Watch Group B at its best: 1986 Rally Sweden

Hood up as the temperature dropped further south of zero, Henri Toivonen was up for it. He might just have stepped out of a Lancia Delta S4 at the end of the first day of the 1986 Swedish Rally and he might have fancied talking to his engineers about how he stayed out front.

But he fancied winding his second-placed countryman Juha Kankkunen up more.

Having completed his own end of day interview, Toivonen was asked a final question: "How about going and interviewing Juha Kankkunen for us?"

The response came with a grin. "Why not. I could make a few things for him, let's go...

"Here is Juha Kankkunen who is second, of course after me. How do you feel that this Toivonen is so fast?"

Kankkunen's right back at him. "Ah, Toivonen has been lucky today. It's no problem for us, only one minute."

The banter goes on. Before it's back to Group B cars at their absolute best.

Why am I talking about a rally that happened 32 years ago? Because it - along with a whole load of other rallies from days past - has just come back to life for me. The best rallies in WRC history will now be shown - starting with this very Swedish Rally (along with the 1988 and 1991 events) - on Motorsport TV every evening this week's Rally Sweden is running.

And if you can't wait that long, go to the motorsport.tv website and fill your boots from there.

But for now, I'm back in 1986 to see Ford's RS200 make a long overdue debut. Stig Blomqvist made the early running but it was Kalle Grundel who completed the job with a maiden podium for the Boreham-built beauty. Watching these videos reminds you of how much had been forgotten about this crop of drivers. Who, for example, remembered Grundel was an ex-fighter pilot?

This film also reminds you just how bad Citroen's BX 4TC was. Watching this underpowered monster of a thing understeer its way from corner to corner is shocking. No matter how tough things get for Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and Mads Ostberg with the C3 WRC this week, it won't come close to the frustrations of Jean-Claude Andruet and Philippe Wambergue. True enough, Andruet made points in sixth, but he was 23 minutes behind eventual winner Kankkunen.

Toivonen's hopes were dashed with an engine fault aboard the S4. But still, leading on his first Swedish was an entirely fair reflection on the immense natural talent he possessed. It was, however, haunting to hear him refer to a "young Juha Kankkunen" as one who will remain forever young himself.

Just before I leave 1986, I've got to direct you towards Malcolm Wilson in a Computervision 6R4 and the commitment the Cumbrian shows in the dark. It's sublime. And only edged in terms of entertainment by the noise being produced from the metal sitting behind him. I'd forgotten just how good a full-bore factory Metro sounded in 1986.

Treat yourself. It's music to your ears.