1973 RAC Rally

The 1973 RAC Rally (formally the 22nd Daily Mirror RAC Rally) was the twelfth round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in mid-November in the County of Yorkshire in England, the rally was run primarily on gravel, with some sections of tarmac as well. The rally carried the name of its title sponsor, a popular British newspaper, The Daily Mirror.

1973 RAC Rally 22nd Daily Mirror RAC Rally
Round 12 of the 1973 World Rally Championship season ← Previous event Next event →
Host country	United Kingdom
Rally base	York, England
Dates run	17 November 1973 – 21 November 1973
Stages	80 (540.02 km; 335.55 miles)
Stage surface	Gravel with some asphalt
Overall distance	3,020 km (1,880 miles)
Statistics
Crews	198 at start, 91 at finish
Overall results
Overall winner	Timo Mäkinen Henry Liddon Ford Motorsport Ford Escort RS1600

Report

In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. Britain was home terrain for the Fords and the RS1600 wrapped up all three podium spots. While both Alpine Renault and Fiat finished in the points, neither had their points applied to championship standings. This, however, didn't hurt either one's chances, as they still placed first and second respectively at the end of the season.

Results

1973 RAC Rally results

Finish	Total time	Group	Car #	Driver Co-driver	Car	Mfr. points
1	6 h : 47 m : 8 s	2	13	Timo Mäkinen Henry Liddon	Ford Escort RS1600	20
2	6 h : 52 m : 23 s	2	1	Roger Clark Tony Mason	Ford Escort RS1600
3	6 h : 55 m : 26 s	2	18	Markku Alén Ilkka Kivimäki	Ford Escort RS1600
4	7 h : 01 m : 13 s	2	31	Per-Inge Walfridsson John Jensen	Volvo 142	10
5	7 h : 03 m : 08 s	4	8	Jean-Pierre Nicolas Claude Roure	Alpine-Renault A110 1800
6	7 h : 05 m : 44 s	2	21	Gunnar Blomqvist Ingelöv Blomqvist	Opel Ascona 19	6
7	7 h : 06 m : 14 s	2	4	Björn Waldegård Hans Thorszelius	BMW 2002	4
8	7 h : 09 m : 19 s	2	29	Lars Carlsson Peter Peterson	Opel Ascona
9	7 h : 09 m : 46 s	2	37	Tony Fowkes Bryan Harris	Ford Escort RS1600
10	7 h : 10 m : 14 s	2	19	Sergio Barbasio Gino Macaluso	Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye
11	7 h : 10 m : 50 s	2	51	Erik Aaby Egil Moreite	Opel Ascona SR
12	7 h : 11 m : 17 s	2	9	Ove Andersson Geraint Phillips	Toyota Celica
13	7 h : 12 m : 37 s	2	46	Drew Gallacher Ian Muir	Ford Escort RS1600
14	7 h : 14 m : 36 s	3	5	Harry Källström Claes Billstam	Datsun 240Z
15	7 h : 15 m : 58 s	2	11	Achim Warmbold Jean Todt	BMW 2002 TII
16	7 h : 19 m : 30 s	1	30	Bror Danielsson Ulf Sundberg	BMW 2002
17	7 h : 20 m : 22 s	2	45	Colin Malkin Brian Coyle	Hillman Avenger
18	7 h : 25 m : 10 s	2	44	Donald Heggie George Dean	Ford Escort RS1600
19	7 h : 26 m : 02 s	2	28	Maurizio Verini Ninni Russo	Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye
20	7 h : 32 m : 13 s	2	54	Billy Coleman Dan O'Sullivan	Ford Escort RS1600
21	7 h : 32 m : 55 s	3	71	Kevin Videan Peter Rushforth	Datsun 240Z
22	7 h : 33 m : 30 s	1	52	Harold Morley Bob Lindquist	Porsche 911
23	7 h : 36 m : 35 s	2	58	David Thompson Martin Welch	Ford Escort RS1600
24	7 h : 38 m : 02 s	1	60	Andy Dawson Peter Valentine	Hillman Avenger
25	7 h : 38 m : 07 s	2	117	Mike Jackson Ian Maxey	Ford Escort RS1600
26	7 h : 39 m : 37 s	2	83	Steve Howard Richard Ward	Ford Escort RS1600
27	7 h : 40 m : 33 s	1	75	John Bloxham Norman Salt	Hillman Avenger
28	7 h : 40 m : 42 s	1	61	Bob Bean David Greenwood	Ford Escort Mexico
29	7 h : 42 m : 02 s	4	84	Pip Dale Richard Stark	Vauxhall Firenza
30	7 h : 44 m : 02 s	2	121	Edward Hurley Simon Bretherton	Ford Escort RS1600
31	7 h : 46 m : 56 s	2	67	Frank Pierson Colin Francis	Ford Escort RS1600
32	7 h : 48 m : 58 s	2	35	Eeva Heinonen Seija-Saaristo Kivistö	Volvo 142
33	7 h : 50 m : 33 s	1	85	Ian Wilson Peter Anderson	Opel Ascona
34	7 h : 51 m : 10 s	1	126	John Midgley John Forrest	Toyota Corolla
35	7 h : 53 m : 51 s	1	81	Alan Conley Crawford Dunn	Chrysler Avenger
36	7 h : 54 m : 23 s	2	62	Rosemary Smith Pauline Gullick	Ford Escort RS1600
37	7 h : 55 m : 14 s	2	27	Shekhar Mehta Keith Wood	Datsun Sunny
38	8 h : 00 m : 56 s	2	113	John Baillie Robert Baillie	Ford Escort Twin Cam
39	8 h : 01 m : 50 s	1	124	Roland Young Dave Cowell	Ford Escort Mexico
40	8 h : 03 m : 40 s	1	66	Philip Cooper Tony Viles	Ford Escort Mexico
41	8 h : 05 m : 04 s	1	102	David Hardcastle David West	Opel Ascona SR
42	8 h : 06 m : 18 s	2	154	Murray Grierson Roger Anderson	Ford Escort Mexico
43	8 h : 06 m : 55 s	2	142	Stanley Griffin Christine Foster	Ford Escort RS1600
44	8 h : 12 m : 37 s	2	176	Norman Anstiss John Haswell	Ford Escort RS1600
45	8 h : 12 m : 45 s	2	141	John Cockerill John Lawson	Ford Escort RS1600
46	8 h : 13 m : 42 s	1	59	Wim Luijbregts Kees Luijbregts	DAF 66
47	8 h : 17 m : 47 s	1	140	Gordon Jarvis John Bowie	Chrysler Avenger
48	8 h : 19 m : 19 s	1	36	Henri Greder Peter Jopp	Opel Commodore GS/E
49	8 h : 21 m : 26 s	1	131	David Finch Sidney Rudge	Ford Escort GT
50	8 h : 22 m : 24 s	1	112	Wenche Knudtzen Mats Adolfsson	Moskvich 412
51	8 h : 23 m : 03 s	1	165	Ian Beveridge David Lucas	Ford Escort GT
52	8 h : 24 m : 19 s	1	188	James Haslegrave Richard Frew	Chrysler Avenger
53	8 h : 24 m : 33 s	2	129	Peter Warren Dylis Rogers	Ford Escort Twin Cam
54	8 h : 24 m : 34 s	1	169	David Warren Edward Norman	Ford Capri 3000
55	8 h : 24 m : 59 s	1	139	Les Birkett Tony Blore	Morris Mini Cooper
56	8 h : 25 m : 41 s	1	174	Paul Whatmuff Jeff Forrest	Opel Ascona
57	8 h : 25 m : 52 s	1	138	Chris Field Colin Goler	Chrysler Avenger
58	8 h : 26 m : 38 s	1	104	Graham Booth Ian Woodruff	Opel Manta
59	8 h : 26 m : 43 s	1	145	Peter Doughty Richard Shelmedine	Ford Escort GT
60	8 h : 26 m : 54 s	1	97	Per Sandager-Holm Jan Warkentin	Volvo
61	8 h : 27 m : 03 s	4	118	Jean-Marie Didi Alain Lopes	Fiat 124 Spider
62	8 h : 31 m : 04 s	1	78	Peter Hommel Günter Bork	Wartburg 353
63	8 h : 31 m : 45 s	1	149	Jim Clark Alan Smith	Vauxhall Firenza
64	8 h : 32 m : 38 s	1	166	Michael Howells Malcolm Hamer	Morris Mini Cooper
65	8 h : 34 m : 28 s	1	153	Michael Sutcliffe Deryck Pickup	Ford Escort Sport
66	8 h : 38 s : 00 s	2	168	Timothy Walton Graham Marlow	Sunbeam Tiger
67	8 h : 38 s : 37 s	2	80	Egon Culmbacher Werner Ernst	Wartburg 353
68	8 h : 39 s : 48 s	2	132	Trevor Shaw Frederick-George Humphrey	Ford Escort RS1600
69	8 h : 40 m : 07 s	1	123	B. Westerman	Chrysler Avenger
70	8 h : 41 m : 12 s	1	155	Callum Barney Michael Smith	Škoda 110
71	8 h : 42 m : 04 s	1	147	Rupert Jones John Wood	Ford Escort 1100
72	8 h : 48 m : 36 s	2	189	John Williams Graham Samuel	Ford Escort Mexico
72	8 h : 48 m : 54 s	1	87	Thomas Meylink John Morgan	Opel Ascona
74	8 h : 48 m : 36 s	4	79	Michel Guichard Philippe Galilen	Alpine-Renault A110 1300
75	8 h : 49 m : 18 s	2	110	Sandy Lawson Geunda Carnie	DAF 55
76	8 h : 53 m : 44 s	1	162	Bill Bengry John Tolson	Chrysler Avenger
77	8 h : 54 m : 29 s	2	170	Arthur Brick Roger Chilman	Ford Escort 1300 GT
78	8 h : 55 m : 24 s	1	114	Trine Jensen Frances Cobb	Ford Escort Mexico
79	9 h : 01 m : 20 s	2	161	Mike Woolley Mark Kahn	Ford Escort Mexico
80	9 h : 08 m : 17 s	2	181	Mike Rigg John Graham	Mini Cooper S
81	9 h : 11 m : 15 s	2	137	Clifford Wrigley Peter Allworthy	Morris Mini
82	9 h : 13 m : 24 s	1	200	Robert Pearson Michael Perkins	Vauxhall Firenza
83	9 h : 14 m : 44 s	1	187	Timothy Tyrer Ralph Whitby	Mazda RX-3
84	9 h : 17 m : 15 s	4	130	Derek Skinner Les Allfrey	MG B
85	9 h : 18 m : 01 s	2	199	David Robbins John Best	Chrysler Avenger
86	9 h : 19 m : 59 s	1	148	William Sutton Charles Gilbert	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
87	9 h : 35 m : 39 s	1	109	Patrick Leeson Eric Symens	Vauxhall Firenza
88	9 h : 36 m : 10 s	2	180	Ian McGarva Dave Greenslade	Ford Escort Twin Cam
89	9 h : 55 m : 55 s	2	182	Dick Newsum Tim Beall	DAF 55
90	9 h : 59 m : 59 s	2	198	Ian Adams John Porter	Ford Escort GT
91	10 h : 24 m : 54 s	2	173	John Lacey George Harris	Mini 850
Retired (Accident)		2	2	Stig Blomqvist Arne Hertz	Saab 96 V4
Retired (Distributor)		4	3	Jean-Luc Thérier Michel Vial	Alpine-Renault A110 1800
Retired (Accident)		2	6	Hannu Mikkola John Davenport	Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI
Retired (Suspension)		2	7	Per Eklund Bo Reinicke	Saab 96 V4
Retired (Engine valve)		2	10	Rauno Aaltonen Paul Easter	Opel Ascona A 1900
Retired (Engine)		2	12	Ove Eriksson Björn Cederberg	Opel Ascona A 1900
Retired (Engine)		2	14	Simo Lampinen Sölve Andreasson	Saab 96 V4
Retired (Accident)		2	15	Anders Kulläng Donald Karlsson	Opel Ascona A 1900
Retired (Accident)		2	16	Amilcare Ballestrieri Silvio Maiga	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
Retired (Accident)		4	17	Tony Fall Mike Wood	Datsun 240Z
Retired (Halfshaft)		4	20	Andrew Cowan Johnstone Syer	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Accident)		4	22	Chris Sclater Martin Holmes	Datsun 240Z
Retired		2	23	Leif Asterhag Anders Gullberg	Toyota Celica
Retired (Exhaudt)		2	24	Tapio Rainio Klaus Lehto	Saab 96 V4
Retired		2	25	Adrian Boyd Robert McBurney	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Oil Pump)		2	26	Walter Röhrl Jochen Berger	Opel Ascona 1.9 SR
Retired		4	32	Jack Tordoff Phil Short	Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7
Retired		2	33	Vic Preston Jr. Paul White	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	34	Inge Per Solden Torsten Svennberg	Volvo 164
Retired		1	36	Henri Greder Peter Jopp	Opel Commodore GS/E
Retired		1	38	Trond Schea A. Per Bakke	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		1	39	Marie-Claude Charmasson Christine Giganot	Opel Commodore GS/E
Retired		1	40	Holger Bohne Franz-Josef Moormann	Opel Commodore GS/E
Retired (Accident)		2	41	Barry Lee John Gittins	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	42	Carl-Erik Larsson Fergus Sager	Volkswagen 1302 S
Retired (Engine)		1	43	Will Sparrow Nigel Raeburn	Vauxhall Firenza
Retired (Accident)		4	47	Pat Moss-Carlsson Elizabeth Crellin	Alpine-Renault A110 1800
Retired (Accident)		2	48	Russell Brookes John Brown	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Accident)		2	49	Paul Faulkner Monty Peters	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	50	Peter Clarke Brian Marchant	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Driveshaft)		2	53	Elbie Odendaal Christo Kuun	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		1	55	Eric Bessem Bob Dickhout	DAF 55
Retired		2	56	Tony Drummond	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Accident)		1	57	Robin Eyre-Maunsell Neil Wilson	Sunbeam Imp
Retired		2	63	Paul Appleby Keith O'Dell	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		1	64	Roy Fidler Bob de Jong	Chrysler Avenger
Retired		2	65	Chris Beynon Lyn Andrews	Ford Escort Twin Cam
Retired		2	68	Jill Robinson Jimmy Savile	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		2	69	Reg Mullenger Bill Barlow	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		4	70	Mario Figueiredo Carlos Barata	Datsun 240Z
Retired		2	72	Prince Michael of Kent Nigel Clarkson	Ford Escort RS
Retired		4	73	George Hill Mike Broad	Vauxhall Firenza
Retired		1	74	Juhani Länsikorp Leif Malmström	Saab V4
Retired		2	76	Colin Grewer Don Griffiths	Volvo 131
Retired		2	77	Gunnar Nordström Curt Göransson	BMW 2002
Retired		2	82	Roger Platt Tom Seal	Morris Mini
Retired		1	86	Horst Niebergall Bernhard Malsch	Wartburg 353
Retired		2	88	Pat Mike Ryan Nicholson	Morris Marina
Retired		4	89	David Thompson Maurice Isley	Vauxhall Firenza
Retired		2	90	Winfried Herrmann Christa Herrmann	Volkswagen
Retired		1	91	Curt Nelskylä Tony McMahon	BMW 2002
Retired		2	92	Jürgen Freisler Bernhard Eilert	BMW 2002
Retired		2	93	Michael Clarke John MacNeill	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired (Halfshaft)		2	94	Colin Vandervell Andrew Marriott	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		4	95	Peter Thompson Ken Forster	Vauxhall Firenza
Retired		4	96	Malcolm Harvey Ross C. L. Newman	Porsche 911
Retired		2	98	Sören Skanse Göran Frisk	Volvo
Retired		1	99	Joachim Knollmann Manfred Drossel	Opel Ascona
Retired		2	101	George Beever Stuart France	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		1	103	Wilhelm Lyding Otto Karlsson Klemenz	Opel Ascona
Retired		2	105	Malcolm Wise Rod Palmer	Ford Escort Twin Cam
Retired		2	106	Laurie Richards	Ford Escort
Retired		1	107	Jennifer Nadin-Birrell Alexa Davenport	Simca Rallye
Retired		2	108	Keith Billows Don Davidson	Ford Escort Twin Cam
Retired		1	109	Richard Hudson-Evans Terry Thorp	Peugeot 304
Retired		2	111	Chris Wathen Brian Hillis	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	115	John Daker George Handley	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	116	Fredric Donner Jerry Walmstedt	Opel Ascona
Retired		2	119	Linda Jackson Sue Grant	Ford Escort
Retired		1	120	Marek Gierowski John Taylor	Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7
Retired		2	122	Keith Leckie Peter Robinson	Renault 12 Gordini
Retired		???	125	Franco Occhetti Francesco Costa	Alfa Romeo
Retired		2	127	John Price Mervyn Gerrish	Renault 17 TS
Retired		1	128	Thomas Leake Kenneth Evans	Simca Rallye
Retired		1	133	Torgny Nyström Roger Squibb	Saab 96 V4
Retired		1	134	John Clegg David Gregory	Chrysler Avenger
Retired		2	135	David Palmby Mėlyna Hodgson	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		2	136	Roger Watson-Smyth Norman Jones	Alpine-Renault A110 1600
Retired		1	143	Ron Channon Anne Bertram	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		1	144	Martin Burgess Eddy Bamford	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		1	146	Peter Hall Allan Collins	Fiat 128
Retired		2	150	Graham Taylor Brian McLean	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		4	151	Peter Smith John Ingram	Alpine-Renault A110 1600
Retired		2	152	Geoffrey Awde Arthur Kaye	Saab 96 V4
Retired		2	156	Michael Gilligan Ron Palmer	Ford Escort RS1600 MKI
Retired		1	157	Peter Dalkin Peter Robertson	Citroën GS
Retired		1	158	John Harmer Anthony Thorne	Morris Mini
Retired		1	159	James-Ronald Gray John Banks	Morris Mini
Retired		1	160	Richard Wooldridge Duncan Spence	Ford Escort
Retired		2	163	Mike Rawson Simon Davey	Opel Ascona
Retired		1	164	Ian Gemmell Iain Knox	Chrysler Avenger
Retired		2	167	Patrick Sandeman Tony Phillips	Ford Escort Twin Cam
Retired		1	171	Arne Garvik Geir Sveinsvoll	Honda Civic
Retired		4	172	Mark Ridout David Stephenson	Alpine-Renault A110
Retired		2	175	Dave May Bob Lamb	Ford Escort Twin Cam
Retired		2	177	Martin Main Stuart Wild	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		2	178	Martin Hurst Julian Roderick	Ford Escort Mexico
Retired		1	179	John Chatfield Alec Smith	Morris Mini
Retired		2	183	Ray Holland Geoff Whittaker	Opel Ascona
Retired		1	184	David Brake Freda Brake	Hillman Imp
Retired		2	185	Philip Wilks Denis Waller	Saab 96 V4
Retired		1	186	George Barker Raymond Goodwin	Triumph
Retired		1	190	Stephen Webster John Chadwick	Fiat 124
Retired		2	191	Roger Wood Roger Stripe	Ford Cortina
Retired		2	192	Paul Hadley David Rabson	Opel Ascona
Retired		2	193	Roy Eyers Paul Claydon	Ford Escort Mexico MKI
Retired		2	194	John Stephenson John Kitching	Ford Escort
Retired		4	195	Richard Jackson Harry Heath	Datsun 240Z
Retired		1	196	Geoffrey Eteson Anthony Gregory	Hillman Imp
Retired		1	197	Dennis Webster Dennis Haynes	Morris Mini

Source: Independent WRC archive, eWRC Results

Championship standings after the event

1973 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers points standings after round 12

After round 12		Team	Season end
Position	Points		Position	Points
1	127	Alpine Renault	1	147
2	84	Fiat	2	84
3	66	Ford	3	76
4	44	Volvo	4	44
5	42	Saab	5	42
6	34	Datsun	6	34
7	33	Citroën	7	33
8	28	BMW	8	28
9	25	Toyota	10	25
10	24	Porsche	9	27
11	21	Opel	11	25
12	18	Polski Fiat	12	18
13	17	Lancia	13	17
14	15	Wartburg	14	15
15	14	Volkswagen	15	15
16	13	Peugeot	16	13
17	4	Mitsubishi	17	4
18	3	Škoda	18	3
19	1	Audi	20	2

External links

• Official website of the World Rally Championship
• 1973 RAC Rally at Rallye-info Archived 2020-06-27 at the Wayback Machine