Safari Rally

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Checkpoint in the 1973 rally.
Checkpoint in the 1973 rally.
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185 in the 1993 edition
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185 in the 1993 edition


The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from May 27 to June 1, 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally.

The event was part of the World Rally Championship calendar for many years until being excluded due to lack of funding & organisation in 2003. The Kenyan government is trying to get the rally's WRC status restored. Since 2003 the event has been part of the African Rally Championship organized by the FIA. It is currently known as the KCB Safari Rally after its sponsor, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

Local driver Shekhar Mehta was the most successful in the event with five outright victories (1973, 1979-1982).

[edit] Past winners

  • 1953 - No official winner declared. Fewest penalty points:
Alan Dix / Johnny Larsen | Volkswagen Beetle 1131 cc
Doug Airth / Raymond Collinge | Standard Vanguard
  • 1954 - Vic Preston Sr (Ken) / D P Marwaha | Volkswagen Beetle
  • 1955 - Vic Preston Sr (Ken) / D P Marwaha | Ford Zephyr
  • 1956 - Eric Cecil / Tony Vickers | DKW
  • 1957 - Gus Hofmann /Arthur Burton | DKW
  • 1958 - No official winner declared. Fewest penalty points:
Arne Kopperud /Kora Kopperud | Ford Zephyr II (Lion class)
Morris Temple-Boreham / Mike Armstrong | Auto Union 1000 (Leopard class)
Year Rally Name / Dates Winning Driver / Co-driver Winning Car Status
1959   Flag of the United Kingdom Bill Fritschy
Flag of the United Kingdom Jack Ellis
Mercedes-Benz 190  
1960   Flag of the United Kingdom Bill Fritschy
Flag of the United Kingdom Jack Ellis
Mercedes-Benz 190  
1961   Flag of the United Kingdom John Manussis
Flag of the United Kingdom Bill Coleridge
Flag of the United Kingdom David Beckett
Mercedes-Benz 220SE  
1962   Flag of Finland Tommy Fjastad
Flag of Germany Bernhard Schmider
Volkswagen 1200  
1963   Flag of Kenya Nick Norwicki
Flag of Kenya Paddy Cliff
Peugeot 404  
1964   Flag of Kenya Peter Hughes
Flag of Kenya Bill Young
Ford Cortina GT  
1965   Flag of Kenya Joginder Singh
Flag of Kenya Jaswant Singh
Volvo PV 544  
1966   Flag of Tanzania Bert Shankland
Flag of Tanzania Chris Rothwell
Peugeot 404  
1967   Flag of Tanzania Bert Shankland
Flag of Tanzania Chris Rothwell
Peugeot 404  
1968   Flag of Kenya Nick Norwicki
Flag of Kenya Paddy Cliff
Peugeot 104  
1969   Flag of Kenya Robin Hillyar
Flag of Kenya Jock Aird
Ford Taunus 20M  
1970 18th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya Edgar Herrmann
Flag of Germany Hans Schüller
Datsun 1600 SSS  
1971 19th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya Edgar Herrmann
Flag of Germany Hans Schüller
Datsun 240Z  
1972 20th East African Safari Rally
(30 Mar - 3 Apr)
Flag of Finland Hannu Mikkola
Flag of Sweden Gunnar Palm
Ford Escort RS1600 IMC
1973 21st East African Safari Rally
(19 - 23 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya Lofty Drews
Datsun 240Z WRC
1974 22nd East African Safari Rally
(11 - 15 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Joginder Singh
Flag of Kenya David Doig
Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
1975 23rd Safari Rally
(27 - 31 Mar)
Flag of Sweden Ove Andersson
Flag of Sweden Arne Hertz
Peugeot 504 WRC
1976 24th Safari Rally
(15 - 19 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Joginder Singh
Flag of Kenya David Doig
Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
1977 25th Safari Rally
(7 - 11 Apr)
Flag of Sweden Björn Waldegård
Flag of Sweden Hans Thorszelius
Ford Escort RS1800 WRC
1978 26th Safari Rally
(23 - 27 Mar)
Flag of France Jean-Pierre Nicolas
Flag of France Jean-Claude Lefèbvre
Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé WRC
1979 27th Safari Rally
(12 - 16 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya Mike Doughty
Datsun 160J WRC
1980 28th Safari Rally
(3 - 7 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya Mike Doughty
Datsun 160J WRC
1981 29th Safari Rally
(16 - 29 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya Mike Doughty
Nissan Violet GT WRC
1982 30th Marlboro Safari Rally
(8 - 12 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya Mike Doughty
Nissan Violet GT WRC
1983 31st Marlboro Safari Rally
(30 Mar - 4 Apr)
Flag of Finland Ari Vatanen
Flag of the United Kingdom Terry Harryman
Opel Ascona 400 WRC
1984 32nd Marlboro Safari Rally
(19 - 23 Apr)
Flag of Sweden Björn Waldegård
Flag of Sweden Hans Thorszelius
Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1985 33rd Marlboro Safari Rally
(4 - 8 Apr)
Flag of Finland Juha Kankkunen
Flag of the United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1986 34th Marlboro Safari Rally
(29 Mar - 2 Apr)
Flag of Sweden Björn Waldegård
Flag of the United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1987 35th Marlboro Safari Rally
(16 - 20 Apr)
Flag of Finland Hannu Mikkola
Flag of Sweden Arne Hertz
Audi 200 Quattro WRC
1988 36th Marlboro Safari Rally
(31 Mar - 4 Apr)
Flag of Italy Miki Biasion
Flag of Italy Tiziano Siviero
Lancia Delta Integrale WRC
1989 37th Marlboro Safari Rally
(23-27 Mar)
Flag of Italy Miki Biasion
Flag of Italy Tiziano Siviero
Lancia Delta Integrale WRC
1990 38th Marlboro Safari Rally
(11-16 Apr)
Flag of Sweden Björn Waldegård
Flag of the United Kingdom Fred Gallagher
Toyota Celica GT-4 ST165 WRC
1991 39th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar - 1 Apr)
Flag of Finland Juha Kankkunen
Flag of Finland Juha Piironen
Lancia Delta Integrale 16V WRC
1992 40th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar - 1 Apr)
Flag of Spain Carlos Sainz
Flag of Spain Luis Moya
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1993 41st Trustbank Safari Rally
(8-12 Apr)
Flag of Finland Juha Kankkunen
Flag of Finland Juha Piironen
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1994 42nd Trustbank Safari Rally
(31 Mar - 3 Apr)
Flag of Kenya Ian Duncan
Flag of Kenya David Williamson
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1995 43rd Safari Rally
(14-17 Apr)
Flag of Japan Yoshio Fujimoto
Flag of Sweden Arne Hertz
Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 2LWC
1996 44th Safari Rally
(5-7 Apr)
Flag of Finland Tommi Mäkinen
Flag of Finland Seppo Harjanne
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 3 WRC
1997 45th Safari Rally
(1-3 Mar)
Flag of the United Kingdom Colin McRae
Flag of the United Kingdom Nicky Grist
Subaru Impreza WRC WRC
1998 46th Safari Rally
(28 Feb - 2 Mar)
Flag of the United Kingdom Richard Burns
Flag of the United Kingdom Robert Reid
Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo 4 WRC
1999 47th Safari Rally
(26-28 Feb)
Flag of the United Kingdom Colin McRae
Flag of the United Kingdom Nicky Grist
Ford Focus WRC
2000 48th Sameer Safari Rally
(25-27 Feb)
Flag of the United Kingdom Richard Burns
Flag of the United Kingdom Robert Reid
Subaru Impreza WRC WRC
2001 49th Safari Rally
(20-22 Jul)
Flag of Finland Tommi Mäkinen
Flag of Finland Risto Mannisenmäki
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 WRC
2002 50th Inmarsat Safari Rally
(12-14 Jul)
Flag of the United Kingdom Colin McRae
Flag of the United Kingdom Nicky Grist
Ford Focus WRC
2003 51st KCB Safari Rally
(9-11 Oct)
Flag of KenyaGlen Edmunds
Flag of KenyaTitch Phillips
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 ARC
2004 52nd KCB Safari Rally
(12-14 Mar)
Flag of KenyaCarl Tundo
Flag of Kenya Tim Jessop
Subaru Impreza ARC
2005 53rd KCB Safari Rally
(15th - 17th Jul)
Flag of Kenya Glen Edmunds
Flag of KenyaDes Page-Morris
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7 ARC
2006 54th KCB Safari Rally
(24 - 26 Mar)
Flag of Kenya Azar Anwar
Flag of Kenya George Mwangi
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 ARC
2007 55th KCB Safari Rally
(9-11 Mar)
Flag of Zimbabwe Conrad Rautenbach
Flag of Zimbabwe Peter Marsh
Subaru Impreza N10 IRC & ARC
2008 56th KCB Safari Rally
(21-23 Mar)
ARC

Notes: IMC = International Championship for Manufacturers, WRC = World Rally Championship, 2LWC = 2-Litre World Cup, ARC = African Rally Championship, IRC = Intercontinental Rally Challenge

[edit] East African Safari Rally (classic)

The East African Safari Rally is a Classic rally event first held in 2003 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first running of the event. Only cars manufactured in 1971 or before are allowed. A second running of the event was held in 2005.

Year Dates Winning Driver / Co-driver Winning Car
2003 Dec 10 - Dec 19 Flag of Kenya Rob Collinge
Flag of Kenya Anton Levitan
Datsun 240Z
2005 Dec 1 - Dec 10 Flag of Kenya Rob Collinge
Flag of Kenya Anton Levitan
Datsun 260Z
2007 Nov 25 - Dec 3 Flag of Sweden Björn Waldegård
Flag of Sweden Mathias Waldegård
Ford Escort Mk1

[edit] External links

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Rallies in the World Rally Championship:
2008 championship events:

Monte Carlo | Sweden | Mexico | Argentina | Jordan | Sardinia | Greece
Turkey | Finland | Germany | New Zealand | Catalunya | Corsica | Japan | Great Britain

Past championship events include:

Arctic | Australia | Austria | Brazil | Canada | China | Côte d'Ivoire | Cyprus
Indonesia | Ireland | Morocco | Norway | Olympus | Poland | Press-on-Regardless
Portugal | Safari | Sanremo