History 1970s

1975 Safari Rally (Kenya)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 23rd Safari Rally

Date: March 27–31, 1975

Host Country: Kenya

Surface: Gravel

Total Distance: ~5,000 km

Total Starters: 84 crews

Total Finishers: 18 crews

The 1975 Safari Rally remained the most grueling event on the rally calendar, demanding mechanical resilience and unwavering focus over thousands of kilometers of dust, rocks, and wildlife hazards. Swedish legend Ove Andersson, paired with Arne Hertz, drove a flawless rally in their Peugeot 504, surviving the harsh East African conditions and capitalizing on rivals' misfortunes to bring home a historic win for Peugeot.

Route

Rift Valley: Rocky outcroppings and elevation swings tested suspension systems and visibility in dust clouds.
Tsavo and Amboseli: Harsh gravel trails and animal crossings created unpredictable hazards.
Highlands near Nairobi: Thinner air and wet sections from seasonal rains made traction challenging.

The route looped through the arid plains, highland plateaus, and humid lake regions of Kenya, often veering into neighboring Uganda and Tanzania in prior editions. In 1975, stages focused solely within Kenya due to border tensions, but the terrain remained extreme.

With no special stages and the entire event run as open-road competitive sections, reliability and navigation mattered more than outright speed.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Ove Andersson & Arne Hertz · Peugeot 504
2nd Place
Shekhar Mehta & Lofty Drews · Datsun 180B SSS
3rd Place
Rauno Aaltonen & John Davenport · Peugeot 504

Andersson’s calm strategy, paired with Hertz’s sharp navigation, helped Peugeot deliver a commanding result, finishing with two cars on the podium.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Extreme Distance: Nearly 5,000 km of driving across terrain where one breakdown could mean retirement.
  • Dust and Rain: Visibility often reduced to meters, while flash floods washed out roads overnight.
  • Service Scarcity: Remote stage access limited outside help—teams relied on spare parts and bush repairs.

The 1975 Safari Rally was survival by design—and Andersson’s controlled drive earned him victory in one of the toughest endurance challenges in motorsport history.

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