Walter Röhrl turned 75 in March. We asked our friend and Tazio columnist Christian Geistdörfer to write a personal tribute. He sent in an essay.
Walter Röhl turning 75 was of course a milestone we did not want to miss. When we asked Christian if he wanted to write an article on Walter, his first reply was this: ‘what is left that has not been said and written already?’
Winning Monte Carlo
With plenty of books and articles written on Walter’s long career, we could not argue with Christian. What we could do, was offer him a completely blank canvas. Which Christian filled in with a very personal portrait. No man is better placed to tell us about one of the most talented rallymen of his generation than Christian Geistdörfer. He was by Walter’s side through most of his career, and in all the rounds when they campaigned for the world rally championship. Christian beautifully describes what happened when they realized Walter’s big goal: winning the Monte Carlo rally. And how it was anything but clear that they were to continue competing, with the big goal now attained.
We also get to see a very personal side of Walter, and Christian covers the last couple of years as well, which has brought the duo to prestigious events like Goodwood, Monte Carlo Historique and the Mille Miglia. All of it accompanied by a rich selection of pictures from throughout Walter’s career (and Christian’s of course).
Bandama
On top of that, in his regular column Christian takes us back to a decisive moment in the 1982 world championship: the Bandama Rally in Ivory Coast. If you’re a Röhrl fan, there is plenty that you will like in Tazio 4. If you’re not a Röhrl fan, there is plenty you will learn.
Tazio 4 is now available in our webshop and should be available with our stockists in the coming days.
