Rally History Archive

Antonio Zanini became the first Spanish European Rally Champion in 1980 and continued adding Spanish national titles during the decade.

Ari Vatanen won the 1981 World Rally Championship, returned from severe injuries sustained in 1985 and later achieved major rally-raid and hill-climb victories.

Björn Waldegård remained a leading endurance-rally specialist in the 1980s, winning WRC rounds for Mercedes, Opel and Toyota.

Fabrizio Tabaton won the European Rally Championship in 1986 and 1988 in Lancia machinery.

Hannu Mikkola won the 1983 World Rally Championship with Audi and helped establish four-wheel drive as the sport's new standard.

Henri Toivonen won the 1980 and 1985 RAC rallies and the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally before he and co-driver Sergio Cresto died on the Tour de Corse.

Swedish driver Ingvar Carlsson won the 1989 Swedish and New Zealand rallies in a Mazda 323 4WD.

Jean Ragnotti won the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse in 1982 and 1985 for Renault.

Jean-Pierre Nicolas made his final WRC starts in the 1980s after a 1970s career that included victories at Monte Carlo, the Safari and the Tour de Corse.

American driver John Buffum won 11 SCCA ProRally national championships and more series events than any other driver.

Juha Kankkunen won the 1986 and 1987 World Rally Championships with Peugeot and Lancia, the first driver to take consecutive titles with different manufacturers.

German competitor Klaus Fritzinger combined circuit racing with long-distance rallying and won the Tour d'Europe in 1978, 1979 and 1985.

Malcolm Wilson drove works and dealer-team cars in the 1980s, earned a WRC podium in New Zealand in 1989 and later built the M-Sport organisation.

Markku Alén won major WRC events for Fiat and Lancia throughout the 1980s and was the provisional 1986 champion before the Sanremo results were annulled.

Michèle Mouton won four WRC rallies with Audi, finished second in the 1982 drivers' championship and won the 1986 German Rally Championship.

Kenyan driver Mike Kirkland won three consecutive national rally championships from 1979 through 1981 and became a regular Safari Rally contender.

Miki Biasion won the 1988 and 1989 World Rally Championships with Lancia after taking the 1983 Italian and European titles.

Pentti Airikkala won the 1989 RAC Rally in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, his only WRC victory.

Per Eklund remained active in the 1980s as a versatile privateer after winning the 1976 Swedish Rally for Saab.

Russell Brookes won the 1985 British Rally Championship in an Opel Manta 400 after finishing near the front of the national series throughout the decade.

Shekhar Mehta won the Safari Rally four consecutive times from 1979 through 1982, completing a career total of five victories.

Stig Blomqvist won the 1984 World Rally Championship with Audi after helping the manufacturer secure its first WRC title in 1982.

Timo Salonen won the 1985 World Rally Championship for Peugeot with five victories in the 205 Turbo 16.

Tony Pond finished third on the 1985 RAC Rally in the MG Metro 6R4, the car's best WRC result.

Walter Röhrl won the 1980 and 1982 World Rally Championships with Fiat and Opel, then became a leading Audi works driver.