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

Simo Lampinen
Lampinen (left) at the 1964 1000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava
Personal information
NationalityFinland Finnish
Born (1943-06-22) 22 June 1943 (age 82)
Porvoo, Finland
World Rally Championship record
Active years19731979
Co-driverItaly Piero Sodano
United Kingdom John Davenport
Sweden Sölve Andreasson
Finland Juhani Markkanen
Italy Silvio Maiga
Sweden Arne Hertz
Finland Atso Aho
United Kingdom Mike Wood
United Kingdom Henry Liddon
United Kingdom Mike Broad
United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
TeamsLancia, Saab, Peugeot, Fiat, British Leyland
Rallies35
Championships0
Rally wins0
Podiums5
Stage wins41
Total points0
First rally1973 Monte Carlo Rally
Last rally1979 RAC Rally
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.

Biography

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

Lampinen was born in Porvoo. Having contracted polio at a young age, he 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.

Lampinen's 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, Lampinen 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.

International victories

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References

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