World and British title successes of Colin and Alister McRae will be marked with fantastic collection of cars in action
Words by David Evans, DirtFish Head of Media
Three decades ago, Scotland ruled the world of rallying. Colin McRae was world champion while his brother Alister lifted the coveted British crown in the same 1995 season.
Jimmy McRae will be joined by Alister and Max at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to celebrate Britain’s first ever World Rally Champion. And the three generations of rallying’s most famous family will join DirtFish to drive some of the most famous McRae cars in the world.
DirtFish owner Steve Rimmer is delighted to see some of the cars from his collection being used in what’s going to be an emotional tribute to Colin McRae in Chichester, England from Thursday to Sunday.
“We’re going to have Colin’s Ford Focus RS WRC going up the hill as part of a parade of his most important cars,” said Steve. “That’s going to be a real sight to behold. As well as that, we’ve got the Subaru Legacy he came so close to winning Sweden in 1992 and the Ford Sierra Cosworth Jimmy used on the Tour of Britain.
“Goodwood is such an occasion for all motorsport fans and, 30 years on from Colin and Alister’s title-winning seasons, we’re very proud to be joining in this celebration.
Famous 1992 Subaru Legacy is always a sight - and sound - to behold in its natural environment
It doesn’t stop there though…
Ian Gwynne’s company BGMsport lovingly restores, prepares and runs the cars in Steve’s collection. And this week’s Festival of Speed is going to be another busy one for Ian.
“We’ve got a total of 10 cars going to Goodwood,” Ian explained. “As well as Steve’s Focus, Legacy and Sierra, there will be the Nissan Sunny GTi Alister McRae used in the British championship as well as an ex-works Fiat 131 Abarth. We’re also running the actual car Colin used to win the title – L555 BAT – on behalf of his wife Alison, and we’re taking Calum MacLeod’s sister Subaru [Impreza 555] L555 REP. We’ve also got the Mk2 Escort Colin developed coming along. It’s going to be a fantastic week.
“Driving the cars will be Jimmy, Alister and Max, of course, but we’re also really happy to have Bruno Thiry with us for the first time at the Festival. My daughter Jess will be driving, along with former Subaru World Rally Team operations director Paul Howarth and leading British national driver Steve Hendy.”
DirtFish's Steve Rimmer has shared cars with Max McRae at previous editions of the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Typically, the Festival of Speed brings the perfect blend of yesterday and today, with World Rally Championship titans Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford World Rally Team in attendance. Defending world champion Thierry Neuville and 2019 title winner Ott Tänak drive the i20 N Rally1 on Thursday and Friday with Neuville’s co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe taking the wheel on the weekend.
Showing off Toyota’s GR Yaris Rally1 and Rally2 will be world championship leader Elfyn Evans, with Kalle Rovanperä, Takamoto Katsuta, Sami Pajari, Juha Kankkunen and Jari-Matti Latvala also sharing driving duties through the week.
Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean will both get behind the wheel of M-Sport’s fearsome Ford Puma Rally1 at the Festival.
Dakar fans will also be well catered for, with Defender Rally using the Festival to give the Defender Dakar D7X-R its public debut. Fourteen-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel and his American team-mate Sara Price will demonstrate the car at the Off-Road Arena.
Words:David Evans
Tags: Alister McRae, BGMsport, Bruno Thiry, Colin McRae, Fiat 131 Abarth, Ford Focus RS WRC, Ford Sierra Cosworth, goodwood festival of speed, Ian Gwynne, Jimmy McRae, Max McRae, Nissan Sunny GTi, Steve Rimmer, Subaru Impreza 555
Publish Date July 10, 2025 DirtFish
Up Next