The so far known history of my car
Sometimes people can be proud of things they do or poses. Its not differend in my case. I like to introduce my Ritmo 75 gr.2 . Here she is....
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/zijfront%202.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/ritmo%20en%20131-2.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/zijfront%203.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/binnenkant.jpg)
There is still a lot of finishing work to do on the inside but thats life when you buy a rally car that has gone to war so many times.
I will try to reconstruct its history (or at least the history that we know of and have documentation about). To make it easyer for you to understand and for me to wright down, I go backwards.
Guy bought this car in 1998 rather buy coincidence. It was standing abandoned in a prairi waiting since years for new Bilsteins. The owner at that time had shipped one suspension to Germany as example and it never came back. The owner apparently lost interest until Guy came along.
At that time and in the shape that it was I did not realy noticed it. Its after the cars first restoration that I got realy interested. A fantastic shape and a rallycar that is breathing history once you look inside.
Here you can see some pictures from how the car was like when it first came into the workshop of Guy.
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20vooraanzicht%202.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20langs%20achter.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20motorkap.jpg)
You can still see the badge with the inscription of its last rally, the 6 hours of Louvain.
The previous owner was Wilfried Vanhove who drove several regional rallys with this car. He told Guy it was a scary fast car and that it was very dificult "to keep feet to earth". He on his turn bought the car from Jos Bienens. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of that period but I hope to have more information soon.
Jos Bienens bought the car from Willy Plas. For those who don't know him it was one of Belgiums best rallydrivers in the 70's. Three times Belgian champion and winner of many national rallies. In 1978 he was hired by Fiat to drive the national championship. Fiat Belgio bought the Ritmo from Fiat Italia and aked Plas to drive it. The engine was overhauled by Imberti an independend engineer. In 79 he drove together with his teammate Didi, who was driving with a 131, the Belgian championship for Fiat and became champion in gr.2. Plas has driven many national, international and regional rallies since with a lot of classvictories.
Here under you see the diffrend decorations in witch the car was driving at that period.
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20zonder%202.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20Black%20label%201.jpg)
(http://www.tumbling-mortsel.be/Ritmo%20Boule%203.jpg)
We have some reason to believe that the story goes even further in time. We hope soon to have more confirmed information about that. If available I will update this topic with photos and stories about former owners.
Meanwhile I hope all of you will share your Ritmo pictures, stories and pedigrees on this forum.
greets.
Eric.
(http://users.telenet.be/gedi/Pictures/ritmo-vanhove.jpg)
(http://users.telenet.be/gedi/Pictures/ritmo-vanhove2.jpg)
The Ritmo in action with Vanhove in the 3de Rally van Lubbeek.
Many thanks to you Dirk for these beautifull pictures and the further completion of the history!
I have got some more pictures of one of the last rallies this car drove. Thanks again to Dirk!
Got also a nice picture of a door that was originaly on the car. It is still standing abondened at the former owners workshop. You see the color? So in fact it has driven in exactely the same color as it is painted now. Guy, the auther of the painting, had no idee how the car was before. Strange coincidence don't you think?
Here you can here my car. http://www.vlaisloir.be/Ritmo/video/ritmo%201_new.wmv
Guy's good friend Marek Sadowski, former factory driver of Lada and Polonez was helping him tuning the engine... You can see this on this video..http://www.vlaisloir.be/Ritmo/video/Ritmo%202_new.wmv
I'm soo proud of this noice!!!
Some more pictures of my car after we did some decoration....
It is wonderfull !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!