ADAC Eifel Rally Festival: A gathering of Group B rally cars

• Eighty years on and still going strong: Stig Blomqvist
• Forty-five years after it won the World Championship title: Talbot Sunbeam Lotus parade starts on
• ‘Daun Town Day’ Thursday in the Rally Mile
  
  

Preparations for the Eifel Rallye Festival (July 23rd to 25th, 2026) around Daun in the Vulkaneifel are in full swing. Fans can once again look forward to a fascinating selection of original or faithfully restored rally cars spanning over sixty years of rallying history. The line-up of over one hundred and sixty vehicles ranges from a 1961 Austin Healey 3000 to the current Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. “The revamped schedule proved its worth last year and was very well received by almost all participants and fans,” explains event director Otmar Anschütz from the organising MSC Daun. “Once again, Thursday offers fans the ‘Daun Town Day’, a concentrated opportunity to experience the cars and teams up close in the Daun Rally Mile. Highlights include the scrutineering of the cars in public followed by the presentation of all cars and crews on the starting ramp, the autograph session and the Welcome Evening with the open-air cinema. On Friday and Saturday, the cars can be watched in action on the demonstration stages of the Vulkaneifel as well as, being observable in the service area in Daun town centre.”

Summit meeting of Group B cars in the Vulkaneifel

Even self-proclaimed experts are certain that never before have so many different Group B cars been gathered together in one place. Forty years after the ban on Group B, the ‘big players’ from back then are meeting again in the Vulkaneifel. The list of vehicles leaves out nothing. From the rear-wheel-drive contingent, it includes a Nissan 240RS as well as a Toyota Celica Twin Cam Turbo, an Opel Manta 400 and a Porsche 911 SCRS. The Audi Quattro is represented with the A2, S1 E2 and Sport Quattro variants, Renault 5s are entered as a Turbo and Maxi Turbo, and the Peugeot 205 is present as a Turbo 16 and Turbo 16 E2. No such gathering would be complete without the Lancia Delta S4, MG Metro 6R4 or a Ford RS200. As a special treat, a Citroën BX4TC is also taking part in this unique Group B parade. “Bringing this selection of Group B cars together at the same time and in the same place is something truly unique. A big thank you, above all, to the owners of these cars who have made this parade possible,” says Reinhard Klein, head of Slowly Sideways, with barely concealed delight.

Eighty years old and still going strong: Stig Blomqvist

Shortly after the Eifel Rallye Festival, Stig Blomqvist, the 1984 World Champion, will celebrate his eightieth birthday. The organisers are hosting a pre-birthday party for their regular guest, the Swede who has attended the Festival without fail since 2012. The champion himself, together with Lothar Bökamp, will lead a parade of many of the cars he has driven during his long career. Blomqvist competed in his first rally in 1964, followed by his first overall victory a year later.

Fifty years later and with eleven victories in one hundred and twenty-two World Championship rallies (1973 to 2006) is the proud record of a driver who was himself World Rally Champion in 1984. Since 2006, he also secured his (so far!) last overall victory at the 2015 East African Safari Classic.

Forty-five years after its World Championship title: Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

In 1981, Ari Vatanen won the WRC Drivers’ title in a Ford Escort RS1600, whilst in the same year Talbot secured the Manufacturers’ World Rally Championship title. Their points were scored by the crews Guy Fréquelin/Jean Todt, Henri Toivonen/Fred Gallagher and Stig Blomqvist/Björn Cederberg. Thus forty-five years on, there will be a parade in Daun featuring three Talbot Sunbeam Lotus cars from that WRC winning year.

The Eifel Rallye Festival – Schedule

Thursday, July 23rd, 2026 (all events in the Rally Mile, central Daun)

From 2.30 pm          Public scrutineering with presentation of the cars

From 6.30 pm          Autograph session

From 8.30 pm          Welcome evening

                             Open-air rally cinema with cult filmmaker, Helmut Deimel

Friday, July 24th, 2026

From 9:38 am          Kelberger Land 1

From 1:46 pm          Kelberger Land 2 followed by Hochkelberg 1

From 6:12 pm          Hochkelberg 2, run partly in the dark.

Saturday, July 25th, 2026

9:00 am – 4:00 pm   Stages in the Vulkaneifel

                             In between the stages, you can visit the Rally Mile in Daun

                             where there are lots of attractions !

From 7:30 pm          Rally party in the Rally Mile….