Just as people will invariably gamble over the outcome of any event, so too will competitive types race damn-near anything. There have been bar stool races, beer cooler races, ostrich races, you name it.
When it comes to cars too, people will race pretty much anything with wheels and so much as a downward incline and a hint of a tail wind. That said, not every car ever made could be considered a contender just by meeting the most basic requirements. As example, you probably wouldn’t want to race in any way a 1976 Chevy Caprice hardtop with its grotesque weight and 145-bhp base V8, although you might want to have one around to sleep in between races.
That being said, there have been a number of cars over the decades that have had surprising careers on the track. Maybe not ultimate success there, but they generated enough enthusiasm that people gave them the old college try. What we’re looking for today is a compendium of cars that it is surprising to discover have just such a racing pedigree. What do you think are the most incongruous cars to ever go racing?
Image: AUTO iDNES
Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Surprising Car To Have a Racing Pedigree?
By Robert Emslie
Feb 13, 2017
Jeff Glucker
Crosley Hot Shot took the prize at the Lemans IOE equivalent.
http://classic-cars-talks.blogspot.com/2012/08/crosley-at-le-mans-1951.html?m=1
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfe4HG2Ycgs/UDLJgQBJyMI/AAAAAAAAA0o/lQ-j9HqZv8I/s1600/torpedo.JPG
I like how all these years later they are being used in 24 hours of LeMons.
AMC Gremlin Factory Pro Stock
http://competitionplus.com/sites/default/files/images/stories/november2007/amc/amc_04.jpg
Volvo pv-544 victor in the Safari Rally 1965
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/videos/161241/volvo-pv-544-in-the-east-african-safari-rally-1965
Saab 96 multiple rally winner.
http://petrolicious.com/respect-the-saab
AMG 300 SEL 6.8 Red Pig- winner 24 hours of Spa
I’d say pretty much all of AMC – Here’s the great Bobby Allison and his Matador that actually managed to take the checkered flag a handful of times
http://i878.photobucket.com/albums/ab347/cutter-photo/matador2_zpsbe9197f3.jpg
For a company that once claimed the only race they cared about is the human race, they sure have been involved in a lot of motorsport.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/737ded4274ccf9d4f4565b0039d523d91b8a44a2c5cd5321b5bad0592ca2a38c.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b9fbee06d849dc96e8d6161c16a4043ef7082a476940a879d1497370b6748a93.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9ee60b165754e5176f58fed15069fc45165b009ab8f68f96af85e8e19f03b245.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7d060cf3e9340675c903bb5b95afb4eee131899670a82e29dfd0253aad15e154.jpg
Jeep Comanche Road Racing.
http://image.fourwheeler.com/f/43829144+w660+h440+q80+re0+cr1+ar0/154_1305_08%2Bbench_racin_what_kind_of_jeep_do_you_want%2Bjeep_race_truck
http://www.rallye-magazin.de/uploads/pics/hyundai-accent-wrc-ericsson.jpg
If just because I owned a couple of these Accents and absolutely hated them, and wish some of the rally pedigree could’ve made its way to the production model.
I’ve actually seen one of these run in the States! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7b12514146352234c17154af9e42cc90c80d26e7bcf7244ea9ee5c65091ef2b5.jpg Dunno if they ever managed to sell it on again http://rhys-millen-racing.myshopify.com/pages/cars-for-sale
the tail fin inventor (or at least the one that made it popular)
http://momentcar.com/images/cadillac-series-61-8.jpg
And the aero modified version:
http://cdn-4.motorsport.com/static/img/mgl/100000/100000/100000/100900/100964/s8/vintage-goodwood-festival-of-speed-2003-1950-cadillac-series-61-le-monstre.jpg
Numbers are hard.
The French called it ‘Il monstre’ for some reason.
And it has negative fins for the downforce.
Nash Healey https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d1f95cc9d825a8f939ecf876770c683d534085b95b05883149f308d2ec20efc.png
Why is racing a sports car so weird?
Always thought of them more as personal luxury cars rather than actual sport cars. Did they race any Nash’s? Let us Google.
Oh crap…
http://www.cckhistoric.com/tag/nash-metropolitan-race-car/
That’s at the Pittsburgh Vintage GP, isn’t it?
http://www.kakashiracing.com/images/34saturn/34NHMSVictory.JPG
That people could not only race Saturns, but win with them, should be a shock to most people.
Whelp, that plastic body is good for something — weight savings!
One of the best recent Jalopnik pieces tells a great hypothetical Saturn story:
https://jalopnik.com/speed-sex-and-a-nine-second-saturn-a-story-of-a-speed-1792062084
Oldsmobile Acheiva SRX
http://www.comicozzie.com/gallery2/d/115721-3/90FH-03.jpg
A Jaguar XK-120 won a NASCAR Grand National Race in 1954, Nascar’s first road race.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/084_54-16.jpg
And there was this
http://media.cms.windingroad.com/autos_db/uploads/image/citroen-id-19-nascar-1.jpg
Having owned this one (the Dodge-branded one, but who’s counting?), and loved bombing it down dirt roads impersonating Bo and Luke, I was surprised to discover it was road raced for a brief time.
http://www.davewolin.com/images/truck4.jpg
Pickup racing is back, in NZ. The V8 ute racing series in Australia will be replaced by mid-size pickups this year or next too. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c159fd16553124529dd9700d00f18c81a769051108e9fcbd6afecab917519e1.jpg
A Barracuda at LeMans!
http://roa.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/14/47/980×551/546b207ec20b4_-_muscleatmulsanne01-ydy8o6-lg.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0fa160156264d802e2a73c7f6d75be633c6fdee767b9fe84f6102adff3197ea7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ef8b832b8a1325a94e643ddaec2b8da2b2b7c04bd1f6e7a689f30dc423fef3ab.jpg The 1961 ZIL-112 Sports, which supposedly raced from 1961 to 1969. It’s a long, long way from ZIL’s usual monster limousines.
That sure is weird. Did it race against itself, behind red velvet curtains?
Wouldn’t the curtains have been iron?
Not for ZIL owners.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRKpGIN3_wA/TbUWjUB2O5I/AAAAAAAAAgQ/8NuYcTiJtDs/s640/1985_ATD_CAMK_12.jpg
This is beautiful, and a brilliant suggestion in its own right.
The Dodge Stratus from the short-lived North American Touring Car Championship.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/becb123b9159a886f8395bc19dab111e192e6b3448e6d549d06aec34e740d8d2.jpg
Came here for this, was not dissapointed. This just was on bring a trailer a year or two ago for sale
http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/the-last-cannonball-inline-6-photo-444404-s-original.jpg
1-Ton 4-door dually, AKA Friends of OPEC
http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/the-last-cannonball-inline-5-photo-444403-s-original.jpg
So..the movie Cannonball Run was essentially a documentary? 😉
The Plymouth / Dodge Neon. A surprising car all around, my parents are still driving one in New England.
http://www.allpar.com/neon/scca.html
http://www.allpar.com/photos/dodge/neon/racing.jpg
Light car, good power. It was THE small car to beat at the autox.
I’m going to say it’s the classic Mini’s racing in the WRC against cars with much larger engines. They were wildly outclassed and would still pull off miracles..
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b287d5d1dbb7647edc6bc9244583ca4380cb5e6b839ad1517b257bff2ca66eb4.jpg
I would have to throw SAAB into the mix for the same reasons as Mini. Not sure which would be considered the biggest surprise, however.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/48b40f14eea3185dfcfe23c531160d7992b7968eafed69a234fc61977df24a43.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9e6a13322b1fdf5d0ce9618266ab92abf0216755c4c847310e90d3980526cec0.jpg
At least Eric Carlsson got a beer out of his times racing Saabs.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/df/e1/fd/dfe1fd289129f92c40c3aae663d7bd9e.jpg
23 hp two stroke Trabant 601:
https://www.kahlfuss.de/motorsport/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Masai.jpg
It’s light on everything, power included.
For a couple years (1979 and ’80, mainly), the Chevy Impala/Caprice coupe – with its distinctive “bubble-back” rear window – body shape was used in NASCAR Winston Cup. This was the one Kyle Petty used in his rookie and sophomore seasons, 1979 and 1980.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQkgWdGzHrI/VHv4szi8jII/AAAAAAAAE0c/nuMXW6ykiwQ/s1600/1980%2BOntario%2BKP%2Bbakerracingpix.jpg
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l266/rebeldryver/car%20show/NascarCapriceKylePetty.jpg
Most people wouldn’t think to race a two-cylinder economy car with a CVT, but the Dutch aren’t most people:
It’s racing alright – the pedigree part would be harder to prove …
🙂
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/DAF_55_Coupe_45PS_1.jpg/220px-DAF_55_Coupe_45PS_1.jpg A DAF55 placed 17th (1st in class) in the London-Sydney marathon! Yes, some of the other cars (BMC1800) are also noteworthy, but vastly more powerful… http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e=15556
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d45c04ba021c7e875f0dc39bae1ac92c2d023e31444dd863ed877b6f70b916a.jpg
Also, these. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a757502afb254e3a2666dc6075d1816940a6abf4b1d6c2a3bf1f4121e737027c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db98882242bb2cf9cb39e6126cda10d684f85757d2f61d8c5fd27031aacaede4.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e7c78f13b56cd7295e555852b84319f3bae08e8373b70615aac2bc3cf31d067.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9f0d3428565f858ccdb92d5510d9a2e1d6ebe778892796e82afd64c79c214f0.jpg Don’t forget the twin-engined “Terrifying Toronado” funny car.
Rover P6 in front of the factory Porsche it lapped at Nurburgring
https://p6v8.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/bill_shaw_racing_restored01.jpg
There’s also this,a Rover 2000 winning it’s class on the ’65 Monaco Rally
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/370585773130-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
Just how did AMG get started?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vngvg5i9_KA/UXvLa9vqKhI/AAAAAAAARHo/XLm20CVlVR4/s1600/1971+Mercedes-Benz+300+SEL+6.8+AMG+(7).jpg
Racing against the smaller Escorts, BMWs and Alfas in ETC.
http://snaplap.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/15174335/Spotlight-Mercedes-Rote-Sau8.jpg
How about a 1981 Chrysler Imperial in Nascar? Don’t know if it came with the Frank Sinatra collection on cassette or Corinthian Leather racing seats.
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1981/Buddy/82imp67.jpg
15 years later, a Lincoln Mark VIII-bodied car didn’t quite make it into competition but did see track time in a test session.
http://www.markviii.org/LOD2/nascar_mark_VIII.jpg
Not sure if these really count because they’re pure tube-frame cars, but I read up a bunch on the history of Trophee Andros last winter and they had some oddball entrants.
http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/16/03/63/58/322810.jpg
https://a.d-cd.net/7a13fbu-960.jpg
Daewoo raced the “Nexia” for a few years. You might notice some Pontiac LeMans in that roofline.
http://i58.tinypic.com/5v4nyx.jpg
http://pict1.reezocar.com/images/leboncoin.fr/RZCLBCFR1068704571/MEGA-CLUB-0.jpg
Aixam-Mega, which at the time in the mid-90s was not just a maker of heavy quadricycles but the constructor of the Mega Track off-road supercar, entered with the Mega Club, which on the road was not mid-engine 4WD but a Citroën AX-based beach buggy.
https://quatrecylindres.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/dacia_30557_1_6.jpg
More recently, Dacia ran few a few years, not with the Sandero sadly, but with the Duster and then the Lodgy van.
1970 World Cup Rally. Special points for the over-the-roof exhaust! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/001d9f85059ad16cf51b9230a67fccf35ac90e98bbe5d200542bd8757d1f4393.jpg
How about a Paris-Dakar Corniche?,(based on a Toyota pickup) And at the other end of the scale a Paris Dakar Smart ForTwo, (based on a Polaris XP900)
http://media.cms.windingroad.com/autos_db/uploads/image/rolls-royce-corniche-jules-dakar-1.jpg
http://media.cms.windingroad.com/autos_db/uploads/image/smart-fortwo-dakar-3.jpg
When the 1950’s Round-Australia Trials were described using terms like “car-breaker”, “horror stretches” and barely saw any bitumen or even roads in some cases, would you like to run an MG TD?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c8b7683693eddda46cbf397ff0e516d5df4e933b2440b69e3cec8932402d91a9.jpg
How about a Porsche 356? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1a614b48e7fe542269d2846f8842fec74d7a9355a266d6902b8220c3b92d43a.jpg
How did I forget about the racing Mercury Cougars?!? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1034de200126c6d80011bae3894d0ff224501cf28d47c53f965efc5c43e6b74c.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/464c5c8b5cf269e640314739095368900a599959b6f90de5896247ebc02a2fa7.jpg
How would you like to drive from London to Sydney in this? (1977 London-Sydney Marathon, Leyland/Mini Moke) https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ea48da14ce097d538fd5d66374436d543eed1af2816f78b5709e5f03be4b8af.jpg
NASCAR Valiants FTW https://i2.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Plymouth-Valiants-1960-Nascar.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=561%2C323
How about a 1920’s Rolls Royce, run in the Ampol Trials. It was no joke either, coming 5th outright in 1957. Second photo shows why the driver was called Granny Brown. The brilliant part of the story is that the car cost £450 but they won £1300 in prizemoney!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5305ac2e53472ea3c368d67707866701e1846bf7fa70e196494d15a0cc47e960.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/40638e04a6c96b8e2e81e82061b31c00aa081008d8a69cf559fb74daaa9a44e2.jpg
The Toyota Prius GT300 in Japan’s Super GT series. Still a hybrid electric but now with a 3.4 litreToyota V8 from the LMP effort.
http://media.cms.windingroad.com/autos_db/uploads/image/toyota-prius-gt300-3.jpg
Skoda took the 1300cc Class in the RAC Rally (a WRC round), 17 years in a row and punched above their weight with a budget that wouldn’t have kept the bigger teams in tea and biscuits.
http://ipravda.sk/res/2010/01/01/thumbs/skoda-130-lr_07-clanok.jpg
https://skoda-ms-devbeta.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/10/2016-10-20-Rally-RAC-body-02.jpg
http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/27411/16-9.jpg
https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/gallery/VOLVO-850-Estate-2407_20.jpg