1985 · The Olympus Rally

Olympus Rally 1985 — The Story of an American Rally Legend

The Olympus Rally holds a special place in the history of international rallying. It belongs to the golden era of the sport, when Group B machines such as the Audi quattro, Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 and Lancia Delta S4 pushed rally engineering to its limits.

What made the Olympus Rally so distinctive was its setting. Instead of the familiar European stages, the event took place amongst the vast forests of Washington State, USA. Crews faced narrow gravel roads, dense woodland, unpredictable weather and, in places, exceptionally fast sections. It was a demanding environment that tested driver and machine alike.

1. The Origins of the Olympus Rally

The story begins in 1968.

• 1968: The first event was a Time-Speed-Distance rally, in which crews had to hold precise average speeds over a set route.
• 1973: The rally became a special-stage event and joined the SCCA Pro Rally Championship in the United States.
• 1970s: It established itself as one of America's most prestigious rallies.
• 1985: The FIA took a close look at the event as a candidate for the World Rally Championship.
• 1986–1988: The Olympus Rally was an official round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

The ambition was considerable: to bring championship-level rallying to the United States and prove that North America could host an event of genuine world-class standing. The forests and rugged landscape around Olympia and Shelton, in the Pacific Northwest, made a spectacular stage for it.

2. Who Won the Olympus Rally in 1985?

Hannu Mikkola and his co-driver Arne Hertz won the 1985 Olympus International PRO Rally in their Audi Sport quattro. The event was not yet a World Championship round, but an FIA candidate event, a dress rehearsal to show it deserved a place on the calendar.

For Audi, the win mattered. It showed that the brand's revolutionary four-wheel-drive concept was just as quick on the gravel roads of North America as it was in Europe.

3. Why Was 1985 So Important to Audi?

Audi had changed the sport for good with quattro. Permanent four-wheel drive brought far more traction and acceleration, especially on loose surfaces.

By 1985, however, the opposition was fierce. Peugeot's mid-engined 205 Turbo 16 had taken the fight to Audi, and Lancia's Delta S4 and Ford's RS200 were about to join the battle.

The Olympus Rally gave Audi a golden chance to show its Group B technology to an American audience, and Hannu Mikkola was the perfect ambassador. World Champion in 1983, he was already one of the most accomplished and respected drivers of his generation.

Three Reasons It Still Matters

1. Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz. Two great names in Audi's rallying history, whose achievements helped make quattro an icon of international motorsport.

2. The Audi Sport quattro S1 E2. One of the most recognisable and technically extraordinary rally cars of the Group B era, a machine that came to symbolise an entire generation of uncompromising engineering.

3. The Olympus Rally 1985. A landmark event that helped pave the way for the World Rally Championship's expansion into North America.

A note for collectors: the 1985 event was an FIA candidate event. The Olympus Rally only became a World Championship round in 1986.

A Final Thought

The Olympus Rally of 1985 captures a remarkable moment in motorsport: engineering ambition, fearless driving and mechanical innovation, all arriving at the same time in the forests of Washington State.

The Audi Sport quattro S1 E2 was not simply a rally car. It was an expression of an era in which the limits of what was technically possible were challenged at every corner.

That is the legacy worth preserving.