| Rally cars race on different courses from | | | | their street model counterparts. |
| other motor sports: rather than racing on a | | | | |
| specially created circuit, as for example | | | | Rallying has a long and distinguished |
| with most Formula 1 races, rallies take place | | | | history, stretching back all the way to the |
| on public roads, from surfaced roads to rough | | | | nineteenth century. The first rally to be so |
| dirt tracks or mountain roads. | | | | called was the Monte Carlo Rally of 1911, and |
| | | | rallying soon took off as a sport. The next |
| The second main difference between rallying | | | | few decades saw the great city-to-city races |
| and most other forms of motor sport is that | | | | of Europe, such as the Mille Miglia in Italy, |
| instead of competing directly in head-to-head | | | | involving competitors from Britain, France, |
| races round circuits, rally cars compete | | | | Germany and Italy in particular. Longer races |
| indirectly over timed stages, setting off at | | | | included New York to Paris and even, in 1907, |
| regular intervals in an attempt to record the | | | | Peking to Paris! |
| fastest time. Rallies consist of a number of | | | | |
| stages and the team with the fastest time at | | | | After the war, as rally cars became more |
| the end of the final stage win. | | | | powerful and reliable, rally races spread |
| | | | around the world, and modern rallies such as |
| The final major difference between rally cars | | | | the Acropolis Rally and Finland's Rally of |
| and the cars used in most other forms of | | | | the 1000 Lakes were established. Today the |
| professional motor sports is that the rally | | | | annual World Rally Championship takes in 16 |
| cars in which drivers race are very close in | | | | races around the globe, from Scandinavia to |
| design to production cars that the public | | | | New Zealand, and drivers from all over the |
| drive in everyday life - indeed, rally cars | | | | world compete for the title, with the most |
| are licensed to drive on normal roads | | | | successful in recent years coming from |
| out-of-competition, though of course that is | | | | Finland and France. Rally cars are an |
| very uncommon. Of course, rally cars are | | | | important sideline for major manufacturers |
| adapted to take account of the conditions | | | | such as Citroen, Peugeot and Subaru, whose |
| under which they have to perform, which can | | | | advertising for their latest models often |
| vary from snow and ice to choking heat and | | | | trades heavily on the successes of their |
| sand, but in their basic design and | | | | rally cars. |
| specifications they are not far removed from | | | | |