History 1990s

1993 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1993 International Swedish Rally (Sweden)

Date: February 12–14, 1993

Start Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Finish Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Total Distance: 448.00 km of special stages

Surface: Snow and ice

The 1993 Swedish Rally was a true winter classic—high speeds, icy roads, and snowbanks lining every turn. Swedish specialist Mats Jonsson capitalized on home advantage and winter driving mastery to dominate the event. With Lars Bäckman calling the notes, Jonsson kept his Ford Escort RS Cosworth perfectly on the limit throughout the snow-covered forests, holding off a stacked international field and taking a popular victory in front of passionate local fans.

Route

Rämmen and Fredriksberg: Classic high-speed snow stages with sweeping curves and narrow gaps between snowbanks.
Lesjöfors: Featured fast crests, compressed landings, and deep ruts—traction and commitment were everything.
Hagfors and Lima Loops: Technical night stages with tricky braking zones and visibility challenges through frozen pine forests.

The rally traversed Sweden’s Värmland region, offering a mix of tight tree-lined stages and flat-out snow-covered straights:

Temperatures remained consistently below freezing, giving crews optimal conditions for studded tires and stable grip—rewarding experience and precision driving.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Mats Jonsson & Lars Bäckman · Ford Escort RS Cosworth
2nd Place
Juha Kankkunen & Juha Piironen · Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD
3rd Place
Ari Vatanen & Bruno Berglund · Subaru Legacy RS

Jonsson’s clean and blisteringly fast run through the snow-capped forests sealed his status as Sweden’s premier rally driver of the era, giving Ford another winter victory.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Snowbank Strategy: Drivers leaned on snowbanks for cornering support—too much risked sucking the car in, too little sacrificed pace.
  • Frozen Crests: Long, blind jumps required full trust in pacenotes and proper landing lines to maintain momentum.
  • Night Driving: Visibility under snow-glare headlights made concentration critical—especially on the twisty Hagfors loops.

The 1993 Swedish Rally showcased the elegance of ice driving—Mats Jonsson proved once more that mastery of winter rallying belongs to those who live it year-round.

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