History 1980s

1983 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1983 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Date: February 11–13, 1983

Start Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Finish Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Total Distance: 358 km of special stages

Surface: Snow and ice

The 1983 Swedish Rally offered pure winter rallying—fast-paced forest stages blanketed in snow and lined with snowbanks. As one of the few WRC rounds held entirely on snow, it provided a unique challenge requiring perfect studded tire grip, fearless speed, and precise co-driving under slippery conditions.

Route

Hagfors: Long straights and flowing corners ideal for high-speed snow runs.
Fredriksberg: Narrow tracks with deep snowbanks rewarding aggressive lines.
Rämmen: A technical stage with hidden crests and tight chicanes over ice.

Based in Karlstad, the rally ventured deep into the forests of Värmland, with special stages including:

Crews relied heavily on snowbanks for cornering support while dealing with visibility issues from blowing powder and frozen windscreens.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Stig Blomqvist & Björn Cederberg · Audi Quattro
2nd Place
Hannu Mikkola & Arne Hertz · Audi Quattro
3rd Place
Ari Vatanen & Terry Harryman · Opel Ascona 400

Audi’s all-wheel-drive system dominated once again, with Blomqvist’s local knowledge and relentless pace proving unbeatable in the snow.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Blinding Snow: Kicked-up powder and snowfall hindered vision in close battles.
  • Studded Tire Dependence: Grip was entirely reliant on well-prepared tire strategy and spike integrity.
  • Snowbanks: Drivers risked leaning into them for fast cornering but could get stuck with one misjudgment.

Blomqvist’s win was a homecoming triumph, blending deep experience with the mechanical superiority of Audi’s Quattro system in peak winter rallying conditions.

← Previous Event 1983 Rallye Monte-Carlo (Monaco)
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