Former works Mazda WRC driver Ingvar Carlsson, born in 1947, has passed away at the age of 62 following a short period of illness.

The Swedish driver began his rallying career in the late 1960s, competing on national events. His first World Rally Championship appearance took place in 1974 in Portugal, but the maiden foray ended in retirement.

Carlsson drove for several constructors on many WRC rounds, taking the controls of BMW, Datsun, Fiat, Mercedes, and Mazda models. It is with the latter team that he would begin taking his place on the WRC scene, stepping onto the third step of his first podium at the 1985 edition of Rally Acropolis.

He played an important role in Mazda's rally programme, working on the development of the Group B RX-7 followed by the Group A 323 4WD - the Japanese constructor's first four-wheel drive entry. The car tackled its first WRC event at Monte Carlo in 1985.

The 1989 season saw Carlsson record a maiden World Rally Championship victory in his homeland Sweden when his team-mate had an off. However, his second victory that year came in New Zealand where he truly dominated.

A single podium finish occurred in 1990 in New Zealand. The team switched to the Mazda 323 GT-X the following year, but no podiums appeared on their tally.

When Mazda decided to leave the World Rally Championship at the end of the 1991 season, Carlsson followed them out and brought his WRC career to an end.

Daniel BASTIEN
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