ONBOARD 1981 Datsun Violet 160J GT Group 4 - PURE Sound - Rally Südliche Weinstraße 2025

1981 Datsun Violet 160J GT Group 4 Peter Lüdicke has a passion for rare automobiles and set his sights on restoring a Datsun 160J. To bring his vision to life, he acquired three bodies along with select components such as a spoiler package and the highly sought-after Enkei factory rims. His goal was to recreate car number 16 from the 1981 Acropolis Rally—a left-hand-drive model that perfectly matched his ideal color scheme. In a remarkable stroke of luck, he secured an original L20B engine and a 5-speed gearbox from the Canadian Rally Championship, which, according to the seller, were unused factory team parts from 1981–82. Armed with a trove of photos from 1981, including images documenting the original car’s construction at Nissan Japan, he meticulously rebuilt the vehicle in his workshop—four decades later, paying homage to its legendary heritage. In 1981, Datsun was in the hunt for the World Manufacturers’ Championship, backed by a strong Greek importer and a rally car well-suited for the unforgiving Greek gravel—earning its reputation as the “King of Africa.” For the Acropolis Rally, the team fielded three Datsun 160J cars, driven by Timo Salonen, Shekhar Mehta, and Greek driver Giorgos Moschous. Mehta and Moschous secured fifth and sixth place overall, with the Ford Escort, Fiat 131, and Talbot Lotus proving just a touch faster. Despite the competition, Datsun ended the season in second place in the WRC standings, finishing just behind Talbot. ----------------------------------------------------------- Original 1980 Datsun Violet A10 160J Group 2 VM (Vauhdin Maailma), Finland’s leading motorsport magazine, had a passionate rally enthusiast at the helm for many years—editor-in-chief Peter Geitel, who actively competed in rallies himself. Due to time constraints, his entries were mostly limited to Finland and the RAC in England. At the 1980 1000 Lakes Rally, he achieved a commendable tenth place overall in his privately owned Datsun 160J, bearing the registration UML 999. Following its rally career, UML 999 changed hands multiple times but remained accident-free, ensuring its preservation. Years later, Finnish rally builder Aarno Kangas acquired the car and began its restoration. In 2020, Peter Lüdicke purchased the Datsun and relocated it to Germany. Recognizing its historical significance, the Finnish Rally Museum requested it for exhibition in 2024 where it stil stands today. The recordings of the car are from February 2024 which marks the last run for the car on rally stages. ----------------------------------------------------------- History of the Datsun Violet 160J in Rallying: Japanese insistence on rallying cars close to standard specification brought the Datsun 160J to full competitiveness. In Group 2 trim the car had won the 1979 Safari Rally. Despite attempts to homologate a twin-cam version, the approval was rejected, leading Shekhar Mehta to win with a Group 2 car. Nine months later, Datsun introduced the Violet GT, a more powerful Group 4 rally car. The debut of the Violet GT was not spectacular. Rauno Aaltonen was chosen as the driver for the Monte Carlo Rally, more for his testing expertise than for his competitiveness (these days at least) on European style, special stage events. A steady run resulted in a placing outside the top ten. Mehta secured a controversial win at the Safari Rally, with a second Violet GT finishing runner-up. Development took place in both Europe and Japan, resulting in two distinct versions—one for sprint events and another for endurance rallies. The car featured a robust L20B engine. The transmission was a Datsun-built five-speed gearbox, adapted for different terrains. Despite advancements, problems surfaced with new clutch components. With upcoming regulation changes, Datsun prepared to transition to a new rally car for 1982, having learned valuable lessons from the Violet GT’s short but impactful run. ----------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - 3:09 Mixed Track and Onboard Action 3:10 - 4:26 BONUS: Original 1980 Datsun Violet A10 160J Group 2 + Rebuild ----------------------------------------------------------- Onboard footage used with explicit authorisation! ----------------------------------------------------------- #datsunviolet #datsun #rally2025 #wrc2025 #automobile #carsounds #historiccars #historicrally #group4 #group2 #safarirally #onboard #rallyonboard