History 1960s

1968 East African Safari Rally

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1968 East African Safari Rally

Date: April 11–15, 1968

Start/Finish Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Total Distance: Approximately 5,000 kilometers

Participating Teams: 91 starters / 7 finishers

The 1968 East African Safari Rally remains one of the most brutal editions in the rally’s storied history. With torrential rainstorms devastating the route across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, only 7 out of 91 crews finished—earning the survivors the nickname the "Unsinkable Seven." Constant floods, washed-out roads, axle-deep mud, and impassable river crossings made survival, not speed, the ultimate goal.

Route

Mount Kenya Region: Cold, muddy slopes taxed traction and engine cooling at altitude.

Lake Victoria Basin: Roads turned to rivers with flash flooding and axle-deep mud.

Great Rift Valley: Rocky terrain and deep ruts required conservative suspension setups and frequent underbody inspections.

The 1968 rally looped through East Africa’s most grueling terrain, starting and ending in Nairobi. The route was battered by seasonal rains, forcing on-the-fly reroutes and constant improvisation by both crews and organizers.

Rains destroyed bridges, flooded checkpoints, and left vehicles stranded mid-stage. Local crowds, often barefoot in the mud, enthusiastically helped push cars through impassable sections.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner

Zbigniew "Nick" Nowicki / Paddy Cliff – Peugeot 404

2nd Place

Peter Huth / Ian Grant – Ford Lotus Cortina

3rd Place

Kim Mandeville / Stuart Allison – Triumph 2000

Nowicki and Cliff secured victory without incurring mechanical penalties, thanks to a steady drive and the Peugeot 404’s resilience. The seven finishers were celebrated across the region for their perseverance in what became a rally of attrition unlike any other.

Navigation & Challenges

Rain and Flooding: Entire roads vanished under water, forcing last-minute route changes and detours through terrain barely passable by livestock.
Mechanical Attrition: Suspension failures, hydrolocked engines, and snapped axles were common. Crews performed repairs in the mud using whatever tools they had onboard.
Night Driving: Fog, fatigue, and minimal lighting led to many breakdowns and navigational errors overnight.

The 1968 Safari was less about racecraft and more about resilience. Crews that reached Nairobi were not just finishers—they were survivors.

← Previous Event 1968 Rallye Pneumant (East Germany)

Back to Events Index

1968 Rallye du Maroc (Rally of Morocco) Next Event →

Watch rallies anywhere — bypass region blocks with NordVPN.

Fast servers for HD streams Servers in 60+ countries 30-day money-back

Unblock coverage — Save up to 77% + 3 months free

Sponsored link. Using our partner links helps support Compromised Internals at no extra cost to you.