I drew these works for the Ralliart calendar from 1990 to 1994. At the time, I remember using various painting materials such as watercolor, acrylic gouache, airbrush, sign pen, etc., and going through a lot of trial and error. I was very lucky to have found this job.   Hiroshi Kuroki 

vr-4 Shinozuka

”Kenjiro Shinozuka’s Galant VR-4 at 1989 Portugal Rally”
The Portugal Rally is held mainly in Matosinhos, a tourist resort known for its historical and cultural heritage and beautiful beaches. The 1989 winner was the then dominant Lancia Delta Integrale. The year before, Mitsubishi returned to the WRC after a five-year absence with Shinozuka’s Galant VR-4, and Shinozuka went on to become the first champion in the Asia-Pacific Championship.

VR-4 at 1989 RCA Rally

“Pentti Ailikkala’s Galant VR-4 at 1989 RCA Rally”
Ailikkala’s Galant VR-4 won the rally ahead of two Toyota Celica GT4s. RAC stands for the Royal Automobile Club of England, and the rally dates back to as far as 1932. The muddy gravel roads of the rainy Welsh region are a favorite course for Scandinavian competitors like Ailikkala.

vr-4 monte carlo 1990

“Ari Vatanen’s Galant VR-4 at 1990 Monte Carlo Rally”
The Monte Carlo Rally began in 1911 and is one of the oldest international automobile races in the world. The course, which starts in Monaco and winds its way through the mountain passes of the Alps, is held in January in the middle of winter, so the road surface conditions are diverse, and the skill of the competitors is more important than the performance of their cars. Ari Vatanen was Mitsubishi’s ace driver during this period.

VR-4 Ivory coast

“Patrick Tauziac’s Galant VR-4 at 1990 Ivory Coast Rally”
The Rallye Côte d’Ivoire is known as one of the toughest rallies with one year in which not a single car finished the rally. In 1990, local Frenchman Patrick Tojak took his first overall victory in this rally, beating out an Audi 90 Quattro and a Renault Cinq GT Turbo.

VR-4 acropolis 1991

“Kenneth Eriksson’s Galant VR-4 at 1991 Acropolis Rally”
The Acropolis Rally, which started from the side of the Parthenon, was known as the “Car Breaker Rally” because of the many hard, sharp stones on the course that were harsh on the tires. The winner of this year was the Lancia Delta Integrale, a regular winner at the time. However, during this season, the Toyota Celica GT-FOUR became the first non-European car to win the Monte Carlo Rally in its history, and the Japanese teams of Toyota, Subaru, and Mitsubishi were in hot pursuit.

Shinozuka’s VR-4 Ivory coast

“Galant VR-4 at 1991 Ivory Coast Rally”
Kenjiro Shinozuka became the first Japanese driver to win the WRC overall in this rally, with his teammate Tauziac, who had won the previous year, coming in 2nd place, and the VR-4 continuing its victory over the Audi 90 Quattro from the previous year. Shinozuka won this rally the following year as well, bringing the total to 6 wins for the Galant VR-4 in the WRC.

Hubert Oriol's Pajero

”Hubert Oriol’s Pajero Prototype”
Hubert Oriol, Erwin Weber, and Kenjiro Shinozuka finished 1-2-3 in the 1992 Dakar Rally, the first overall win for Pajero in a while since its first win in 1985.

Kenjiro Shinozuka's Pajero

“Kenjiro Shinozuka’s Pajero Prototype”
Shinozuka’s Pajero placed 3rd in the 1992 Dakar Rally. Initially, the Pajero in the Dakar Rally was based on the production models, but later it was transformed into a prototype in order to increase its competitiveness, and the pursuit of aerodynamics and other factors gradually reduced the number of elements that made it recognizable as a Pajero from the outside.

bruno saby's pajero 1993

“Bruno Saby’s Pajero Prototype”
Bruno Saby’s Pajero won the 1993 Dakar Rally overall ahead of 2 Citroën ZXs. It was Mitsubishi’s 2nd consecutive victory and 3rd in total.

fontenay's pajero prototype

“Jean-Pierre Fontenay’s Pajero Prototype”
Fontenay’s Pajero finished 12th in the 1993 Dakar Rally. Fontenay went on to win the Dakar Rally overall five years later.

Kenneth Eriksson's Lancer evolution1993

“Kenneth Eriksson’s Lancer Evolution at 1993 Monte Carlo Rally”
In accordance with the vehicle regulation changes from 1993, Mitsubishi introduced the Lancer Evolution in place of the Galant VR-4. In the first round, the Monte Carlo Rally, Kenneth Eriksson and Armin Schwarz finished 4th and 6th, respectively. The winner was the Toyota Celica GT-FOUR, with the Ford Escort RS coming in 2nd and 3rd.

Lancer EVO-I at Acropolis

“Armin Schwarz’s Lancer EVO-I at 1993 Acropolis rally”
Mitsubishi introduced the Lancer EVO-I in the WRC this year. Armin Schwarz finished 3rd in this rally. The winner was the Ford Escort RS. The Lancer Evolution would later undergo a series of evolutions, and Tommi Makinen, driving the Evolution IV, V, and VI, would become WRC champion for 4 consecutive years starting in 1996, and Mitsubishi would win its first manufacturers’ championship in 1998.