In the 1961 German Rally the DKW team started a rumour that he was using an illicit four-speed gearbox in his Saab 96 (the standard car only had three gears). They disassembled the gearbox, but found no fourth gear. It turned out that Carlsson had fooled them by dipping the clutch in third gear to make it sound like a four speed. In 2010, Carlsson was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame, along with Rauno Aaltonen, Paddy Hopkirk and Timo Mäkinen. Carlsson died on 27 May 2015.