History 1980s

1988 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1988 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Date: February 12–14, 1988

Start Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Finish Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Total Distance: 513 km of special stages

Surface: Snow and ice

The 1988 Swedish Rally lived up to its reputation as one of the fastest events on the WRC calendar, thanks to wide, icy roads and deep snowbanks. Markku Alén took full advantage of the ideal winter conditions, pushing his Lancia Delta HF 4WD to its limits with spectacular sideways action and inch-perfect control. His experience on snow showed through every stage, leading to a commanding victory that further strengthened Lancia’s early-season momentum.

Route

Hagfors–Torsby Loops: Classic fast-flowing roads with well-packed snow and deep snowbanks ideal for bouncing the car into line.
Fredriksberg: Long straights and technical corners that rewarded bravery and precision.
Lysvik: A fan-favorite loop that blended flat-out sprints with icy braking zones under tree cover.

Sweden’s stages favored high-speed confidence and traction control on frozen terrain:

Studded tires were the order of the day, providing razor-sharp grip in one of the cleanest, coldest Swedish editions in recent years.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Markku Alén & Ilkka Kivimäki · Lancia Delta HF 4WD
2nd Place
Stig Blomqvist & Bruno Berglund · Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4
3rd Place
Mikael Ericsson & Claes Billstam · Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V

Alén’s commanding win reaffirmed his ice-driving credentials and gave Lancia a powerful early lead in the manufacturers’ battle.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Snowbanks as Tools: Drivers frequently used banks to stabilize slides or shave apexes—too much risk, however, could lead to rollovers.
  • Visibility: Snow spray and low-angle winter light created visibility issues in fast-following sections.
  • Precision Driving: Few events punish even small mistakes like Sweden—Alén’s ability to hold maximum speed through narrow lines was unmatched.

The 1988 Swedish Rally was a snow-sculpted showcase of control and confidence—Alén’s win was not just a display of pace, but of ice-cold rally mastery.

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