Acropolis Rally 1987

Always one of the highlights of the international calendar, the Acropolis Rally attracted entries from Audi, Renault, Nissan, Lancia, Volkswagen, Skoda and Polonez. The Lancia Delta HF Turbos, in the hands of Markku Alen, Miki Biasion, Mikael Ericsson and Juha Kankkunen, were expected to provide the main threat, while Audi fielded two new 200 Quattros for Hannu Mikkola and Walter Rohrl, who had finished first and second on the Safari. Kankkunen had won the Acropolis in 1986 on his way to the World Championship, and was confident of giving the Martini Racing Team victory. But on the demanding, dusty back lanes and tracks of the Kamena Vourla, the stronger challenge was thought to be more likely from the big Nissans. This video captures all the excitement of the furious pace of the Acropolis, mixing as it did, dry, flat-out sprints alongside rain-lashed hillsides in the later parts.