The legendary Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver famously known for driving a Subaru towards victory year after year. One of Colin's most famous phrases was “If In doubt, Flat out”.
Born on 5th August 1968 in Lanark, Colin McRae was one of the most famous driver in the history of the WRC (World Rally Championship). The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae. Colin's fame in Rally all started in 1986 with his Talbot Sunbeam which he had bought for £850.
Colin’s first entry in the WRC was with the
Subaru World Rally Team in the
Subaru Legacy in 1991, and took his first WRC win with the team in New Zealand in 1993. During this time
Subaru was busy developing the first generation
Subaru Impreza to comply with the rule changes of the WRC that changes meant a new smaller, lighter and faster car was required in order to stay competitive in the WRC. In 1995 he wins the World Rally Championship Constructors' title again with the now 1995 famous Impreza L555BAT, proving that the Impreza was a World Leading rally car. His outstanding performance enabled him and
Subaru to win again for 1996, 1997.
In 1996 Colin was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire ) for services to motorsport, with an impressive 25 WRC wins during his career, spectacular driving on rally stages around the globe which all led to a range of video games carrying his name.
Colin’s driving career with Subaru lasted from 1991 to 1998, where he then moved to Ford in 1999 remaining with the team until the end of 2002 when he then switched to Citroen. In 2004 the WRC had a change of rules which left Colin without a full-time drive, this event made him put his focus in other motorsport events including the X-Games, 24 Hours Le Mans and the Dakar Rally.
Whilst his driving skills was impeccable he later on went a further step and started to build his own car, the McRae R4. A Car which was developed with DJM Motorsport was designed for use in rallying, rally cross, circuit racing and ice racing events, with the possibility of a one-make race series.
At the age of 39, 15
th September 2007 McRae died when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near his home in Lanark. He was one of four people killed in a helicopter accident with his young son Johnny and two family friends.