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In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the Royal Automobile Club Rally in 1963.
In the big Healey, he finished fifth in the Royal Automobile Club Rally in 1963.
He is most famous for his hat-tricks of wins in the Royal Automobile Club Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally. Mäkinen"s start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally (now Rally Finland), in a Triumph TR3. He later drove works Austin-Healeys and Minis.
Mäkinen drove Minis during most of 1964 but came second in the Royal Automobile Club Rally in a Healey, at the end of that year.
He returned to the Mini Cooper South in 1965, winning the Monte Carlo Rally and the 1000 Lakes, and capturing a Coupe des Alpes at the Alpine Rally. He came second in the 1965 Royal Automobile Club Rally, again in a Healey.
In 1967, Timo Mäkinen drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the car"s bonnet open. Leather straps holding the bonnet were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces.
He tried to put his head out of the side window but his helmet was too big and he could only stick his head halfway out.
So he had to skid the car sideways continuously to see the road ahead. Mäkinen retired on the second stage with a fuel system problem. In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Carlsson, Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.
1964 Tulip Rally (Mini Cooper South).