by Gauk
Sun, Nov 27, 2016 11:08 PM

Timo Mäkinen (born 18 March 1938 in Helsinki, Finland) is one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is most famous for his hat-tricks of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally.

Timo Mäkinen

Timo Mäkinen en Paul Easter (1966).jpg

Timo Mäkinen and Paul Easter (1966)

Personal information
Nationality Finland Finnish
Born 18 March 1938 (age 78)
Helsinki, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years 1973–1981, 1994
Teams Ford, Toyota, Peugeot
Rallies 39
Championships 0
Rally wins 4
Podiums 7
Stage wins 73
Total points 7
First rally 1973 Monte Carlo Rally
First win 1973 1000 Lakes Rally
Last win 1975 Wales Rally GB
Last rally 1994 Monte Carlo Rally

Career

 

Mäkinen's start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland), in a Triumph TR3. He later drove works Austin-Healeys and Minis. In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the RAC Rally in 1963. Mäkinen drove Minis during most of 1964 but came second in the RAC Rally in a Healey, at the end of that year. He returned to the Mini Cooper S in 1965, winning the Monte Carlo Rallyand the 1000 Lakes, and capturing a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally. He came second in the 1965 RAC Rally, again in a Healey.

In 1967, Timo Mäkinen drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the car's bonnet open. Leather straps holding the bonnet were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces. He tried to put his head out of the side window but his helmet was too big and he could only stick his head halfway out. So he had to skid the car sideways continuously to see the road ahead. Even so, Mäkinen was third fastest on that special stage and he also won the rally overall, for the third year in a row.

In 1975, Mäkinen won the RAC for the third time in a row, at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800, preceded only by Erik Carlsson (Saab 96) in that feat. Mäkinen won the Finnish Rally Championship three times, the ice track championship six times and the saloon car race championship three times.

In 1969, Mäkinen competed in the very first Round Britain Powerboat Race, which he won. In 1994, Mäkinen made a brief return as Mini celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1964 Monte Carlo win by Paddy Hopkirk, who also participated in the event. Mäkinen retired on the second stage with a fuel system problem. In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Carlsson, Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.

Mäkinen also traveled to Australia to race Mini Cooper's in the Bathurst 500 road race. He finished 6th outright and 3rd in class in 1965 co-driving with English rally driver Paddy Hopkirk while finishing 7th outright and 3rd in class in 1967 with Australian driver John French.

Career Results

Complete WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points
1973 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON
11
SWE POR KEN
Ret
      FIN
1
AUT ITA USA GBR
1
FRA N/A N/A
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504         MOR
Ret
GRE POL            
1974 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MON
C
SWE
C
POR KEN
Ret
GRE
C
                N/A N/A
Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600           FIN
2
ITA CAN USA GBR
1
FRA    
1975 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MON SWE KEN
Ret
GRE MOR
4
POR               N/A N/A
Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800             FIN
3
ITA
Ret
FRA GBR
1
     
1976 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON
Ret
SWE POR     MOR
Ret
FIN
4
ITA   GBR
Ret
      N/A N/A
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé       KEN
Ret
GRE                
Peugeot 104 ZS                 FRA
Ret
       
1977 Fiat S.p.A. Fiat 131 Abarth MON SWE
Ret
POR       FIN
Ret
CAN
Ret
ITA   GBR
11
    NC 0
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé       KEN
Ret
NZL GRE              
Peugeot 104 ZS                   FRA
Ret
     
1978 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE KEN
Ret
          CIV
2
FRA GBR     NC 0
Peugeot 104 ZS       POR
7
GRE FIN CAN ITA          
1979 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE POR KEN
Ret
GRE NZL           CIV
Ret
  NC 0
Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT             FIN
Ret
CAN ITA FRA GBR    
1980 BMW France BMW 320i MON
14
SWE POR KEN                   35th 7
Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé         GRE
10
ARG
Ret
          CIV
Ret
 
Timo Mäkinen Racing Triumph TR7 V8             FIN
22
NZL ITA FRA      
Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800                     GBR
6
   
1981 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE POR KEN
Ret
FRA GRE ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR   NC 0
1994 Timo Mäkinen Rover Mini Cooper MON
Ret
POR KEN FRA GRE ARG NZL FIN ITA GBR       NC 0

Complete Bathurst 500 results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1965 Australia BMC United Kingdom Paddy Hopkirk Morris Cooper S C 128 6th 3rd
1967 Australia BMC Works Team Australia John French Morris Cooper S C 127 7th 3rd

International wins

  • 1964 Tulip Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1965 Monte Carlo Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1965 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1966 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1966 Three Cities Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1967 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S)
  • 1972 Hong Kong Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 Arctic Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 1000 Lakes Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1973 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1974 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1974 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ford Escort RS1600)
  • 1975 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1800)
  • 1976 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Peugeot 504 V6)
published by Gauk