The 32nd Monte Carlo Rally of 1963 saw cars
starting from the following cities: Stockholm,
Paris, Glasgow, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Athens
and Monte Carlo.
There
were fewer Ford Anglia's taking part in the 1963
rally, but they stil had a fair presence in the
race. Like other years the weather took a hand in
deciding which cars would reach Monte Carlo. The
Glasgow starters ran into bad weather immediately
and icy conditions prevailed all the way to
Dover. Southern Europe was drenched with snow and
subzero temperatures, so it was those who started
in the North who found it easy going. The
Stockholm starters faired quite well. Of the 96
finishers, 47 started at Stockholm. In contrast,
everyone who started from Athens was eliminated
by a Yugoslavian blizzard. Rains washed out half
the Lisbon contingent, and none of those
survivors made it through to Monte Carlo. Just
three cars made it all of the way through from
Frankfurt, and they did it by taking a large
detour around the snow.
From Warsaw only 4
out of 14 got through and when the six surviving
groups paused in Chambery to change tyres, there
were still 216 competitors left in the rally. But
those who felt the worst was behind them were
sadly mistaken. The route south led to the
strenuous series of special stages. It was here
in the twisty, narrow mountain trails, of all
places, that the lavishly prepared Ford Falcon
effort shone. Never in the history of the Monte
Carlo Rally has one car achieved fastest time on
each and every special stage, but Bo
"Bussy" Ljungfeldt did just that in the
Holman and Moody-prepared Ford Falcon Sprint,
even with the slight displacement handicap
imposed on their 4.25-liter V8s. But for-his
delay in the traffic tie-up at Montauban, Bussy
could well have won over-all. After the special
stages, the field had been whittled down to 96
finishers.
The
Rally was ultimately won by Erik Carlsson /
Gunnar Palm in a Saab 96 Sport (Car No 283)
The Coupe des Dames (Ladies Cup) was won by Mmes
Ewy Rosqvist / Ursula Wirth in a Mercedes 220
SE (Car No 269) who finished 16th overall
in the Rally.
A
write up of the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally by "Sports
Illustrated"
magazine can be read here.
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 57 - Pat Moss / Elma Lewsey
- DNF
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 100 - David Seigle-Morris /
Hercock Rye - DNF
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 125 - MacCracken /
A.MacCracken - DNF
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 150 - Alan Allard / R.Mackie
- 49th
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 185 - Sydney Allard / Tom
Fisk - 32nd
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 279 - Jean Vinatier / Roger
Masson - 47th
Ford
Anglia 105E - Car No 310 - Bostrom - DNF
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