Simo Lampinen

Lampinen (on the left) at the 1964 1000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava

Lampinen drives a Saab Sport at the 1965 1000 Lakes

Lampinen's Triumph TR7 of the 1978 RAC Rally driven at the Race Retro 2008.

Simo Lampinen (born Porvoo, 22 June 1943) is a Finnish former rally driver, and one of the first of the "Flying Finns" who came to dominate the sport.

Biography

Lampinen's Lancia Beta Coupé of the 1975 RAC Rally.

Having contracted polio at a young age, Lampinen was left with a pronounced limp, and as a result he was granted a driving licence aged 17 so he could travel to and from school more easily. He quickly graduated to competitive driving, and won the Finnish Rally Championship twice in succession in 1963 and 1964.

His early victories were in the Saab 96, before being lured to Lancia in 1970 where he continued his winning ways. He also drove for Peugeot, Fiat and Triumph, though without the same success.

More recently, he has been Clerk of the Course at the Rally Finland, the event he won three times himself, and he has also assisted Saab in two racing events; their Saab 900 Talladega Challenge in Alabama in 1996 where several speed records were set, and the 2000 Pikes Peak race, when Per Eklund won in a race-prepped Saab 9-3 Viggen.