1978 World Rally Championship

6th season of the World Rally Championship series 1978 World Rally Championship FIA Cup for Drivers Champion Markku Alén World Manufacturers' Champion Fiat 1977 1979 The 1978 World Rally Championship was the sixth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The schedule remained largely similar to the previous year, with the exception of the removal of the Rally New Zealand from the schedule. 1978 was the last season with an official world championship only for manufacturers. Scoring was modified in 1977 to a more complex system including points both for overall and group placement. A car would still have to place in the overall top 10 to score points. In addition to the Championship for Manufacturers, the FIA awarded the FIA Cup for Rally Drivers. All rallies of the WRC, in addition to another ten events, were counted towards the drivers' totals. In 1979, the Cup for Drivers was incorporated into the WRC as the World Rally Championship for Drivers. thumb|Markku Alen clinched the FIA Cup for Drivers and helped Fiat to win a second WRC manufacturers' championship. Calendar Rd.Start dateFinish dateRallyRally headquartersSurfaceStagesDistancePoints121 January27 JanuaryMON 46th Rallye Automobile Monte-CarloMonte CarloMixed29565 kmDrivers & Manufacturers23 February5 FebruaryFIN 13th Marlboro Arctic RallyRovaniemi, LaplandSnow43??Cup for Drivers310 February12 FebruarySWE 28th International Swedish RallyKarlstad, Värmland CountySnow38615.6 kmDrivers & Manufacturers423 March27 MarchKEN 26th Safari RallyNairobiGravelN/A5016 kmDrivers & Manufacturers519 April24 AprilPOR 12th Rallye de Portugal - Vinho do PortoEstoril, LisbonMixed46633.4 kmDrivers & Manufacturers629 May2 JuneGreece old 25th Acropolis RallyAthensGravel54772.1 kmDrivers & Manufacturers73 June7 JuneSCO 33rd Esso-Lombard Scottish RallyAviemoreGravel59370 kmCup for Drivers86 July9 JulyPOL 38th Rajd PolskiWroclawMixed53578.9 kmCup for Drivers925 August27 AugustFIN 28th Jyväskylän Suurajot - Rally of the 1000 LakesJyväskylä, Central FinlandGravel45367.2 kmDrivers & Manufacturers102 September9 SeptemberNZL 9th Motogard Rally of New ZealandAucklandGravel??893 kmCup for Drivers1113 September17 SeptemberCAN 6th Critérium Molson du QuébecMontrealMixed14533.7 kmDrivers & Manufacturers1216 September21 SeptemberFRA 37th Tour de France AutomobileBiarritz, NiceMixed471009.5 kmCup for Drivers132 October8 OctoberITA 20th Rallye SanremoSanremo, LiguriaMixed55893.8 kmDrivers & Manufacturers1413 October18 OctoberITA 6th Giro d'ItaliaTorinoTarmac??535 kmCup for Drivers1514 October18 OctoberAUS 13th Southern Cross International RallySydneyMixed331513.16 kmCup for Drivers1620 October22 OctoberESP 26th RACE Rallye de EspañaCircuito del JaramaMixed????Cup for Drivers1721 October24 OctoberCIV 10th Rallye Bandama Côte d'IvoireAbidjanGravelN/A5472 kmDrivers & Manufacturers184 November5 NovemberFRA 22nd Tour de Corse - Rallye de FranceAjaccio, CorsicaTarmac10543.1 kmDrivers & Manufacturers1919 November23 NovemberGBR 34th Lombard RAC RallyBirminghamGravel76715.37 kmDrivers & ManufacturersSources:WRC 1978 https://www.ewrc-results.com/season/1978/ 13 September 2025 eWRC-results.com1978 WRC calendar https://www.juwra.com/calendar_1978.html 13 September 2025 Jonkka's World Rally Archive Rounds that were only part of the FIA Cup for Rally Drivers are not officially recognised as WRC events. Events Map 800px Black = Tarmac Brown = Gravel Blue = Snow/ice Red = Mixed surface Schedule and results Rally Dates run Championships Podium Drivers (Finishing Time) Podium CarsMonacoMonte Carlo Rally 21–28 January ManufacturersDrivers France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (6h:57m:03s) France Jean Ragnotti (6h:58m:55s) France Guy Fréquelin (6h:59m:55s) Porsche 911 Renault 5 Alpine Renault 5 AlpineFinlandArctic Rally 3–5 February Drivers Finland Ari Vatanen (6h:25m:03s) Finland Henri Toivonen (6h:28m:44s) Finland Markku Alén (6h:36m:20s) Ford Escort RS1800 Chrysler Avenger Fiat 131 AbarthSwedenSwedish Rally 10–12 February ManufacturersDrivers Sweden Björn Waldegård (6h:42m:40s) Finland Hannu Mikkola (6h:44m:08s) Finland Markku Alén (6h:45m:26s) Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800 Fiat 131 AbarthKenyaSafari Rally 23–27 March ManufacturersDrivers France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (+8m:18s penalties) Kenya Vic Preston Jr (+8m:55s penalties) Finland Rauno Aaltonen (+9m:10s penalties) Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé Porsche 911 Datsun 160JPortugalRallye de Portugal 19–23 April ManufacturersDrivers Finland Markku Alén (7h:45m:33s) Finland Hannu Mikkola (7h:50m:01s) France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (8h:01m:01s) Fiat 131 Abarth Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800Greece oldAcropolis Rally Greece 29 May–2 June ManufacturersDrivers West Germany Walter Röhrl (10h:00m:50s) Finland Markku Alén (10h:10m:54s) Kenya Shekhar Mehta (10h:23m:36s) Fiat 131 Abarth Fiat 131 Abarth Datsun 160JScotlandScottish Rally 3–7 June Drivers Finland Hannu Mikkola (4h:26m:38s) Finland Pentti Airikkala (4h:34m:36s) United Kingdom Roger Clark (4h:35m:11s) Ford Escort RS1800 Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS Ford Escort RS1800PolandRajd Polski 6–9 July Drivers Spain 1977 Antonio Zanini (5h:51m:01.2s) Austria Franz Wittmann (6h:04m:10.9s) Spain 1977 Salvador Cañellas (6h:09m:04.8s) Fiat 131 Abarth Opel Kadett GT/E Fiat 131 AbarthFinland1000 Lakes Rally 25–27 August ManufacturersDrivers Finland Markku Alén (3h:30m:10s) Finland Timo Salonen (3h:32m:14s) Finland Pentti Airikkala (3h:32m:50s) Fiat 131 Abarth Fiat 131 Abarth Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSNew ZealandRally New Zealand 2–5 September Drivers United Kingdom Russell Brookes (9h:57m:12.0s) New Zealand Jim Donald (10h:09m:29.4s) New Zealand Paul Adams (10h:41m:55.8s) Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800CanadaCritérium du Québec 13–17 September ManufacturersDrivers West Germany Walter Röhrl (4h:54m:23s) Finland Markku Alén (5h:02m:56s) Sweden Anders Kulläng (5h:12m:46s) Fiat 131 Abarth Fiat 131 Abarth Opel Kadett GT/EFranceTour de France Automobile 16–21 September Drivers France Michèle Mouton (11h:18m:15.7s) France Jean-Louis Clarr (11h:34m:01.8s) United Kingdom Chris Sclater (11h:40m:04.0s) Fiat 131 Abarth Opel Kadett GT/E Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSItalyRallye Sanremo 3–7 October ManufacturersDrivers Finland Markku Alén (10h:53m:28s) Italy Maurizio Verini (11h:04m:00s) France Francis Vincent (11h:10m:31s) Lancia Stratos HF Fiat 131 Abarth Porsche 911AustraliaSouthern Cross Rally 14–18 October Drivers Australia George Fury (1h:25m:17s) Australia Colin Bond (1h:37m:12s) Australia Wayne Bell (1h:58m:32s) Datsun Stanza Ford Escort RS1800 Holden GeminiSpain 1977Rallye de España 20–22 October Drivers Italy Tony Carello (4h:20m:03s) Spain 1977 Beny Fernández (4h:29m:40) Spain 1977 Jorge de Bagration (4h:33m:27s) Lancia Stratos HF Fiat 131 Abarth Lancia Stratos HFIvory CoastRallye Côte d'Ivoire 21–24 October ManufacturersDrivers France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (+2m:28s penalties) Finland Timo Mäkinen (+2m:43s penalties) France Jean Ragnotti (+3m:50s penalties) Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé Renault 5 AlpineFranceTour de Corse 4–5 November ManufacturersDrivers France Bernard Darniche (6h:47m:34s) France Jean-Claude Andruet (6h:51m:59s) Italy Sandro Munari (6h:52m:59s) Fiat 131 Abarth Fiat 131 Abarth Fiat 131 AbarthUKRAC Rally 19–23 November ManufacturersDrivers Finland Hannu Mikkola (8:47m:23s) Sweden Björn Waldegård (8h:52m:41s) UK Russell Brookes (8h:58m:55s) Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800 Ford Escort RS1800 Standings Manufacturers' championship thumb|Markku Alén drives a Fiat 131 Abarth at the 1000 Lakes Rally. thumb|Ari Vatanen with a Ford Escort RS1800 at the 1000 Lakes Pos. Position Manufacturer MonacoMON SwedenSWE KenyaKEN PortugalPOR Greece oldGRC FinlandFIN CanadaCAN ItalyITA Ivory CoastCIV FranceFRA United KingdomGBR Points 1 Italy Fiat 14 14 - 18 18 18 18 16 - 18 (9) 134 2 US Ford - 18 7 16 9 6 13 13 - - 18 100 3 Germany Opel (10) 12 - 13 12 11 16 10 - 12 14 100 4 Germany Porsche 18 - 16 7 - 12 - 14 - 12 - 79 5 Japan Datsun - - 16 - 16 - - - 10 - 10 52 6 Japan Toyota - - - 15 8 13 14 - - - - 50 7 Italy Lancia 8 12 - - 11 - - 18 - - - 49 8 France Peugeot - - 18 9 - - - - 18 - - 45 9 France Renault 17 - - - - - - - 16 - - 33 10 UK British Leyland Cars - - - - - - 12 - - - 12 24 11 Sweden Saab - 8 - - - - 10 - - - - 18 12 Germany Volkswagen - 9 - - - - 8 - - - - 17 13 Japan Mitsubishi - - 5 - - - - - 11 - - 16 14 UK Vauxhall - - - - - 14 - - - - - 14 Italy Alfa Romeo - - - - - - - 14 - - - 14 16 Germany Mercedes - - 12 - - - - - - - - 12 17 Sweden Volvo - 10 - - - - - - - - - 10 18 USA Chrysler - - - - - - - - - - 8 8 19 Czechoslovakia Škoda - - - - 6 - - - - - - 6 20 France Alpine-Renault - - - - - - - - - 5 - 5 21 USSR Lada - - - - 4 - - - - - - 4 Pos. Position Manufacturer MonacoMON SwedenSWE KenyaKEN PortugalPOR Greece oldGRC FinlandFIN CanadaCAN ItalyITA Ivory CoastCIV FranceFRA United KingdomGBR Points FIA Cup for Drivers Pos. Position Driver MonacoMON FinlandARC SwedenSWE KenyaKEN PortugalPOR Greece oldGRC ScotlandSCO PolandPOL FinlandFIN New ZealandNZL CanadaCAN FranceTDF ItalyITA ItalyGIR AustraliaAUS Spain 1977ESP Ivory CoastCIV FranceFRA United KingdomGBR Points 1 Finland Markku Alén - 4 (4) - 9 6 0 - 9 - 6 - 9 9 - - - - 0 52 2 France Jean-Pierre Nicolas 9 - - 9 4 0 - - - - - 0 - - - - 9 0 0 31 3 Finland Hannu Mikkola - - 6 - 6 - 9 - 0 - - - - - - - - - 9 30 4 France Michèle Mouton 0 - - - - - - - - - - 9 - 3 - - - 2 - 14 5 United Kingdom Russell Brookes - - - - - - 0 - - 9 - - - - - - - - 4 13 6 West Germany Walter Röhrl 3 - - - 0 (9) - - - - 9 - 0 - - - - - 1 13 7 France Bernard Darniche 2 - - - 0 - - - - - - 0 - - - - - 9 - 11 8 Finland Ari Vatanen - 9 2 - 0 - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - 0 11 9 France Jean Ragnotti 6 - - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - 4 - - 10 10 Finland Pentti Airikkala - - 0 - - - 6 - 4 - - - - - - - - - 0 10 Pos. Position Driver MonacoMON FinlandARC SwedenSWE KenyaKEN PortugalPOR Greece oldGRC ScotlandSCO PolandPOL FinlandFIN New ZealandNZL CanadaCAN FranceTDF ItalyITA ItalyGIR AustraliaAUS Spain 1977ESP Ivory CoastCIV FranceFRA United KingdomGBR Points Pointscoring systems Manufacturers' championship Overallfinish Group finish 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 18 - - - - - - - - - 2 17 16 - - - - - - - - 3 16 15 14 - - - - - - - 4 15 14 13 12 - - - - - - 5 14 13 12 11 10 - - - - - 6 13 12 11 10 9 8 - - - - 7 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 - - - 8 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 - - 9 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 - 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 See also 1978 in sports References External links FIA World Rally Championship 1978 at ewrc-results.com World Rally Championship Category:World Rally Championship seasons