Daihatsu Makes Flying Start In World Cup Rally

Daihatsu is off to a flying start in the 2002 World Cup Rally, a gruelling 4,500km race from Oxford to Athens covering 12 countries in 12 days.

Around 70 cars left Blenheim Palace on Saturday (5 October) and by Monday evening, after two days of fierce competition on some of Europe’s most challenging roads, Daihatsu had three teams in the top six with cars lying third, fourth and sixth.

Perhaps the biggest surprise has come from Daihatsu’s least powerful entrant – a three-cylinder 1.0 litre Cuore – driven by one of Daihatsu’s two all-female teams, Sophie Robinson and Catriona Riggs, who were lying fourth overall with only bigger-engined and more powerful cars ahead of them.

Of Daihatsu’s four teams, three are driving competitively, while the fourth team, retired school teachers Sue Howell and Molly Falcon, entered simply for the adventure.

Daihatsu’s Works Teams and day two (leg 2 of 12) results are:

Delighted with the early progress of Daihatsu’s works entries, Marketing Director, Paul Tunnicliffe said: "Cuore means heart in Italian and S400 WCR, driven by Sophie, is showing plenty of that. Our two competitive 1.3 litre Sirions are also performing exceptionally well and Sue and Molly are enjoying every minute of this year’s World Cup Rally."

The event finishes in Athens on Tuesday 15 October. Full details of Daihatsu’s teams together with information about the rally itself, including the route the cars will take, is available by logging on to www.daihatsu.co.uk and clicking on new cars and then the World Cup Rally logo.