History Event 1960s

1966 Acropolis Rally

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1966 Acropolis Rally

Date: June 12–16, 1966

Start/Finish Location: Athens, Greece

Total Distance: Over 3,000 kilometers

Participating Teams: 73 crews

The 1966 Acropolis Rally was one of the most grueling events of the European Rally Championship season. Known for its extreme heat, treacherous gravel roads, and mountainous terrain, the rally tested both man and machine. The combination of long liaison sections and punishing competitive stages across the Greek mainland made it a true endurance event.

Route

Mount Parnassus & Central Greece: Rocky ascents and descents with minimal margin for error.
Peloponnese Region: High-speed gravel stretches littered with embedded rocks and dust clouds.
Village Sections: Twisting roads with sudden changes in elevation and grip level.

The rally route challenged crews with brutal transitions between fast, open plains and narrow, technical mountain roads:

Spring heat, dust, and mechanical attrition made each kilometer a fight to survive.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Pauli Toivonen / Ensio Mikander · Citroën DS 21
2nd Place
Simo Lampinen · Saab 96
3rd Place
Erik Carlsson · Saab 96

Pauli Toivonen and Ensio Mikander capitalized on the Citroën DS 21’s suspension and reliability to win, narrowly ahead of tough Scandinavian rivals. The Saab 96 continued to impress with its rugged performance and consistency on loose surfaces.

The podium rewarded endurance and mechanical preservation over outright speed.

Car Highlights

The conditions favored rugged vehicles with good suspension travel, high ground clearance, and proven durability:

  • Citroën DS 21: Hydropneumatic suspension helped absorb rough impacts and maintain control.
  • Saab 96: Front-wheel drive and solid build quality made it dependable on broken terrain.
  • Porsche 911: Showed promising pace but struggled with clearance and overheating.

The rally rewarded finesse, traction, and mechanical sympathy over pure power.

Navigation & Challenges

Conditions in Greece were among the toughest in Europe:

  • Heat: Temperatures soared above 40°C (104°F), stressing engines and drivers.
  • Visibility: Dust plumes from preceding cars reduced visibility drastically on narrow tracks.
  • Mechanical Attrition: Tire blowouts, overheating, and suspension failures ended many campaigns early.

Only the most reliable cars and coordinated crews could conquer the Acropolis’s unforgiving terrain.

← Previous Event 1966 Tulip Rally (Rally van Nederland)
Back to Events Index
1966 Rallye International de Genève 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.