The two-time World Rally Champion Rovanperä revealed on Instagram on Monday that his father’s garage now houses a new gem, a Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
And it’s not just any car. Harri Rovanperä drove this Group A car at the Rally Finland in 1996.
“Christmas came early for dad” Kalle Rovanperä shared in his Instagram story.
Father Harri clearly appreciated the gift. The 57-year-old veteran had the look of a little boy in the photo where he posed in the driver’s seat of the Escort, with a big smile on his face.
In 1996, Harri Rovanperä got to compete in his home World Rally Championship event for the first time with proper equipment. Rovanperä and co-driver Juha Repo were at best sixth in the race, but ultimately had to retire before the final day due to a technical fault.
However, Rovanperä gave a strong performance in the competition, which opened the doors for him to join Seat.
“Carlos (Sainz) would have stayed behind on Sunday too, if the gearbox had been okay. And those stages came surprisingly well, even though the box was broken” Harri Rovanperä recounted in an interview with Keskisuomalainen 27 years ago.
Kalle Rovanperä acquired the car for his father from KMB Motorsport, a company specializing in vintage race cars. The car was last seen in action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last summer.
KMB Motorsport reveals in their own Facebook post that they acquired the car a few years ago from Sebastian Lindholm, who had restored the vehicle in 2012. The car has since been further refurbished and received the same decals as it had in the 1996 Jyväskylä Rally.
As KMB Motorsport put it in their post ”What a story and what a great gesture to say, ‘thank you, Dad’, for some amazing 18 years of rallying and truly endless support!”
“We hope to see both Rovanperäs driving this car in the famous 1000 Lakes Rally again, maybe already in 2024 as a VIP taxi? Who knows; these cars are made for driving, that’s what it’s all about!”
