Ari Vatanen (born April 27, 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament. April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rally refers to competition, as in rally racing with automobiles a political rally, a march or parade e. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ...

Vatanen was born in Espoo but grew up in rural Tuupovaara in Eastern Finland. His debut year in professional rally was in 1970, and he became World Rally Champion in 1981 with Ford, at the wheel of an Escort RS1800. He has won the Paris-Dakar Rally three times with Peugeot, in 1987, 1989 and 1990, and again with Citroën in 1991. With Peugeot, he has also won the famous Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, after Peugeot stopped participating in the world rally championship series in 1986, due to the demise of Group B rally. Peugeot used the lessons learnt from its 205 T16 to create the 405 T16. With at least 600bhp, huge aerofoils, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, the talented Vatanen took the car up the hill in record time, his efforts being captured in the award-winning short film "Climb Dance". Founded 1972 Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Greater Helsinki Area - Of which land - Rank 528 km² 312 km² ranked 279th Population - Population density - Rank 229,443 699 inh. ... Tuupovaara was a municipality of Finland, located in the province of Eastern Finland. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ford Motor Company (usually called Ford; sometimes called FoMoCo), NYSE: F is a multinational corporation that manufactures automobiles. ... The Paris Dakar Rally (or The Dakar) is an annual, organized, professional off-road race. ... Peugeot is a major French car brand which is today part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, started in 1919 by André Citroën, today part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is an annual tarmac/gravel hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado. ...

Following his years of working with a French rally team, in 1993 he settled in southern France where he bought a farm and a winery. He soon developed an interest in politics, and in 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament from the list of the conservative Finnish National Coalition party, despite continuing to live in France. The issues he has worked on include car taxation, traffic policies, development aid, and agricultural policy. The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ... The National Coalition Party (Kansallinen Kokoomus or Samlingspartiet) is a political party in Finland. ...

His hunger for motorsport had not left him completely however, and Vatanen joined Nissan in the Paris-Dakar in 2003, finishing 7th. He returned in 2004, and is set to make another attempt.

In 2004 he was re-elected, this time from the list of the conservative French Union for a Popular Movement. The Union for a Popular Movement, initially named the Union for a Presidential Majority, and in both cases also known by its French acronym UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire and Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle, respectively) is a French center-right, conservative political party. ...

External links

• Ari Vatanen's Web Site