History 1980s

1986 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1986 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Date: November 1986

Start Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Finish Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Total Distance: ~4,700 km

Surface: Gravel

The 1986 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire was one of the final marathons of the Group B era, run under extreme conditions across West Africa. As a drivers’ championship-only round, no manufacturers’ points were awarded, but that didn’t dull the competitive edge. Björn Waldegård and Fred Gallagher delivered a textbook performance in the Toyota Celica, surviving the brutal distances, heat, and mechanical attrition to claim victory once again in Africa.

Route

Yamoussoukro Region: Heat-baked gravel with unpredictable ruts, hidden rocks, and occasional rain storms.
Man & Bouaké Loops: Remote and rarely used roads tested navigation, fuel strategy, and lighting systems.
Overnight Sections: Fatigue-heavy stretches required calm, focused driving and co-driver endurance across full night runs.

The route covered thousands of kilometers across dense forest tracks, savannah, and remote mountain roads:

The sheer length of each leg, combined with minimal service intervals, meant that only the most experienced and disciplined crews stood a chance of finishing—let alone winning.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Björn Waldegård & Fred Gallagher · Toyota Celica TCT
2nd Place
Erwin Weber & Klaus Wicha · Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V
3rd Place
Patrick Tauziac & Claude Papin · Mitsubishi Galant

Waldegård’s calm control and mechanical sympathy once again paid off—securing another Safari-region win and reaffirming his title as the king of African endurance rallying.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Extreme Distances: Stages often stretched over 300 km with little service support—pushing man and machine alike.
  • Environmental Hazards: Wildlife, dust storms, and water crossings were as threatening as the rally itself.
  • Driver Focus: Fatigue management and maintaining steady pace without overdriving was the key to reaching the finish.

The 1986 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire was not about spectacle—it was about survival. And as ever, Björn Waldegård showed that in Africa, experience and patience were the ultimate winning traits.

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