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1983 is the year of the definitive consecration. The newborn LANCIA RALLY 037,
after the break-in lasted half season 1982, make an impressive series of
positive results in each rally, in each championship and on each surface so
that, at the end of the competitive season, thanks also to drivers of the
caliber of Walter Roehrl, Markku Alen and Miky Biasion, it will be first in the
World Championship, in the European and in that Italian ones.
The dances begin with the Rally of MONTECARLO, for a long time the most
prestigious Rally, the one that, alone, has the same worth than the World
Championship both for the drivers and for the builders that participate and
that whose complete chronicle is described in the chapter "MONTECARLO 1983".
The team LANCIA, orphan of Bettega, convalescent from the accident had in
Corsica, but with the great Walter Roehrl, had from the Opel thanks to an
interesting contract, have the first seasonal success, humiliating the AUDI,
favorite at the start. AUDI will refer immediately later in Sweden, and,
subsequently, in Portugal, Argentinian and Finland, always with its best driver
HANNU MIKKOLA, Finnish, that at the end of the season, thanks also to the
positionings gotten to the BANDAMA RALLY and the RAC RALLY, won however from
the second AUDI drive, STIG BLONQVIST, will be the winner of the classification
reserved to the drivers. Everything this is not enough. The Turinese team,
thanks to the experience of its men, from the managers to the drivers and to
the last of the mechanics and above all thanks to a really winning car,
succeeds to obtain still more. Absolute victory in the RALLY of CORSICA with
MARKKU ALEN, in the ACROPOLIS RALLY with WALTER ROEHRL, in the NEW
ZELAND RALLY still with the German and, finally, in the triumphal SAN REMO RALLY
won by ALEN on the house roads. The team AUDI, against every prognostication, is
defeated and the LANCIA RALLY 037 enter the history of the Rally picking up the
inheritance of the mythical LANCIA STRATOS the "bete à gagner" that so much had gotten in the preceding seasons.
1983 must be remembered, besides, for the great successes gotten by a small
great pilot, a natural talent, an ace of the steering wheel grown among the
Opel lines then to affirm himself at the drive of a 037. This driver is MIKY
BIASION.
The Venetian driver, of the team JOLLY CLUB TOTIP, in a season always in growth,
gets an unbelievable series of victories, on each surface and against each adversary, with
a car that seems perfect for him. The first absolute place gotten to the COSTA BRAVA RALLY, to the RACE RALLY, to the COSTA SMERALDA RALLY, to the 4 REGIONI RALLY, to the YPRES RALLY, to the RALLY MADEIRA, to the SANMARINO RALLY, together with the positionings at
the RALLY della LANA, at the SANREMO RALLY and at the AOSTA RALLY,
assure him the Italian title and that European one and above all a place as
official driver LANCIA, but always with the colors of the JOLLY CLUB for the
World Championship in 1984.
Finally, on the wake of what the official drivers were able to do, although
with inferior means and budget, many private drivers take part to the national
championships with a LANCIA 037, that will result nearly unbeatable in the
small rallies, also in the following years thanks also to tuners able and
competent to build cars at the same level of the Official ABARTH ones.
Click on the name of each driver to have his image.
| WORLD RALLY MAKES CHAMPIONSHIP |
| POS. |
CAR |
PTS. |
| 1st |
Lancia |
118 |
| 2nd |
Audi |
116 |
| 3rd |
Opel |
87 |
| 4th |
Nissan |
52 |
| 5th |
Renault |
27 |
| 6th |
Toyota |
24 |
| 7th |
Subaru |
13 |
| 8th |
Volkswagen |
11 |
| 9th |
Peugeot |
10 |
| 10th |
Alfa Romeo |
09 |
|  |
ALEN-KIVIMAKI
Tour de Corse 1983
1st place end
Photo M&R |
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