History 1980s

1985 Acropolis Rally (Greece)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1985 Acropolis Rally (Greece)

Date: June 3–6, 1985

Start Location: Athens, Greece

Finish Location: Athens, Greece

Total Distance: 849 km of special stages

Surface: Gravel

The 1985 Acropolis Rally was a survival gauntlet through the heat, dust, and sharp rocks of central Greece. The rally's brutal nature claimed many top names, but Ari Vatanen and the Peugeot 205 T16 endured it all—delivering a dominating win and proving the Peugeot's toughness on the roughest terrain the WRC had to offer.

Route

Mount Parnassus: Long, high-altitude gravel stages with tire-shredding surfaces and deep ruts.

Delphi Region: Winding tracks with cliffside exposure and loose rock edges.

Kalambaka: Remote mountain roads through dusty terrain and ancient hill country.

The stages were hot, rocky, and relentless—classic Acropolis:

Drivers were pushed to the edge in the heat, while teams battled to keep suspensions intact and engines cool during multi-hour loops through rugged Greece.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner

Ari Vatanen & Terry Harryman · Peugeot 205 T16

2nd Place

Stig Blomqvist & Björn Cederberg · Audi Quattro

3rd Place

Timo Salonen & Seppo Harjanne · Peugeot 205 T16

Vatanen’s speed, combined with Peugeot’s rapidly improving reliability, made the difference—conquering an event where many didn’t make it past day two.

Navigation & Challenges

Rock Strikes: Sharp terrain frequently punctured tires and cracked suspensions.
Dust Clouds: Thick air and little wind made visibility a gamble on closely spaced stages.
Heat Stress: Engines and crews alike suffered in 35–40°C conditions during long, remote loops.

The 1985 Acropolis Rally demanded resilience, not just performance—Vatanen's aggressive push showed that Peugeot's speed could now be matched with strength.

← Previous Event 1985 Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (Corsica)

Back to Events Index

1985 Rally New Zealand 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.