Tulpenrallye 1983

The story of 1983: This fourth edition of the AMAC Tulpenrallye showed that the public was coming to appreciate the event more and more. The competitors provided plenty of spectacle, the organisers had everything well in hand and there was nothing to complain about where publicity was concerned. All of this led to generous coverage on Studio Sport and favourable pieces in the daily and weekly papers. Huub Dubbelman wrote about the 31st Tulpenrallye: ‘Among the foreign entries was Stig Andervang, a Swedish Ford Escort driver and a member of the Swedish Junior Rally Team. A real crowd-pleaser, and after only a few tests the overwhelming favourite. Paul Maaskant ruled the Vlasakkers; later he would have to retire with a broken differential. Renger Guliker led, with Henk Vossen and Andervang behind him. Wim Luijbregts, driving the zero car, could hardly believe his luck, as Pon’s Automobielhandel had put an Audi Quattro at his disposal, in which he set very quick times on several tests. Under pressure from the opposition, Guliker — with Bob Dickhout beside him — went harder and harder; the Porsche seemed to fly over the tests. In his wake came Henk Vossen, as entertaining to watch as ever, with the Porsche driver Jan Bak close behind him. Behind Andervang, fifth place went to Johnny Hoes, who almost by tradition put the Mitsubishi into the woods somewhere again….. The prize-giving was deliberately held up a little so that Johan Stekelenburg of Studio Sport could show the rest of the Netherlands how a small piece of rally history had been written in this country that day. Perhaps the NOS team will be there again next year, and if at all possible let them film the last corner of the unsurfaced test at Stroe. For any true motor sport enthusiast, it sends a shiver down the spine.’