Timo Mäkinen

Timo Antero Mäkinen (18 March 1938 – 4 May 2017) was a Finnish race car driver and one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is best remembered for his hat-trick of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally.

Career

Mäkinen was born in Helsinki. His start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland), in a Triumph TR3. He later drove works Austin-Healeys and Minis. In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the RAC Rally in 1963. Mäkinen drove Minis during most of 1964 but came second in the RAC Rally in a Healey, at the end of that year. He returned to the Mini Cooper S in 1965, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and the 1000 Lakes, and capturing a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally. He came second in the 1965 RAC Rally, again in a Healey.

In 1967, Mäkinen drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the car's bonnet open. Leather straps holding the bonnet were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces. He tried to put his head out of the side window but his helmet was too big and he could only stick his head halfway out. So he had to skid the car sideways continuously to see the road ahead. Even so, Mäkinen was third fastest on that special stage and he also won the rally overall, for the third year in a row.

In 1975, Mäkinen won the RAC for the third time in a row, at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800, preceded only by Erik Carlsson (Saab 96) in that feat. Mäkinen won the Finnish Rally Championship three times, the ice track championship six times and the saloon car race championship three times.

In 1969, Mäkinen competed in the very first Round Britain Powerboat Race, which he won. In 1994, Mäkinen made a brief return as Mini celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1964 Monte Carlo win by Paddy Hopkirk, who also participated in the event. Mäkinen retired on the second stage with a fuel system problem. In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Carlsson, Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.

Mäkinen also traveled to Australia to race Mini Coopers in the Bathurst 500 road race. He finished 6th outright and 3rd in class in 1965 co-driving with Northern Irish rally driver Paddy Hopkirk while finishing 7th outright and 3rd in class in 1967 with Australian driver John French.

Death Timo Makinen died on May 4, 2017, of natural causes in Helsinki, Finland.

Career results

Complete IMC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1970 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort Twin Cam MON7 SWERet ITA KEN AUT GRE GBRRet 1971 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI MON SWERet ITA GBR5 Ford Escort Twin Cam KEN20 MAR AUT GRE 1972 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI MON31 SWE KEN8 MAR GRE AUT ITA USA GBRRet

Complete WRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points 1973 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON11 SWE POR KENRet FIN1 AUT ITA USA GBR1 FRA N/A N/A Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MORRet GRE POL 1974 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MONC SWEC POR KENRet GREC N/A N/A Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 FIN2 ITA CAN USA GBR1 FRA 1975 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 MON SWE KENRet GRE MOR4 POR N/A N/A Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 FIN3 ITARet FRA GBR1 1976 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MONRet SWE POR MORRet FIN4 ITA GBRRet N/A N/A Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé KENRet GRE Peugeot 104 ZS FRARet 1977 Fiat S.p.A. Fiat 131 Abarth MON SWERet POR FINRet CANRet ITA GBR11 NC 0 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé KENRet NZL GRE Peugeot 104 ZS FRARet 1978 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE KENRet CIV2 FRA GBR NC 0 Peugeot 104 ZS POR7 GRE FIN CAN ITA 1979 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE POR KENRet GRE NZL CIVRet NC 0 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica 2000 GT FINRet CAN ITA FRA GBR 1980 BMW France BMW 320i MON14 SWE POR KEN 35th 7 Automobiles Peugeot Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé GRE10 ARGRet CIVRet Timo Mäkinen Racing Triumph TR7 V8 FIN22 NZL ITA FRA Rothmans Rally Team Ford Escort RS1800 GBR6 1981 Marshalls Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé MON SWE POR KENRet FRA GRE ARG BRA FIN ITA CIV GBR NC 0 1994 Timo Mäkinen Rover Mini Cooper MONRet POR KEN FRA GRE ARG NZL FIN ITA GBR NC 0

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts Class 1964 Don Moore Morris Mini Cooper S SNE GOO OUL AIN SIL CRY BRHovr:9cls:3 OUL 21st 4 9th

Complete Bathurst 500 results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1965 BMC Paddy Hopkirk Morris Cooper S C 128 6th 3rd 1967 BMC Works Team John French Morris Cooper S C 127 7th 3rd

International wins 1964 Tulip Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1965 Monte Carlo Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1965 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1966 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1966 Three Cities Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1967 1000 Lakes Rally (Mini Cooper S) 1972 Hong Kong Rally (Ford Escort RS1600) 1973 Arctic Rally (Ford Escort RS1600) 1973 1000 Lakes Rally (Ford Escort RS1600) 1973 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600) 1974 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1600) 1974 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Ford Escort RS1600) 1975 RAC Rally (Ford Escort RS1800) 1976 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire (Peugeot 504 V6)