Already a successful road car in the early 1980s, the Toyota Celica was about to become even more in 1990 thanks to its GT-Four high-performance pack. Created to compete in the World Rally Championship, the first-gen GT-Four ST165 brought Spanish driver Carlos Sainz the 1990 WRC title.
Although Toyota didn’t manage to secure the manufacturers’ championship until 1993, the 1990 success meant that the Japanese automaker had finally reached its goal on the rally scene. That year, Carlos Sainz and its Spanish co-driver Luis Moya won four rounds out of 12 and scored another five podiums, finishing the season with 45 points above Frenchman Didier Auriol, who was driving the infamous Lancia Delta Integrale 16V.
Toyota won three more titles with the Celica from 1992 through 1994, once the Turbo 4WD version was introduced, also taking the manufacturers’ championship with two occasions.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News