Andy Rouse!!
I thought he was a prize tw*t to be honest. I and many others lost all respect for the guy in 1993 when the Alfas kicked his arse (and Paul Radisich) in the blatantly wrong rear drive Mondeos in BTCC.
Rouse prepared a two car Mondeo team, but bent the rules to the extent where they ran a 2 litre Mazda V6 (The MX6 engine) on the basis that Ford owned a majority share in Mazda. And they re-engineered it to be rear drive, citing that they were using the rear diff from the limited production Mondeo 4x4. So nothing like a production Mondeo at all. Andy Rouse publicly declared that Ford were going to 'clean up' in 1993. (or was it 94??)
Alfa turned up with two 155's (Larini and Tarquini), both FWD with Alfa 8v engines and a raised boot spoiler, achieved via a couple of spacers that were standard equipment on 5000 155 'Silverstone' cars. Alfa then beat Ford by a daft margin (2 secs a lap at one point) and Rouse really spat his dummy out, complaining to the FIA about the 'illegal' rear spoiler. The FIA upheld his complaint and the Alfas lost the points. Alfa then packed up their cars and withdrew from the BTCC. Then Nissan and two other teams threatened to withdraw unless Alfas points were reinstated. The FIA buckled and Alfa Romeo continued to kick Fords arse for the rest of the season, taking the crown. Even Jackie Stewart, a lifelong Ford man, was not impressed with what had been going on.
The Mondeo failed as a race car and Ford distanced themselves from him. What an absolute arse after all the good work with the Sierras.
And as for the seats............Didn't one the limited edition E34 M5's have seats like this?
