Super Africa Rally: Difference between revisions

One of the participants in the 1958 Great West Africa Rally, Libertan {{W|magnate|business magnate}} and eccentric Harold Granius, was fascinated with the rally, but viewed its execution as far too elitist and antiquated. He consulted the ''Libertan National Motorsports Organization'' (LNMO), of which he was a member, about the possibility of conducting a similar competition, but to a professional degree. The organization did not seriously consider his idea, which it viewed as far too "ambitious" and "bombastic", until he managed to win support from the neocolonialist ''African Interest Bureau'' (AIB), which had connections to the Libertan government. Granius spent the next two years traveling and visiting various foreign dignitaries across western Africa. During the early 1960s, the last colonies in Africa were granted independence. Granius viewed this tumultuous time as ideal for leveraging political favors in order to achieve the materialization of an African rally. He reportedly managed to convince many African leaders by branding the rally as a {{W|Pan-Africanism|Pan-African}} idea, bringing a "modern form of sport" into the hands of the newly emancipated Africans.

Preparations had occurred during the months prior to the ratification, and the race was officially inaugurated on 6 July 1961. Running through the rebuilding of {{W|Agadir}} in the face of {{W|1960_Agadir_earthquake|an earthquake the year prior}}, it provided moral support to the still recovering city. In total, ten teams participated, two of which failed to complete the race; the race cars used were of three types, the American small-block {{W|Ford_Falcon_(North_America)#First_generation_(1960–1963)|Ford Falcon}}, the German {{W|Volkswagen_Beetle#1960–1969_models|Volkswagen Beetle}}, and a Swedish {{W|Saab 96}}. The Falcons suffered reliability problems, as its suspension was designed for the smooth highways of America. Similarly, the Beetles suffered from {{W|transaxle}} related lubrication issues, though this occurred in the lags legs of the race. The Saab faced major cooling issues and transmission difficulties stemming from a weak linkage system. Furthermore, the LNMO lacked the leverage to ensure that the signatories would clear public roads for the rally, and as such, the rally ran concurrently to regular traffic. The dangers of this would later be discussed by the parties in 1969, leading to the 1970 amendment to the accords, ensuring that countries were responsible for clearing traffic from the section of track that was used during the racing schedule. The race was also rerouted to avoid the aftermath of the {{W|Strike in Baixa do Cassange}}, in {{W|Portuguese Angola}}.

In comparison to the predecessor, the Great West Africa Rally, Granius intended for the rally to be as visible as possible. He would travel to the cities which the rally would run through beforehand, and attempt to garner public interest in the race. However, despite his efforts, the primary audience of the rally was in large part expats of the colonial nations which had ruled the newly independent African nations. In order to fund the race, Granius and the LNMO struck advertising deals with various companies, sticking their logotypes onto the cars. The cars would be depicted in commercial paraphernalia such as postcards and sold in Western European countries. Despite his vision of an African rally where the native population were spectators, he found that they were generally uninterested in such an obscure annual event, with a major exception in the Key cities of the rally; the Key cities were cities which the rally had to pass through, and the race saw considerably more native spectators there, as politicians were eager to amass crowds to the modern automotive spectacle. Granius did also manage to gather a sizable crowd for the finale in Cape Town. At that time, the only existing trophy of the race, the Cup of Africa, was handed out in a ceremony in the harbor of Cape Town.[[File:The Singh brothers & Volvo PV 544 Safari Rally 1965 001.jpg|thumb|The Kenyan Singh brothers' Volvo PV 544, as they race through Nigeria in 1965.]]The 1962 rally brought with it the stability of repetition and insights from the 1961 inaugural event. The cars were standardized in their equipment, with major modifications to suspension and structural components. Team sponsorships were introduced instead of a universal arrangement, and the race was officially sanctioned by {{W|Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA}}, which brought access to {{W|News agency|news agencies}}, and in turn, public attention. Major cities were sectioned off for the race beforehand, drawing the curiosity of locals, and an elaborate starting ceremony in {{W|Tangier}} brought international press to cover the start of the race. Much of the public-relations successes were masterminded by friend of Granius and LNMO member John Paccius, who created ''SAR-PR'', the public relations division of the rally. The race featured the {{W|Citroën_2CV#Sahara|Citroën 2CV Sahara Edition}}, the {{W|Mini (Mark I)|Mark I Austin Mini}}, and the Ford Falcon. The Citroën 2CV won the trophy.  

In 1963, the rally was further changed with the introduction of the ''racing schedule'' system, which stated that all contestants must travel a given distance each day (a so-called "section"), meet up at the stopping point, and depart at the same time the next day. Paccius had pushed hard for such a system to be put into place, as he found it problematic how several contestants did not arrive until hours or even days after the victor had crossed the finish-line, wanting a nice photogenic finish. The initial schedule stated that contestants must depart at 7:00 am and arrive no later than 11:00 pm, with the stopping point located some 500 kilometers away. The limited road network at the time made this a great challenge, as the team's mechanics were flown across the African continent to Key cities, where they would await the car. They were not available at all stops, leaving the team riding in the car to fix any mechanical faults that occurred along the road. This race featured the {{W|Ford_Cortina#Mark_I_(1962–1966)|Mark I Ford Cortina}}, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the {{W|Peugeot 404}}, the latter of which won the trophy.  

Margai's first cause of action was to help establish the ''Rally Motorsport Union of Africa'' (RMUA) in 1964, as he felt that the somewhat arbitrary nature of the SAR accords could easily lead to instability between the states. The RMUA would be an intergovernmental organization, with all member states being represented, including Liberta through the LNMO. The ownership rights to the Super Africa Rally brand would be transferred from the LNMO to the RMUA, with the profits of the rally distributed evenly to all the states; Margai theorized that the prospect of profit would be sufficient in ensuring that the African nations would continue supporting and allowing the championship to take place. It also worked to counteract the idea of the rally as neocolonialist. The LNMO was dissatisfied with this arrangement however, as the rally was a valuable trademark. In light of this, he managed to settle on an agreement with the rest of the RMUA; due to the lack of resources and competence to run the competition within the RMUA, the LNMO would organize the rally, whilst the RMUA would act as a board of oversight, having the final say on all major decisions. The LNMO could still use its branding for the rally, in conjunction with the RMUA. It was decided that the RMUA was to be headquartered in {{W|Lagos|Lagos, Nigeria}}.  

The now venerable team Maison de Citroën ({{Lit.|'house of Citroën'}}) entered the 1965 rally and upon the request of rally driver René Cotton, received the vacant #1 number. The team entered with a {{W|Citroën DS}}, which won the first ever super-swing, marking the start of a long line of successes for the team. The rivalry between the DS and the Mini Cooper, already established in the 1966 {{W|Monte Carlo Rally}}, also unfolded in the 1966 SAR rally, where both cars competed. Taking place in June, only a few months from the Monte Carlo controversy in January, the race brought attention from those who were hoping for a Mini revenge. The 1966 rally ended with a Cup of Africa win for the Mini Cooper, and a Championship Trophy for the DS. However, rally driver Paddy Hopkirk driving the victorious Mini remarked that the near month-long experience was "hellish by the end of it".

The Gambia would join the RMUA in early 1965 following its independence, resulting in the departure of the United Kingdom from the organization. The Portuguese colonies of {{W|Portuguese Angola}} and {{W|Portuguese Guinea}} were considered especially difficult to run through, as the protracted conflicts resulted in somewhat odd choices of roads in order to avoid guerrilla forces. Margai was reluctant to request outright military protection from Portugal, as that could politicize the race, and in turn, jeopardize its future. Instead, he convened with the RMUA and transferred the newly created Internal Security Force from the LNMO to the RMUA. The ISF was deployed in Angola and Guinea in order to protect the race teams and the places where they slept overnight. The ISF acted mostly as a security firm rather than a true military force. The decision to deploy it was controversial with Portugal, but an agreement was reached following the assurance that the force would not be publicized. In 1968, following its independence, Equatorial Guinea became the second independent member to join since the Gambia in 1965. However, in spite of the instability surrounding the race, it also benefited from the 1968 decision to begin televising the race at a wider scale; the results of the race and limited footage was broadcasted in Liberta as early as 1963, but the 1968 decision contributed to over a twenty hours of total footage from the 1968 race. In 1967, the RMUA headquarters were evacuated following the {{W|Nigerian Civil War}} and relocated to Liberta.