  At Le Mans, however, Castellano, Max Cohen-Olivar and Jean-Marie Lemerle in a Montecarlo entered by Lemerle finished 12^th overall and 2^nd in class.

Top row, left: Lemarle-entered #66 at Le Mans, ©Bob Harmeyer; right: Vesuvio #49 of Giudici/Thatcher at Silverstone, ©Anthony Fosh. Lower row, left: Vesuvio #82 of Giudici/Dacco/Thatcher at Monza. Courtesy Girardo; right: Vesuvio #38 of Castellano/Bertuzzi alongside Teo Fabi in the LC1 at Brands Hatch, ©Martin Lee.

The three seasons of Montecarlo participation firmly established the Lancia marque’s place in the World Championship and predisposition to continue on an ongoing basis.  The LC2 took over for 1983, specified to be fully competitive in Group C and now powered by the Ferrari 268 turbocharged V8 engine.  This was however a season in which Porsche was dominant, the 956 being class of the field.  The top four places in the Drivers’ Championship were filled by the Rothmans Porsche team members, Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Jochen Mass and Stefan Bellof.  Highest placing for a driver with points earnt driving a Lancia was 18^th for Riccardo Patrese.

The Porsche supremacy continued in 1984, though Martini Racing’s pairing of Alessandro Nanini and Patrese won the Kyalami round for Lancia.  Paolo Barilla was the highest ranked driver from the team, placed 14^th in the driver’s table.  A victory at Spa was the high point for Martini/Lancia the following season, but the team’s tally in the final Championship table of 58 points looked meagre compared with Porsche’s winning 107.  Martini’s involvement then diminished and was concluded in 1986.  By that time, Lancia’s focus was firmly established on rally competition.  The 037, with its echoes of the Montecarlo had already seen success and its replacement, the Delta S4, only narrowly lost the 1986 World Championship to Peugeot.  Subsequently, the Delta HF4WD and Integrale models achieved results which bolstered the claims of Lancia supporters that the Marque had produced the finest rally cars in history. 

In 1978, after three years in production and 5,638 cars built, the line was stopped and focus was directed to refining improvement developments already under study.  Reception of the car’s functionalities and driving behaviour had been disappointing.  Flexibility of the engine was not well-rated and braking was judged problematic.  ‘Feel’ at the pedal was considered flawed, tending to make it difficult for the driver to apply the brakes progressively.  With an ‘all or nothing’ characteristic, the braking system seemed to be very prone to front axle locking.  At that time Mercedes Benz was just beginning to introduce Bosch ABS on its passenger cars.  The system, which subsequently became ubiquitous, was not an answer for Lancia just then, so a very simple solution was adopted – the servo was deleted.  Whatever the effect this measure might have for driver convenience, Lancia sought to ensure that retardation capability would be assured by uprating the discs and calipers.  This prompted the need for bigger wheels to accommodate the larger diameter discs. 

The engine was reworked to improve the torque characteristics and therefore enhance drivability.  This, together with the modified brakes and some cosmetic tweaks, most notably replacing the solid C pillar extensions with glazed ‘buttresses,’ and deletion of the central Lancia shield in the front grille, resulted in a model different enough to be designated, ‘Second Series,’ and no longer badged as a Beta variant.  Cars to this specification began to be delivered in 1980.  However, the market response was relatively subdued, sales failing to boom.  Consequently, the model was dropped the following year, with less than 2,000 cars built, (1,123 coupes and 817 spiders).  Though the Delta, in its various, progressively developed forms, was a considerable success for the Marque, Lancia has not since offered an overtly sporting car with elegant styling since the Montecarlo, and it is today a ‘classic’ much appreciated for its rarity, performance and good looks, as seen in the photograph of a Series 2, below:

The Elixir Drinking Honda

Here's my list of three of the best things to have come to us courtesy of the Japanese automotive manufacturing industry: Honda Formula One and Indycar engines, the Mazda paint colour, Soul Red, and the Honda CRX. 

In the late 90s, when my wife’s Scirocco suffered an existential crisis, she showed me an ad for a model of car I’d not previously much noticed.  As we looked around it, I found myself thinking it was quite a neat little car with understated styling, and, though it was around ten years old, it was in rather nice condition.  All quite cosy and unremarkable, until . . . we got in it and went for a test drive.  I immediately felt at one with it, very much in the same way I’d liked so much about a couple of Alfasud Sprint Veloces I’d run a decade and an half previously.  They were cars that seemed to fit just like a glove, giving a feeling of a seamless connection with the steering wheel and pedals and making the driving of them an especially pleasurable physical experience.  But the CRX felt even better - quicker, with an apparently rock solid chassis, and considerably more power.  You’ll not be surprised to learn that it came back home with us that same afternoon. 

The relationship between mother and son is often said to be especially loving and empathetic; cue a big question mark in this instance – my eldest boy had engineered a swop within a couple of weeks whereby my sweet natured missus had become the usual driver of his Nova ‘Swing,’ whilst he was now out and about, terrorising the locals, as he hustled the CRX around the neighbourhood streets. 

I should have disapproved, but I was rather more inclined to envy him.  Especially for the combination of excellent handling and generous grunt he now had at his disposal.  To my mind this little Japanese skunk works product was everything the Alfa Sprint should have evolved into.  Apart from having appropriate performance capability – notably, a 29% bhp advantage – the CRX remained a ‘cleanly’ styled car while the Alfa, undergoing facelifts, became more cluttered with bits of plastic cladding, a spoiler and trim complications, such that Giugiaro’s original vision had become disfigured.  Ironically, it has been said that the CRX’s overall form was based on the Alfa Junior Z, a car owned by one of the Honda design team.

Left: In its original guise as the Alfasud Sprint.  Right: By the late Eighties, as the less ‘pure’ Alfa Sprint 1.7 Green Cloverleaf

The Sprint has often been cited as one of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s best middle-period designs.  It was launched in 1976, featuring the Alfasud’s chassis, engine options, (initially 1.2, then 1.35/1.5, and, eventually 1.7), and mechanicals.  Later in the production run the more mundane 33 platform was adopted, and the last cars were a little less felicitous to drive with fuel injection on the 1.7 engine replacing the Weber or Dellorto carburettors which had conferred excellent throttle response - a key Sprint characteristic.  As with the 105 bhp final iteration of the Alfasud 1.5 Ti, misplaced customer complaints about ‘torque steer’ also undermined the Sprint’s perceived reputation as a good enthusiast-driver’s car.

Below are three of Giugiaro’s early design studies for the Sprint.  Left: A render of the original 1:1 model in plaster made in 1970.  This has echoes of the Alfetta GT design, especially the rear, which Giugiaro had completed in 1969.  Centre: An interim, evolutionary development, notably without front window quarterlight.  Right:  A render of the metal prototype, (1971).  The further changes leading to the production version were largely dictated by findings from wind tunnel testing in Stuttgart.

The CRX began life as a new variant of the Honda Civic model, (3^rd series) family in 1983.  This version is distinctive in being slightly awkwardly balanced, as the front and cabin lines flow sweetly whilst the rear end appears boxy and clumsy.  Four years later, a 2^nd series CRX was introduced – this being the definitive version, as bought for my wife.  It is easily distinguished from the earlier model by its revised B post angle, C pillar which facilitates a nicely radiused lower corner to the rear side window and a taller, more abruptly truncated, tail.  The series 1 and 2 cars are shown below, left and right, respectively:

Left: Early CRX with its slightly angular tendencies. Right 2^nd series CRX with tall tail and spoiler prominent

In 1992, the 2^nd series CRX was replaced by a targa roof model, CRX del Sol.  Although equipped with the ESI and VTECH engines, this model lacked the character of the earlier versions and has attracted the soubriquet, a hairdresser’s car!  It, and the CRX model name, was discontinued in 1998.  Shown below are some studies for the CRX in its original form and in development towards the series 2 version:

By Q3 2022, there were just 103 Sprints and 98 CRXs still registered/running in the UK.  With the interest currently evident in Historic Racing, and Alfa Romeo’s profile in Motorsport, a Sprint is much more likely to be encountered at racing circuits.  However, this CRX, raced in the Kent Oval Outlaws series, (Lydden Rods class), at Lydden Hill, driven by Michael Burke, certainly looks very striking in its bashful shade of green:

Admittedly, this is a glimpse of motorsport at a modest level, whereas when the Alfasud Sprint was still in production it had featured in Division 1 of the European Touring Car Championship, and for a while it was highly competitive – see here. 

Both cars were readily suitable for racing applications thanks to their notably sophisticated engine architectures.  The Sprint’s Alfasud flat 4 engine was imbued with considerable capacity enlargement protentional and was inherently track-friendly with its configuration enabling a car to have the handling benefits of a low centre of gravity.  The original 1186 cc version was notably oversquare and thus very ready to rev, producing peak power of 63 bhp at 6,000 rpm, and plenty of torque (65 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm).  Eventually, (1990), in 1712 cc/16 valve form, the unit was generating 132 bhp at 6,500 rpm.  So, in the interim, tuners and race teams had no difficulty with achieving relevant class-competitive performance, especially with induction-related modifications and upgrades.  With the 1351 cc capacity, for instance, 125 bhp was easily attainable.  A particularly celebrated racing Sprint is the Team Bigazzi lightweight example, featuring many Autodelta modified parts, seen below:

When offered for sale in November 2022 by Bonhams, catalogue notes referred to the car’s race history as being a championship winner in 1982 and 83.  In the photograph, the car wears the 1983 livery as run in the Trofeo Sprint Europa and driven by Luigi Calamai to the title honours.

Although there was some emphasis in Honda’s marketing on the CRX’s virtues in terms of fuel efficiency, the range-topping VTECH versions were also noted for their high performance attributes.  Deploying multiple camshaft profiles, the system is able to enhance fuel economy when the engine is under light load, but also optimise the charge volume for increased power at higher rpm.  The peak power rating thus enabled made the CRX a natural basis for racing developments.  (Alfa Romeo had been a little ahead of Honda in putting variable valve timing into production – on the 4 cylinder in line Nord (Arese factory) engines, though this technology was absent on the Sud factory flat fours).  So, while the Sprint’s image was well promoted by the Trofeo series, both at National and International level, the CRX featured in its own one-make/model championship in England – an example race, at Snetterton in 1989, is seen in this video.
 
The CRX Challenge had been the subject of a Motor Sport magazine article in August 1988.  This noted that the series had been devised by Honda UK as an initiative seeking to attract interest in the Marque from a younger demographic, the average age of a Honda owner then being 57.  Honda prepared and sold the cars direct to would be competitors at a subsidised price just short of £10,000.  All the cars used the 1.6 16 valve engine, with 130 bhp on tap.  The series winner was Patrick Watts, (a feat he repeated in the 1990 season).  Below is an example Honda CRX Challenge car from the 1989 series:

More about this car – which was driven in-period by Steve Waudby – can be seen here.

The success of the Challenge here in the UK led to similar series being set up elsewhere in Europe and in the U.S.

 

Two characterful cars with true sporting spirit.  Since the cessation of their production – the Sprint in 1989, the CRX (series 2) in 1991 – there has been nothing new quite like them.  For instance, the revival of the Scirocco name by VW in 2008 did not introduce a model with the combination of compact coupe form with good engine performance, relative light weight and excellent handling which characterised the Sprint and the CRX.  They remain emblematic of a very different era, prior to the current global warming-aware manufacturing milieu.