Alpine A110
Paulo GROSSO / Francisco CARVALHO (PT/PT)

Category	SLOWLY
Year	1973
Group	4

 

 

Yesterday : Jean-Pierre NICOLAS / Michel VIAL - Rali Internacional TAP 1973

Alpine presents 3 crews at the start of the Rally of Portugal (TAP) which takes place from March 13 to 18, 1973: Darniche/Mahé (#3) model 72 re-engined in 1800, Therier/Jaubert (#5) and Nicolas/Vial crew (#1)

The Rally of Portugal is like the Monte-Carlo, a concentration route leads to Coimbra, the start of the common route 2800 km long divided into 32 specials.

The first special makes it possible to determine the order of passage, which takes on a certain importance due to the dust raised by the competitors. Darniche set the fastest time.

As usual, Thérier drives with Nicolas' notes. Darniche has a festival, and wins 9 of the first 11 specials.

While Jean-Pierre Nicolas is experiencing fuel pump problems, Darniche suffers a puncture which causes him to hit a stone, which breaks the gearbox linkage. Alain Mahé having to hold the lever permanently because the box no longer locks. A second puncture got the better of the differential, forcing crew no. 3 to retire.

Later, it was Nicolas who suffered a puncture. Cautious, he prefers to change his wheel to avoid breaking the differential and secure his second place. Thérier then had free rein to sign 5 scratches out of 8. Jean-Luc Thérier and Jean-Pierre Nicolas took the first two places under the ovations of the public massed in Estoril.

Paulo GROSSO presents us a replica of the Jean-Pierre NICOLAS’s car.