Colin Malkin on the Circuit of Ireland car
[photo supplied by Richard Sozanski]
Colin Malkin on the Circuit of Ireland car [photo supplied by Richard Sozanski] |
23 August 1942, Coventry - 23 Jan. 2006 (aged 63)
Son of Coventry garagist 'Codger' Malkin. His father was a rallyman; his brothers Keith and Barrie used to autocross. Colin did too, winning awards in a Mini and a Lotus 6.
During his lifetime he won two London to Sydney rallies as well as the prestigious Vuelta a la America del Sud. He won not just the international rallies but all three major British nationals.
Father of two, one son is called Darren.
Circuit of Ireland Rally, 1965 April. 1st in class: Colin Malkin (in a 1293 Mini?)
On forums.autosport.com, Fred Gallagher says (25-Jan-08 19:35) to Sterling49: "I see from photographs in the 1967 programme [of the Circuit of Ireland?] that in 1965 the Malkin Imp was FHP 549C and the 1966 car of Rosemary Smith was 4525 KV."
The Rootes Competition Department loaned him a 998 Hillman Imp.
Circuit of Ireland Rally, 1966 (that would be Easter time).
86 starters, 33 finished. Colin Malkin with R. Lyall (private entry) finished 1st in class: up to 1,300cc for G.T. cars. He came 7th overall. His Imp was the only Rootes works car to finish.
 Colin Malkin & Robbie Lyall, Circuit of Ireland Rally, March 1966, a Works Imp, winner of the Up-to-1300cc class |
He was then based at his garage in Kenilworth. After this win he was selling Rootes cars from his showroom. He bought an Imp for the home Nationals, which very quickly gained works-replica trim courtesy of the Competition Department.
Colin Malkin also won the Londonderry Trophy.
10th place in the Welsh International, despite severe frontal damage on the way to the start.
Monte Carlo - DNF: a deflated tyre.
Likely Mr. Malkin had fond memories of 1968. Apart from winning the London-Sydney Marathon, it was the year of the Sunbeam Rallye Imp. He took the RAC Rally Championship, beating Roger Clark and the might of Ford. The results included 3rd overall on the Scottish Rally (behinf Clark's Escort TC and Lars Ytterbring in a works Cooper S) and outright wins later in the season: Bolton; Vales; and Express & Star. He also cleaned up the Castrol/ Motoring News Championship at a time when road rallying had many kudos in the public eye.
Winner of all three British Rally Championships in 1968 at the wheel of special one-litre Hillman Imps (Hillman Rallye Imp), he then went on that year to share the wheel on the London Sydney marathon with Andrew Cowan, winning in a Hillman Hunter.
He won the 1968 'Motoring News' road Rally Championship, navigated by John Brown, in his works 998 Hillman Imp.
Colin Malkin & John Brown won the Cambrian Rally in a Hillman Imp.
Scottish Rally, 1968. C. Malkin in JVC 123E with competition no.13 finished 3rd overall.
That year he also won the BTRDA Gold Star Championship and the RAC Rally Championship. The RAC British Rally championship was won in 1968 by Colin Malkin and John Brown in a Hillman Rallye Imp. Yes.
BTRDA = British Trials and Rally Drivers Association
 Colin Malkin in MUE 662E, a Hillman Californian On the door: Gallaher; competition no. 16 Engine lid is open... cooling problems or habit? [Photo supplied by Richard Sozanski] |
 Bristowe 1968 [Photo for sale at photohistoric.com] |
 Dec. 1968, Sydney: exhausted & grubby, but very pleased | |
Colin Malkin was added to the two Scottish brothers-in-law Andrew Cowan and Brian Coyle for the London to Sydney marathon in a Hillman Hunter. And they won ! Cowan said Malkin had the worst of the rally, as he was in the back, be being bounced around, trying to get his sleep, while Cowan drove flat out.
The Glasgow Herald - Dec 18, 1968 - The Glasgow Herald writes Malkin is a Leamington garage proprietor at the time.
Manx Rally, 1969 Colin Malkin came 1st overall.
Welsh Rally, 1969. C. Malkin driving JVC 123E retired. Competition no. may have been 9.
Rally Isle of Man, 1969 Colin Malkin / John Davenport (Imp)
Fram International Welsh Rally, April 1969
Colin Malkin in a Hillman Imp retired due to a gearbox seizure.
TAP Rally of Portugal, October 1969
Colin Malkin/John Davenport drove a Lancia Fulvia. They retired due to a blown gasket.
RAC Rally, November 1969
Colin Malkin / Keith Wood (#16) drove a Lancia Fulvia HF, but retired.
Note: 158 entries, 151 starters, 69 finishers
 photo supplied by Ian Fisher |
How to start rallying / by Colin Malkin ; as told to Richard Hudson-Evans. - London : Speed & Sports Publications, 1970. - 3-98p. : illustrated ; 22cm tall. - [Speed Sport motobooks]
ISBN 0-85113-024-0
Parts of this book first appeared in 'Cars and Car Conversions' as a series entitled 'Come Rallying' as told to Richard Hudson-Evans by Colin Malkin. Here the information has been updated and increased.
Holding Libraries: Dublin - Trinity College Library ; VP 22809;
1971, 6-7 February - Snowman Rally
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5th-10th June 1971
In 1971 CCC (p.44) reported Colin Malkin to be driving the 208 Luxempop Imp in the Scottish Rally. The engine broke down at Inshriach: no compression.
CCC:
The trouble was, it happened to be the very valuable works 1140 unit. And it happened in the middle of the night.
So in the wee hours, Des O'Dell (manager of Chrysler UK Competitions) came up to deliver a spare modified production 998 to Scotland, to Brian Coyle's workshop. So the Luxembourg's engine got swapped.
Colin Malkin drove ALN 650H on either the 1973 or 74 Jim Clark Rally.
In an Avenger GT he drove the Rally de Portugal, finishing at pos. 16. Comp.no. 54
In 1974 he competed in the Jim Clark Rally, giving the last outing to an Imp prepared in the old Rootes competition depot in Humber Road, Stoke.
His garage: C & J Motors, in Kenilworth.
He led the successful team, Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe. At the Acropolis Rally in 1991, Mr Malkin co-ordinated a team which included 62 people, two rally cars, eight service vans, five tyre vans, five support vehicles and three supervision cars.