1978 World Rally Championship

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.

World Rally
Championship
 
Current season
Support championships
Current:
Former:
Car classes used
Related lists

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.

Events

Map
Black = Tarmac Brown = Gravel Blue = Snow/ice Red = Mixed surface

Schedule and results
Rally Dates run Championships Podium Drivers (Finishing Time) Podium Cars
Monaco
Monte Carlo Rally		 21–28 January Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (6h:57m:03s)
  2. France Jean Ragnotti (6h:58m:55s)
  3. France Guy Fréquelin (6h:59m:55s)
  1. Porsche 911
  2. Renault 5 Alpine
  3. Renault 5 Alpine
Finland
Arctic Rally		 3–5 February Drivers
  1. Finland Ari Vatanen (6h:25m:03s)
  2. Finland Henri Toivonen (6h:28m:44s)
  3. Finland Markku Alén (6h:36m:20s)
  1. Ford Escort RS1800
  2. Chrysler Avenger
  3. Fiat 131 Abarth
Sweden
Swedish Rally		 10–12 February Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. Sweden Björn Waldegård (6h:42m:40s)
  2. Finland Hannu Mikkola (6h:44m:08s)
  3. Finland Markku Alén (6h:45m:26s)
  1. Ford Escort RS1800
  2. Ford Escort RS1800
  3. Fiat 131 Abarth
Kenya
Safari Rally		 23–27 March Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (+8m:18s penalties)
  2. Kenya Vic Preston, Jr. (+8m:55s penalties)
  3. Finland Rauno Aaltonen (+9m:10s penalties)
  1. Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
  2. Porsche 911
  3. Datsun 160J
Portugal
Rallye de Portugal		 19–23 April Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. Finland Markku Alén (7h:45m:33s)
  2. Finland Hannu Mikkola (7h:50m:01s)
  3. France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (8h:01m:01s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Ford Escort RS1800
  3. Ford Escort RS1800
Greece
Acropolis Rally Greece		 29 May–2 June Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. West Germany Walter Röhrl (10h:00m:50s)
  2. Finland Markku Alén (10h:10m:54s)
  3. Kenya Shekhar Mehta (10h:23m:36s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Datsun 160J
Scotland
Scottish Rally		 3–7 June Drivers
  1. Finland Hannu Mikkola (4h:26m:38s)
  2. Finland Pentti Airikkala (4h:34m:36s)
  3. United Kingdom Roger Clark (4h:35m:11s)
  1. Ford Escort RS1800
  2. Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS
  3. Ford Escort RS1800
Poland
Rajd Polski		 6–9 July Drivers
  1. Spain Antonio Zanini (5h:51m:01.2s)
  2. Austria Franz Wittmann (6h:04m:10.9s)
  3. Spain Salvador Cañellas (6h:09m:04.8s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Opel Kadett GT/E
  3. Fiat 131 Abarth
Finland
1000 Lakes Rally		 25–27 August Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. Finland Markku Alén (3h:30m:10s)
  2. Finland Timo Salonen (3h:32m:14s)
  3. Finland Pentti Airikkala (3h:32m:50s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS
New Zealand
Rally New Zealand		 2–5 September Drivers
  1. United Kingdom Russell Brookes (9h:57m:12.0s)
  2. New Zealand Jim Donald (10h:09m:29.4s)
  3. New Zealand Paul Adams (10h:41m:55.8s)
  1. Ford Escort RS1800
  2. Ford Escort RS1800
  3. Ford Escort RS1800
Canada
Critérium du Québec		 13–17 September Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. West Germany Walter Röhrl (4h:54m:23s)
  2. Finland Markku Alén (5h:02m:56s)
  3. Sweden Anders Kulläng (5h:12m:46s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Opel Kadett GT/E
France
Tour de France Automobile		 16–21 September Drivers
  1. France Michèle Mouton (11h:18m:15.7s)
  2. France Jean-Louis Clarr (11h:34m:01.8s)
  3. United Kingdom Chris Sclater (11h:40m:04.0s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Opel Kadett GT/E
  3. Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS
Italy
Rallye Sanremo		 3–7 October Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. Finland Markku Alén (10h:53m:28s)
  2. Italy Maurizio Verini (11h:04m:00s)
  3. France Francis Vincent (11h:10m:31s)
  1. Lancia Stratos HF
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Porsche 911
Australia
Southern Cross Rally		 14–18 October Drivers
  1. Australia George Fury (1h:25m:17s)
  2. Australia Colin Bond (1h:37m:12s)
  3. Australia Wayne Bell (1h:58m:32s)
  1. Datsun Stanza
  2. Ford Escort RS1800
  3. Holden Gemini
Spain
Rallye de España		 20–22 October Drivers
  1. Italy Tony Carello (4h:20m:03s)
  2. Spain Beny Fernández (4h:29m:40)
  3. Spain Jorge de Bagration (4h:33m:27s)
  1. Lancia Stratos HF
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Lancia Stratos HF
Ivory Coast
Rallye Côte d'Ivoire		 21–24 October Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. France Jean-Pierre Nicolas (+2m:28s penalties)
  2. Finland Timo Mäkinen (+2m:43s penalties)
  3. France Jean Ragnotti (+3m:50s penalties)
  1. Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
  2. Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
  3. Renault 5 Alpine
France
Tour de Corse		 4–5 November Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. France Bernard Darniche (6h:47m:34s)
  2. France Jean-Claude Andruet (6h:51m:59s)
  3. Italy Sandro Munari (6h:52m:59s)
  1. Fiat 131 Abarth
  2. Fiat 131 Abarth
  3. Fiat 131 Abarth
United Kingdom
RAC Rally		 19–23 November Manufacturers
Drivers
  1. Finland Hannu Mikkola (8:47m:23s)
  2. Sweden Björn Waldegård (8h:52m:41s)
  3. United Kingdom Russell Brookes (8h:58m:55s)
  1. Ford Escort RS1800
  2. Ford Escort RS1800
  3. Ford Escort RS1800

Standings

Manufacturers' championship
Markku Alén drives a Fiat 131 Abarth at the 1000 Lakes Rally.
Ari Vatanen with a Ford Escort RS1800 at the 1000 Lakes
Pos. Manufacturer Monaco
MON		 Sweden
SWE		 Kenya
KEN		 Portugal
POR		 Greece
GRC		 Finland
FIN		 Canada
CAN		 Italy
ITA		 Ivory Coast
CIV		 France
FRA		 United Kingdom
GBR		 Points
1 Italy Fiat 1414-1818181816-18(9) 134
2 United States Ford -18716961313--18 100
3 Germany Opel (10)12-1312111610-1214 100
4 Germany Porsche 18-167-12-14-12- 79
5 Japan Datsun --16-16---10-10 52
6 Japan Toyota ---1581314---- 50
7 Italy Lancia 812--11--18--- 49
8 France Peugeot --189----18-- 45
9 France Renault 17-------16-- 33
10 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom Vauxhall -----14----- 14
Italy Alfa Romeo -------14--- 14
16 Germany Mercedes --12-------- 12
17 Sweden Volvo -10--------- 10
18 United States Chrysler ----------8 8
19 Czechoslovakia Škoda ----6------ 6
20 France Alpine-Renault ---------5- 5
21 Soviet Union Lada ----4------ 4
Pos. Manufacturer Monaco
MON		 Sweden
SWE		 Kenya
KEN		 Portugal
POR		 Greece
GRC		 Finland
FIN		 Canada
CAN		 Italy
ITA		 Ivory Coast
CIV		 France
FRA		 United Kingdom
GBR		 Points

FIA Cup for Drivers
Pos. Driver Monaco
MON		 Finland
ARC		 Sweden
SWE		 Kenya
KEN		 Portugal
POR		 Greece
GRC		 Scotland
SCO		 Poland
POL		 Finland
FIN		 New Zealand
NZL		 Canada
CAN		 France
TDF		 Italy
ITA		 Italy
GIR		 Australia
AUS		 Spain
ESP		 Ivory Coast
CIV		 France
FRA		 United Kingdom
GBR		 Points
1 Finland Markku Alén -4(4)-960-9-6-99----0 52
2 France Jean-Pierre Nicolas 9--940-----0----900 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 -92-0---0---------0 11
9 France Jean Ragnotti 6----------0----4-- 10
10 Finland Pentti Airikkala --0---6-4---------0 10
Pos. Driver Monaco
MON		 Finland
ARC		 Sweden
SWE		 Kenya
KEN		 Portugal
POR		 Greece
GRC		 Scotland
SCO		 Poland
POL		 Finland
FIN		 New Zealand
NZL		 Canada
CAN		 France
TDF		 Italy
ITA		 Italy
GIR		 Australia
AUS		 Spain
ESP		 Ivory Coast
CIV		 France
FRA		 United Kingdom
GBR		 Points

Pointscoring systems

Manufacturers' championship
Overall
finish		 Group finish
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21716--------
3161514-------
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51413121110-----
61312111098----
71211109876---
81110987654--
91098765432-
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See also
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