Malcolm Wilson (rally driver)

Last updated

Malcolm Wilson
MalcolmWilson.jpg
Personal information
Nationality Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British
Born (1956-02-17) 17 February 1956 (age 68)
World Rally Championship record
Active years1977–1995
Co-driver Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ron Palmer
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Terry Harryman
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Greasley
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Phil Short
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nigel Harris
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Broad
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Grindrod
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicky Grist
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bryan Thomas
Teams Ford, MG Rover, Vauxhall
Rallies42
Championships 0
Rally wins 0
Podiums2
Stage wins29
Total points59
First rally1977 RAC Rally
Last rally1995 RAC Rally

Malcolm Irving Wilson, OBE (born 17 February 1956) is a British former rally driver and current owner of team and constructor M-Sport. He is the father of former World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson. He has been married to Elaine Wilson since 1982. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Biography

Wilson on a stage rally in Scotland Wilson Escort.jpg
Wilson on a stage rally in Scotland

He has over 20 years experience of rallying at world championship level, much of it with Ford. He drove for three factory teams in the world championship, including MG, in whose Group B Metro 6R4, he shared driving duties with fellow Briton, Tony Pond. He spent several years as Ford's chief test driver, developing new rally cars, including the short lived RS1700T and RS200 models.

As a driver, he won two British national titles in the late 1970s and achieved a long-held ambition by winning the British Rally Championship in 1994, all at the wheel of Ford Escorts.

He crashed during the 1980 Scottish Rally whilst chasing Hannu Mikkola and Ari Vatanen for the lead, breaking both his ankles and almost ending his career, but amazingly he recovered in time for the RAC Rally at the end of the year.

After his driving career, he went on to manage and run the Ford World Rally Team with his M-Sport operation, based at Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth in Cumbria, England.

Under his guidance, M-Sport (formerly Malcolm Wilson Motorsport) has become one of the world's leading rallying private teams, with a string of international titles and wins to its credit. The company now employs over 170 people.

Their work culminated in 2006 when Wilson led Ford to the World Rally Championship Constructors' title for the first time in 25 years; the team repeated this achievement in 2007.

In September 2008, Wilson took part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, a round of the Scottish Rally Championship centred in Perth in Scotland. He entered the event in a VK Vodka Kick sponsored Ford Escort RS1800 with co-driver Peter Martin. He was one of a number of ex-world and British champions to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007.

Wilson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours. [4] [5] In 2018 he was awarded with the V Class Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana for his services to Estonian motorsport, with his role in the successes of Markko Märtin and Ott Tänak cited. [6]

Complete WRC results

YearEntrantCar1234567891011121314WDCPoints
1977 Malcolm Wilson Ford Escort RS 2000 MON SWE POR KEN NZL GRE FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR
12		–0
1978 Malcolm Wilson Ford Escort RS 1800 MON SWE KEN POR GRE FIN CAN ITA CIV FRA GBR
Ret		–0
1979 Total Oil Ford Escort RS 1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRE NZL FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR
15		 CIV –0
1980 Total Oil Ford Escort RS 1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRE ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBR
Ret		 CIV –0
1981 Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS 1800 MON SWE POR
Ret		 KEN FRA GRE
Ret		 ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret		–0
1982 Malcolm Wilson Ford Escort RS 1800 MON SWE POR
Ret		 KEN FRA GRE NZL BRA FIN ITA CIV 66th1
Audi Sport UK Audi Quattro GBR
10
1983 British Junior Rally Team Ford Escort RS1600i MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
13		–0
1984 Top Gear Audi Quattro A1 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR
Ret		–0
1985 Malcolm Wilson Audi Quattro A1 MON SWE
Ret		 POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV –0
Austin Rallying MG Metro 6R4 GBR
Ret
1986 Austin Rover World Rally Team MG Metro 6R4 MON
Ret		 SWE
Ret		 POR
Ret		 KEN FRA
Ret		 GRE NZL ARG FIN
10		 CIV ITA GBR
17		 USA 70th1
1987 GM Dealer Sport Opel Kadett GSI MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret		–0
1988 Malcolm Wilson Opel Kadett GSI MON SWE
8		 POR KEN FRA –0
GM Euro Sport Vauxhall Astra GTE GRE
Ret		 USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR
Ret
1989 Malcolm Wilson Vauxhall Astra GTE SWE
13		 MON POR KEN FRA GRE 18th19
GM Euro Sport NZL
3		 ARG FIN AUS
6		 ITA CIV
Vauxhall Dealer Sport GBR
10
1990 Q8 Team Ford Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 MON POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN
Ret		 AUS ITA
Ret		 CIV GBR
Ret		–0
1991 Q8 Team Ford Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 MON
7		 SWE POR
Ret		 KEN FRA
5		 GRE
Ret		 NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA
10		 CIV ESP GBR
Ret		18th13
1992 Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP GBR
9		58th2
1993 Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON SWE
Ret		 POR KEN FRA GRE ARG NZL 19th12
Malcolm Wilson FIN
Ret		 AUS ITA ESP
Michelin Pilot Team Ford GBR
3
1994 Ford Motor Co Ltd Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON POR KEN FRA GRE
6		 ARG NZL FIN GBR
Ret		23rd8
Jolly Club ITA
9
1995 R.A.S. Ford Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON SWE POR FRA NZL AUS ESP GBR
Ret		–0

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Lunch with Malcolm Wilson". Motorsport Magazine. Motorsport Magazine. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "- YouTube". YouTube .
  3. ↑ "The 1982 Scottish Rally". YouTube .
  4. ↑ Evans, David (13 June 2009). "Malcolm Wilson awarded OBE". Autosport . Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  5. ↑ "No. 59090". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 13.
  6. ↑ Kalvet, Madis (27 March 2018). "President Kersti Kaljulaid andis Malcolm Wilsonile üle teenetemärgi". Delfi . Retrieved 2 January 2023.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Autosport
National Rally Driver of the Year
1988		Succeeded by
Preceded by Autosport
National Rally Driver of the Year
1994		Succeeded by
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