In our new partnership with legendary photographic agency McKlein, we’ll be bringing you regular unique galleries handpicked from the firm’s archives – and the stories behind the images.
We’ll get started with an incredible chance to get inside the car with the World Rally Championship’s finest.
“WRC in-car images are a genre of stills photography consigned to history now. There is simply no time on-event to set up and create these images, while modern cramped cockpits, wraparound seats and safety equipment limit what you would see today. Besides, the HD quality and full accessibility of in-car video footage, from every WRC car, on every stage, is all online.
But it wasn’t always like that. McKlein pioneered capturing in-car stills, using standard 35mm SLR cameras, mounted on roll cages. Here’s a walk back in time to some of our favourites.”
– Colin McMaster
Shekhar Mehta – Datsun 160J, 1980 Safari Rally
Shot by Reinhard Klein, from co-driver Mike Doughty’s seat. This is McKlein’s first example of an in-car image in colour. Fitting that it should be from the Safari Rally, Klein’s favourite WRC event.
Miki Biasion – Lancia Delta Integrale, 1988 Rally Sanremo
Reinhard Klein captured this study of the 1988 world champion behind the wheel. To do this in Sanremo, an event Biasion won three times in a row [1987-1989], in an Integrale was extra special.
Carlos Sainz & Luis Moya – Toyota Celica WRC, Rally Argentina 1998
I [Colin McMaster] put together a slimmed-down Canon 35mm camera, 15mm fisheye lens and mounted this to a lighting clamp. Luis Moya operated the camera on a hidden cable-release and a wireless flash was triggered. An early morning shakedown test in Argentina provided the perfect light. Carlos was never the easiest guy to persuade into doing something outside his routine, fortunately for me I had Klein (Toyota’s long-term photographer) to negotiate with him.
Juha Kankkunen & Juha Repo – Subaru Impreza WRC, Rally Finland 1999
Again, like Sainz, Juha Kankkunen can be a prickly customer at times, but on this particular day he was easy as pie. My in-car camera kit had come on a long way, the camera could be triggered remotely, at set intervals, and I tended to dispense with the flash. Capturing this study of Kankkunen, at home in Finland, on the way to what would be his last WRC win is special for me.
Colin McRae & Nicky Grist – Ford Focus WRC, Safari Rally 2000
My favourite crew of all time. I did many in-car shoots with McRae, starting in 1992 when I was, loosely, strapped in next to him in his Group A Legacy, at Subaru’s pre-RAC test. Within 200m he had pitched the car so sideways, back and forth, that my camera smacked me in the face, under my helmet, so we had to stop. That was the first time I heard his infectious belly-laugh, over the sound of a flat-four, and a friendship was formed. Throughout my career If I ever McRae to do an in-car shoot, he’d just say, “Aye, nae bother.”
Richard Burns & Robert Reid – Peugeot 206 WRC, Tour de Corse 2002
Richard Burns was my best friend. I once went for a day’s winter testing with Mitsubishi in the new Lancer EVO IV. I was standing-in for Robert Reid at Cadwell Park racetrack as pure ballast, not reading any pace-notes. It didn’t go very well; I was sick from Burnsie just bedding the brakes in! Jump forwards 14 years and he became champion of the world. His move to Peugeot opened the door for me to try some in-car on a different brand.
Petter Solberg & Phill Mills – Subaru Impreza WRC, 2002 Rally Sanremo
Another all-time favourite driver of mine is Petter Solberg. I recently worked out that he is the subject I have photographed the most in my 30-year career. He’s a fun character to be around, but that all changes the second he puts the helmet on – he’s more serious and focussed than any other driver I’ve known. Despite our strong friendship, to get my camera inside his car, just for a shakedown run, took some persuading. If Petter thought the weight of the camera kit would cost him half a tenth of a second [even for a shakedown run] he would question it.
Tommi Mäkinen & Kaj Lindström – Subaru Impreza WRC, Tour de Corse 2003
This image shows exactly what is possible today with digital cameras. The high dynamic range captures details in the shadows and with the sunrise streaming through the rear window, this has to be one of my most pleasing in-car shots ever. The fact that McKlein now work for Toyota again in the WRC means Lindström and Mäkinen are effectively our bosses. That makes it even more pleasing.
Sébastien Loeb & Daniel Elena – Citroën C4 WRC, Rally Catalunya 2010
No collection of WRC in-car images would be complete without ‘Le Maestro’ Sébastien Loeb. This was incredibly hard to set up, not because of Loeb – he’s as easygoing as they come – but because of the engineers at Citroën being dead-set against it. This was the first time I had to get approval from the FIA technical delegate, after installation. That kind of signalled the end of an era for in-car stills, beyond using a Go-Pro.
Colin McRae & Nicky Grist – Subaru Impreza WRC, Rally Portugal 1997
Saving the best till last. I set the camera to trigger every 10 seconds as McRae and Grist set off on a run during pre-event testing. They sussed out the timing of the camera and posed for this special pic, mid-run. They absolutely nailed it! I had no clue about what they’d done until the day after the rally, when I got the film processed. What made it even better was the next frame, 10 seconds later, where they are still laughing about it.
