Hayden Paddon’s victory on the Fafe European Rally Championship season opener in March was significant in more ways than one.
Not only was it the result that set the New Zealander on course to become the first driver not flying the colours of a European flag to win the ERC title – more of that later – it also marked the start of the championship’s 70th anniversary year.
Back in 1953, 20 years before the first World rally title for manufacturers was awarded, Helmut Polensky was blazing a trail.
Having survived a Russian prisoner of war camp, from which he escaped, Polensky relied on both Fiat and Porsche power to become the first European champion rally driver.
While his wife, Ingeborg, initially co-drove, Walter Schluter was given the job for the 1953 season. But Polensky’s fellow German had driving ambitions of his own.
After piloting a DKW from Hastings to Blackpool – the ERC-counting RAC British International Rally route in the March of that year – to 13th position, Schluter scored sufficiently through the season to take the 1954 title, despite not landing an event win.
Success for Werner Engel, Walter Schock and Ruprecht Hopfen meant it wasn’t until 1958 that a non-German became
