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30 years since Carlos Sainz's victory with Toyota: The Japanese landing

PHOTOS CARLOS SAINZ / LUIS MOYA AND TOYOTA CELICA: TOYOTA

Relations between Spain and Japan have not always been smooth. For centuries, the Land of the Rising Sun was an enigma only opened, briefly, by the Keicho Embassy. A diplomatic mission with the aim of strengthening commercial ties between the archipelago and the Spanish colonies at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Although some of its members stayed near Seville, giving rise to the surname Japan, the truth is that, soon, religious intransigence closed the Asian country to any foreign influence.

Thus, Japan slept the dream of feudalism for centuries until in 1868 the relations between the two countries began to flow again. It was in that year when a trade and navigation treaty opened the borders to mutual knowledge. A knowledge that reaches our days in the form of an intense commercial, tourist and cultural exchange. However, beyond all this there is another remarkable milestone in this story.

carlos sainz toyota 30th anniversary

And yes, it has to do with the engine. Neither more nor less than the first World Rally Championship for Toyota, which was also the first for the couple formed by Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya. A binomial of a Japanese team and a Spanish rider who in 1990 he won the Drivers' Championship. And, although the progression made by the Toyota Celica was really impressive, the truth is that Lancia dominated the manufacturers' title from 1987 to 1992.

carlos sainz toyota 30th anniversary

TOYOTA CELICA GT-FOUR: THE MOUNT OF CARLOS SAINZ AND LUIS MOYA

Until the arrival of Toyota to the World Rally Championship, this was a test defined by European mounts. A reign characterized by weapons such as the Lancia Stratos, the FIAT 131 Abarth or the Audi Quattro. With such opponents, those of Toyota were not going to have anything easy to achieve victory. Thus They prepared a long technological development using as a base the fourth generation of the Celica, from which they extracted in 1986 a version with all-wheel drive called GT Four ST165.

In the street versions, the evolution of the engine mounted on the Toyota Celica GT rose to 150CV. However, the GT-Four street units received upgrades such as a turbo coming from the Supra which increased the performance of this 190-liter block to 2CV. All this forced to reinforce the chassis, as well as to incorporate new stabilizer bars and springs in the damping with greater weight and volume. Outcome? A set of the hardest but also with 1350 kilos of weight.

Toyota Celica, champion in Classic Madrid

All this connected to the ground thanks to a transfer case that divided the traction half and half between the rear and front axles. A different setting compared to rivals of the time like the Lancia Delta HF 4WD, which delivered 56% of power to the front axle and 44% to the rear. With all these data, Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 debut was made in 1989 season, where everything necessary to go out for all in the following season was filed. And so it was, being in 1990 the first Japanese car to reach the top of the World Rally Championship.

TOYOTA CELICA, CARLOS SAINZ AND LUIS MOYA: WINNING TEAM

During the 1989 season Carlos Sainz and Toyota Team Europe took three podiums. A good prologue to the implementation of all the technological effort developed by the Japanese, who They trusted a 28-year-old Carlos Saínz to reach the top. A goal they wanted to achieve in the following season. Faced with the experienced Didier Oriol and his imposing Lancia, Sainz and Toyota did not have easy things.

classic cars fair
Sainz and Moya won the 1990 World Cup

However, the season started with good results. Podium in Monte Carlo, and then four victories in a row, three second places and a third. A well resolved path for win the 1990 World Rally ChampionshipEspecially considering that there were still three more wins to go. In fact, only by finishing third in the San Remo Rally they managed to climb to the top.

At least in the pilot category, a milestone they would repeat in 1992 with the brand new ST-185. Both triumphs were immortalized in the Carlos Sáinz limited edition, today frankly desired. Toyota won again in 1993 and 1994, along with the constructors' world championships.

toyota celica carlos sainz edition

carlos sainz toyota 30th anniversary

These were the years that marked the end of Lancia's reign, beginning an abrupt arrival of Japanese machinesSince after Toyota it was Subaru that won consecutively in 1995, 1996 and 1997. An Asian triplet topped by the Mitsubishi Constructors' World Championship in 1998 and the revalidation by Toyota in 1999. Seven years in a row dominated by Japanese brands! And all this from the victory that this 2020 turns 30 years old. And it is that, well, from what it seems the relations between Spain and Japan began with difficulty but ... They ended up going full blast!

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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