The Flying Scotsman

It finally came together in 1995 though. After several rally wins mid-season, Colin was equal on points with team mate Carlos Sainz going into the final round of the year, his beloved home rally, the RAC. Despite punctures and mechanical problems throughout the rally, McRae persevered and went on to win the 1995 driver's crown. L555BAT, the registration of the Impreza 555 Colin drove on the RAC, became synonymous with him ever since. In doing so, he became Britain's first ever world rally champion. He was also awarded an MBE by the Queen for his services in motorsport.

Colin was not going to repeat his driver's title success the following year. He had too many crashes in 1996 and it was also the start of Tommi Makinen's dominance in the WRC, which lasted for the next four years. There were more wins for Colin and Subaru in 97 and 98 but no title success.

Thinking that he needed a change to revive his fortunes, Colin left Subaru and moved to Ford at the beginning of the 1999 season. His Ford contract came with a huge paycheck, making him the highest paid rally driver at that time. Colin was to drive the Focus WRC for the next four years. There were wins but no championship titles, even though he came close in 2001.

Colin's Citroen drive in 2003 was to be his last full season in the WRC. He lost the Citroen drive at the end of the year when the team decided to retain the more consistent Carlos Sainz instead of him. There were rumours that he was on the verge of driving for Subaru again in 2004, replacing the ill Richard Burns but it seemed that Subaru wasn't willing to meet his salary demands.

After his ‘sabbatical' from the WRC, Colin forayed into other forms of motorsports, most notably sportscar racing at Le Mans and the Paris-Dakar rally raid. In 2005, he participated in a couple of WRC rounds in the unfancied Skoda Fabia WRC. A podium finish in Australia proved that he still has the speed and what it takes. This was a stark contrast on the Rally of Turkey the following season. McRae was called in to replace the injured Sebastien Loeb in the Citroen for the rally. He didn't crash out but he finished outside of the top ten. It seemed that this was the end of McRae's rallying career.

Throughout his career, Colin was synonymous with the Subaru brand and its bright blue and yellow cars even though he also drove for Ford, Citroen and Skoda in the WRC. Colin's association with Subaru transformed the brand's image from a maker of sensible cars to a marque that is revered by driving enthusiasts worldwide. He is, after all, the one that gave the brand its first WRC victory, as well as its first manufacturer's and driver's title.

McRae has had plenty of big accidents in his rallying career, most notably in Corsica in 2000 and he had survived these dangerous shunts relatively unscathed. It is just so ironic and an injustice that he had to lose his life in a helicopter crash in the end.

This year marks the third anniversary of Colin McRae's unfortunate passing. Motorsports fans around the world, including myself, are once again reminded of this exceptional talent and character. Without Colin McRae, the WRC was never the same again. There will never be another Colin McRae.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by SWRT, Ford and Citroen