Cars That Changed World Rallying, Part 8: Subaru Impreza WRX

Cliff Chambers
27 July 2025

Retro Rides Originals

Asian

From spending frosty mornings watching cars tackle Canberra’s notorious ‘Mineshaft’ to eventually managing Subaru’s Championship-winning team during the 1980s, Cliff Chambers has a long association with rallying. In this 10-part series, he takes a look back at the cars that have been most influential in the sport.

Subaru had for decades enjoyed rally success before building its Impreza-based WRX and taking on other Japanese brands in the quest for World Rally glory.

The company’s early activity included sending teams from Japan to contest in Australia’s Southern Cross rallies, supplying cars at subsidised prices to Australian Rally Championship entrants during the mid-1980s, and fielding a high-profile quartet of runners for the 1987 African Safari.

Colin McRae en route to winning the 1996 Rallye Catalunya in the Subaru Impreza — McRae won the Drivers’ championship in the Impreza in 1995 but finished runner up the following two years, although Subaru clinched the Manufacturers’ championship all three years (Image: Prodrive/Salon Prive)

The WRX was fundamentally different from those early cars being based as it was on the Impreza platform, meaning its All-Wheel Drive system operated constantly via a centre differential. It also had only one set of ratios, eliminating the low-range transfer case which was a source of grief in earlier RX Turbos.

Subaru’s first WRX World Rally Championship victory came in 1994. A year later the ‘Rex’ took both the WRC Drivers’ title – in the hands of Colin McRae – and the Manufacturers’ award.

Richard Burns won the Rally GB three times — Richard Burns, pictured here at Rally GB which he won twice in an Impreza, took home the Drivers’ championship in 2001 (Image: Wales Rally GB)

1996 and 1997 saw Subaru continue to dominate the Manufacturers’ title, with a variety of prominent drivers contributing to its point score.

A period of Mitsubishi ascendency – stay tuned for part nine – then followed, before Subaru rebounded in 2001 with Richard Burns winning the Drivers’ title. His victory was followed by Petter Solberg in 2003, who became the first Norwegian World Rally Champion.

Possum Bourne jumping a Subaru Impreza rally car — The legendary Possum Bourne won seven straight Australian Drivers’ Championships in a variety of WRXs (Image: Subaru Australia)

In Australia, the WRX’s endured a period of total dominance from 1996 to 2002 in the hands of NZ-born Peter ‘Possum’ Bourne. The Kiwi flyer would also contest World Rally and Asia-Pacific events, winning in 1993 and 1994, delivering Subaru Australia no fewer than seven consecutive Australian Drivers’ Championships in a variety of Impreza WRXs.

Following Bourne’s untimely death in 2003, Victorian Cody Crocker won three more championships in a WRX STi.

Want to know more about the history of automotive rallying? Click here to find out.

Cliff Chambers

Writer & Head Valuer

At age 14, surrounded by stacks of motoring magazines from the local junk shop, Cliff Chambers was warned by a concerned mother that he would ‘Never get anywhere knowing a lot about old cars.’ Seventeen years later when his definitive book, Making Money From Collectable Cars was published, she was proud to be proven wrong.

That was in 1987, but Cliff’s life was already revolving around all things automotive. From working part time in a panel shop while at university, he moved to motor industry consultancy roles and managing a Championship winning rally team.

During the 1990s he joined the classic vehicle insurance industry, at the same time becoming a prolific writer for magazines and motoring websites. Then came his ongoing contribution as one of the country’s leading vehicle valuers.

Away from work, automotive events and objects remain prominent in Cliff’s world. He has owned more than 40 cars now considered ‘classic’ and within his collection of motor-related items there remain some of those magazines acquired as a fact hungry teen.

Cliff brings to Retro Rides a blend of unique industry skills and a love of vehicles that will become more obvious with every contribution he makes to the site.