Tony Pond – Loyalty and Perfectionism

These words epitomise the life and career of Tony Pond, a versatile and talented English driver, somewhat unknown to the wide-ranging public. Renowned in the UK, the affable Englishman with bushy moustache never received the international recognition his undeniable talent deserved.

 

Tony Pond (unknown)

Despite its strong motoring tradition, England isn't one of the rallying strongest nations. Until the 21st century, only three drivers got widespread international fame and won WRC rounds: Roger Clark, Richard Burns and, of course, the iconic Colin McRae. However, the British Rally Championship was one of the most competitive in Europe until the '90s, and it even matched the European Rally Championship during the Group 4 and Group B days with the creation of the British Open in 1978. While the ERC was usually dominated by Belgians, French and Latinos, apart from some odd drivers from Central Europe, in the UK, the locals shared the limelight with some of the best Scandinavians in the British Open. Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist, Per Eklund and Pentti Airikkala, alongside many youngsters from Sweden, Norway and Finland, cut their teeth against a golden generation of British drivers, including Jimmy McRae, Russell Brookes, Roger Clark, Bertie Fisher, Malcolm Wilson and the Irish Billy Coleman. And, of course, there was Tony Pond, who will belong forever to the gallery of British rallying legends, despite never conquering any title.

Circuit of Ireland 1978 (Martin Holmes)

 

Rising to the top:

Born on the outskirts of London on the 23^rd of November 1945, Pond began his career as a co-driver in local events, only moving to the driver's seat late in the 60's driving a small Hillman Imp. Tony spent the first years of his career driving on a local level, first on regularity trials (a discipline widely popular on the British Isles) and, then, on rallies and hillclimbs, slowly climbing the ranks to the national level. Pond even ventured to the circuits on the massively popular and versatile British club racing scene, achieving its first notable success when he clinched the Ford Escort Mexico Championship in 1972. Despite using rally-spec cars, this trophy comprised several races around the best circuits in Britain and attracted massive crowds and attention from Ford's dealerships. 

At the age of 27, this title opened the gates of the British Ford works team to Pond, who jumped to the British Rally Championship for good at the wheel of an omnipresent Ford Escort RS1600. The good results in the 1973 season convinced Tony Fall – Opel Dealer Team manager and still part-time driver – to integrate him into the German team. Pond made his WRC debut with an Ascona in 1974, retiring from the RAC with a broken engine.

Scottish Rally 1973 (unknown)

Always at the wheel of an Opel entered by the English dealership, Pond confirmed himself as one of the best drivers in the national championship, regardless of the intense competition between the established stars and the young wolves from the British Isles and Scandinavia, and also the mechanical inferiority of his vehicle in comparison with the Escort. After several places of honour and even more great performances, the consecration finally arrived behind the wheel of a Kadett GT/E when Tony Pond, co-driven by a young David Richards, finished fourth on the 1975 RAC Rally. Despite the stellar entry list of that year's edition, all the international stars bar Timo Mäkinen suffered a lot with the hardships of the route and retired or lost too much time, while Pond and other locals avoided all the traps.

RAC Rally 1975 (unknown)

 

 

 

 

 

British Leyland, the beginning of a partnership:

Tony Pond's talent and racecraft were now widely acknowledged, and they led to an invitation to lead British Leyland's return to rallying with the celebrated Triumph TR7, after the many upheavals the Birmingham-based automobile consortium had suffered since the mid-1960s. The first version of the model wasn't yet very competitive, so the 1976 season was mainly used to develop the car, culminating in two podiums for Pond on the Manx International Rally and the Castrol Rally, both counting for the national championship. Recognising the potential of the TR7, British Leyland management decided to reinstate the competition department under the supervision of renowned co-driver and journalist – and now one of the most celebrated authors of rallying history – John Davenport.

RAC Rally 1976 (unknown)

Accompanied by Fred Gallagher, Pond and Triumph faced 1977 with great optimism, taking their first victory on the Boucles de Spa Rally in front of the Belgian specialists. That season Pond was third in the Isle of Elba Rally (mixed surface), standing among the best Italian drivers on his debuts and was second in the Scottish Rally (gravel), only beaten by a young Ari Vatanen, closing the season with an eighth-place on the RAC, always driving a car that wasn't so competitive as his primary opponents. However, basic statistics overlook Pond's fantastic performances throughout the season, as frequent reliability issues often prevented the affable Englishman from being a regular presence on the podium. It's worthy to say that Pond was primarily known for the performances on the tarmac, as his extremely perfectionist and clean driving style and the circuit feedback from the beginning of his career usually excelled on that terrain. Yet, Tony's performances on the gravel were of similar quality, mainly on the secret stages designed amidst the forests so typical of the British Isles. 

Mintex Rally 1977 (Robert Clayson)

British Leyland soon understood that the TR7 needed more power if they wanted to win. Hence, Triumph opted to place a brand new V8 engine in the car, creating the most celebrated version of the model, the TR7 V8. It appeared for the first time driven by Pond at the 1978 Circuit of Ireland, and the new evolution soon proved to be much faster until the engine broke. The car was quick and excelled on the tarmac, as the short wheelbase and suspension were a handicap on the gravel, but the reliability gave the British mechanics a lot of headaches during the entire year. Nevertheless, after a troubled first half of the season, Pond finally got his international breakthrough by winning the highly regarded 24 Heures d'Ypres Rally, ahead of almost all the European title contenders and the best of the local specialists – you only need to take a look to the results of the Ypres Rally over the years to recognise the strength of the Belgian drivers at home. Another significant win was achieved on the tarmac of the Manx Rally for the British Open, and Pond ended the season on a high with fourth place in the RAC – only beaten by Mikkola, Waldegård and Brookes in their Escort RS1800, which means a lot. Tony was also second in the Rallye des 1000 Pistes (driving a Chrysler Sunbeam) behind Jean-Luc Thérier's Toyota, a result that instigated a big mess thanks to the usual Balestre's shenanigans (it was even rumoured that the works Triumph were sabotaged at the Tour de Corse because Thérier was driving for the English manufacturer that day). 

RAC Rally 1978 (unknown)

 

The same high and low pattern on different teams:

Tony Pond wanted new challenges and decided to leave British Leyland and signed with Chrysler Europe for 1979, which Peugeot had just bought, to drive their brand new car, the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, which would succeed the Chrysler Avenger. This small Group 2 car, famous for giving Henri Toivonen his first WRC win in 1980 and the Guy Fréquelin/Jean Todt's second place overall at the 1981 WRC, was in the early stages of development. Still, with the energetic Des O'Dell at the helm and a driver with Pond's talent, the progression of the new machine was quick albeit disrupted by several reliability problems. Some of Tony's rare accidents – even with inferior equipment, Pond was known to crash very rarely – happened in this period. This temporary team change also allowed Pond to participate in a few rallies on the competitive South African calendar in a Chevrolet Chevair, winning some rounds. By the end of the year, the Talbot was a very competitive machine, even if it wasn't enough for Tony to beat Thérier to the 1000 Pistes. However, he managed an excellent fourth place at Sanremo and was doing an exceptional performance on the RAC until he crashed out.

RAC Rally 1979 (unknown)

Pond returned to British Leyland in 1980, but his season was a bittersweet one. Triumph's main focus was the prestigious British Open, but their title expectations evaporated due to numerous technical problems, despite a wins at the Manx. On their few ventures into the ERC and WRC, Tony managed another spectacular win at Ypres against even stronger opponents (Blomqvist, Béguin, Brookes, Zanini, Pregliasco, Eklund, Vincent, Colsoul & Co.). However, the seventh place at the RAC would be the Triumph TR7 V8's last rally, as British Leyland chose to discontinue the programme – the car's technical limitations were obvious, but there were also increasing tensions among the BL group top brass, which had delayed the development of the model. 

Manx Rally 1980 (unknown)

Pond felt at home at British Leyland and remained within the group as a test and development driver, with permission to compete for other manufacturers and, in fact, he was pretty busy in 1981. Tony signed a contract with Vauxhall to drive their iconic Chevette 2300 HSR, focusing on the British Open while driving for Datsun in South Africa and some odd WRC rounds. Pond's connection to Datsun wasn't new, as he was keen to rally on South Africa after the successful season with Chevrolet in 1979, and Triumph had allowed him to drive for Datsun in 1980. The reliable Japanese machines gave Pond some wins, so it was understandable it would be a wise choice to remain with them for his international schedule in 1981. On the WRC front, Pond was fifth in Portugal after an outstanding performance with an outdated Datsun 160J, and then third at the Tour de Corse with a Violet GT in Corsica – no, it isn't a joke, it was actually the Corsican rally and not the Safari – retiring at the Sanremo after another good show. Tony also had another successful season in South Africa, albeit unable to match 1980.

Rali de Portugal 1981 (unknown)

As for the British Open, Pond had its best season in his entire career and would never have another chance to win the title. Those who followed the Open were presented with a spectacular mano-a-mano between two virtuosos, Tony Pond and Jimmy McRae (Opel Ascona 400), which ended with an advantage for the Scotsman, not without some of the best duels in the history of that championship. Pond won in Scotland and the Manx, while McRae only reached the highest step of the podium in Ireland but finished every rally, unlike Pond – disqualified from the Mintex after a mistake on a timing control and dropping out with engine problems in Ireland – finishing second overall. However, Vauxhall secured the coveted Manufacturers' title.

Manx Rally 1981 (unknown)

Tony Pond spent the 1982 season driving for Datsun, now renamed Nissan once and for all. Nonetheless, the reliability of the new Silvia GTS was questionable, and all of Tony's WRC appearances (including the RAC with Vauxhall) ended in retirement, except for Safari! Demonstrating how eclectic he was as a driver and how quickly he could adapt to all terrains, Pond was fourth on his Kenyan debut, behind teammates Mehta (1st), Kirkland (3rd), and Walter Röhrl's Opel. Tony's most remarkable results in 1982 were obtained in South Africa, where he won several rallies, first with a Datsun Stanza and, then, with an Opel Ascona 400 similar to the one his arch-rival McRae used in the UK! If there were any doubts, 1982 just confirmed Pond was among the best drivers globally. He just needed a competitive car and more international mileage to become one of the WRC lead drivers. 

Acropolis Rally 1982 (unknown)

 

With British Leyland until the end:

Despite his successes, Pond faced a big dilemma. The likeable Englishman was dissatisfied with his status at British Leyland, as the group didn't appear eager to return to rallying and, again, Pond seriously considered changing teams. In 1983 Tony only entered a few rallies, again achieving some success with Datsun in South Africa and some odd drives on the WRC, with another excellent show at Corsica – one of his favourite rallies – finishing sixth in a Nissan 240 RS. However, he saw a chance to have a winning car and entered into talks with the Fiat Group, but it was unsuccessful. Lancia had the fast and spectacular 037 at their disposal, and it would be fascinating to see what Pond could do with such a stunning car, alongside men like Alén, Rohrl and Andruet. It seems the main reason behind the deal's failure was the lack of interest by Lancia in converting one 037 to left-hand drive – it should be noted that Tony Pond only drove models with that steering wheel configuration.

Tour de Corse 1983 (unknown)

It has to be said that British Leyland was not exactly idle and was looking to relaunch the MG and Rover brands. The latter was growing with the Gr.A Rover Vitesse being widely used in touring cars, and there were plans to develop the model to compete in the same class in rallies, mainly on the British Open. At the same time, John Davenport was pushing for an MG/Rover Group B project to fight for overall wins in the WRC in partnership with Williams GP Engineering. Faced with these expectations, Pond chose to remain loyal to the Birmingham manufacturer and was in charge of developing both models. With so few rally entries, Pond wanted to fill his schedule and accepted the proposal to return to racing, driving a works MG Metro Turbo in 8 of the 11 BSCC (the predecessor of today's BTCC) rounds. Tony soon proved that, despite not competing in circuits for a decade, he quickly adapted to racing and won his class at Donington. After a solid season, he was fourth in the B class and eighth overall at the end of the year! 

 BSCC Donington 1983 (Robert Clayson)

Pond's performances convinced British Leyland to promote him to an official Gr.A Rover Vitesse (which was entered on class A and ought for overall wins). Tony won one BSCC round at Silverstone and continued to deliver outstanding results until the marque decided to halt the programme by July. It resulted from the final decision of one of the common legal tussles that plagued touring cars during the Group A era, as the court decided the TWR Rovers used in 1983 weren't in conformity with their homologation sheet. Therefore, Pond was "relocated" to the works team that was entering the ETC (Tony raced for the first occasion in this championship in the 1983 Tourist Trophy with an MG), outshining on the 24 Hours of Spa (alongside Eddy Joosen and Jean-Pierre Jabouille). The trio performed superbly, and Pond even held the lead for a short while, but they would eventually retire, the same destiny Tony had on the remaining three of the four races he lined up due to the many reliability issues that still plagued the Rover.

Eddy Joosen/Tony Pond/Jean-Pierre Jabouille - 24 Hours of Spa 1984 (unknown)

Back to rallying, Tony spent 1984 developing the British Leyland Group's two "weapons" – the aforementioned Rover Vitesse 3500 rally car, which proved to be fast but fragile, even if Pond managed to win the class occasionally on a national level, and the team's future Group B, the small MG Metro 6R4. Being the sole Gr.B with an aspirated engine, the 6R4 would have a power deficit, but it would be lighter and more agile than its main rivals, besides benefiting from the partnership with Williams. Premiered as a prototype in national rallies (not the Open Championship) and rally sprints in 1984 and early 1985 in a configuration that still resembled the road car (between the final version and the road car, the similarities lean towards absolute zero), Pond was immediately able to get the best out of the equipment and show his innate speed, although reliability was again a problem, which endured in the final version of the car that was officially entered by mid-1985. Nonetheless, Tony's main aim in 1985 was the British Open Group A title, which he would narrowly lose to Per Eklund's Toyota. Although Pond won four of the six events, he retired on the other two, while the Swede was more regular and finished all rounds in the points. Yet, the results were good enough to leave Pond sixth overall in the British Open with 24 points.

Circuit of Ireland 1985 (unknown)

The MG Metro 6R4 was finally homologated in November and debuted shortly after in the RAC Rally, the final round of the WRC. Surprisingly, the little car held up well in a rally disputed in very treacherous weather conditions (the route was plenty of ice and snow), and while the favourites dropped out en masse, a flu-hitten Pond was setting increasingly fast times and taking advantage of his knowledge of the terrain and smooth driving style to gain places, even leading briefly! However, the dream of a win on the debut went to Turin, as the RAC also marked the first WRC appearance of the Delta S4, probably the most sophisticated of all Group B cars, with a flawless drive to victory by Henri Toivonen! Behind, Pond and Alén fought hardly for second place, which only continued in the Finn's hands in the last stage thanks to a better tyre choice. However, the Englishman still won eleven stages, undoubtedly an excellent result for the new model!

RAC Rally 1985 (unknown)

The performances on the RAC promised a lot for 1986. Unfortunately, there were many unsolved problems, and the car's first entire season (which would be its only one due to the end of Group B) made that evident. On an epic Monte Carlo, remembered by Toivonen's astonishing recovery to the win, Pond dropped out early with steering problems and then retired in Portugal when all the works teams decided to abandon after the tragedy in Sintra. At the Tour de Corse, with the engine overheating from the start, Pond retired again, shortly before Toivonen's fatal crash. Toivonen and Cresto's deaths were the final straw, and Balestre banned Group B at the end of 1986 and aborted the proposed Group S regulations whilst also prohibiting further evolutions to the cars with immediate effect.

Monte Carlo Rally 1986 (unknown)

The collapse of the Gr.B, together with the low budget of MG and a vehicle not yet fully prepared to face the most demanding terrains, led John Davenport to send the works team for some selected events on the second half of the year. Pond only returned to the WRC at the Sanremo, where he retired after a rare crash but ended the season with another excellent performance on the RACE, finishing sixth. In between, he also won the last race of his career, the Manx Rally.

Manx Rally 1986 (unknown)

Aged 41 at the end of the year and with no prospect of a competitive drive for 1987, Tony Pond decided to retire. Until his untimely death in 2002 from cancer, Pond worked for MG/Rover to develop their road cars and still drove occasionally until the early '90s on minor rallies while pursuing his great hobby of flying helicopters. It is true that Pond did not have an exceptional record, but he demonstrated an undeniable talent that made him highly regarded by his peers throughout his entire career. Recalling an article written by John Davenport for Motor Sport in 2002, Walter Röhrl – for many, the best rallyman ever, at least in terms of driving style – was asked which driver he would choose as a teammate in 1986. The German said he preferred to have Tony Pond by his side than an opponent. This praise was shared by many of his rivals, who considered the Briton's extremely precise driving style to be an asset. The perfectionism was one of the reasons Tony never got interested in the Scandinavian rounds, as he wasn't comfortable with the experienced local drivers who knew the terrain like the back of their hands, which was a shame because British rallying back then had many similarities to Scandinavia, notably with their secret routes. Similarly, despite his outgoing appearance, those who knew him to say that Pond was a reserved man, a perfectionist and preferred to work in teams where he felt at ease, thus explaining his loyalty to British Leyland. This attitude may have cost him a glittering record, but it won the respect of his opponents and the hearts of the fans.

Tony Pond on his MG days (unknown)