# 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.
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
### Schedule and results

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

## Standings
### Manufacturers' championship

| Pos. | Manufacturer | MON | SWE | KEN | POR | GRC | FIN | CAN | ITA | CIV | FRA | GBR | Points |
| 1 | Fiat | 14 | 14 | - | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | - | 18 | (9) | 134 |
| 2 | Ford | - | 18 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 13 | - | - | 18 | 100 |
| 3 | Opel | (10) | 12 | - | 13 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 10 | - | 12 | 14 | 100 |
| 4 | Porsche | 18 | - | 16 | 7 | - | 12 | - | 14 | - | 12 | - | 79 |
| 5 | Datsun | - | - | 16 | - | 16 | - | - | - | 10 | - | 10 | 52 |
| 6 | Toyota | - | - | - | 15 | 8 | 13 | 14 | - | - | - | - | 50 |
| 7 | Lancia | 8 | 12 | - | - | 11 | - | - | 18 | - | - | - | 49 |
| 8 | Peugeot | - | - | 18 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 18 | - | - | 45 |
| 9 | Renault | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | - | - | 33 |
| 10 | British Leyland Cars | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | 12 | 24 |
| 11 | Saab | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| 12 | Volkswagen | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | 17 |
| 13 | Mitsubishi | - | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | - | - | 16 |
| 14 | Vauxhall | - | - | - | - | - | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | 14 |
| 14 | Alfa Romeo | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14 | - | - | - | 14 |
| 16 | Mercedes | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 |
| 17 | Volvo | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| 18 | Chrysler | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 8 |
| 19 | Škoda | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
| 20 | Alpine-Renault | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| 21 | Lada | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Pos. | Manufacturer | MON | SWE | KEN | POR | GRC | FIN | CAN | ITA | CIV | FRA | GBR | Points |

### FIA Cup for Drivers

| Pos. | Driver | MON | ARC | SWE | KEN | POR | GRC | SCO | POL | FIN | NZL | CAN | TDF | ITA | GIR | AUS | ESP | CIV | FRA | GBR | Points |
| 1 | Markku Alén | - | 4 | (4) | - | 9 | 6 | 0 | - | 9 | - | 6 | - | 9 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 52 |
| 2 | Jean-Pierre Nicolas | 9 | - | - | 9 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| 3 | Hannu Mikkola | - | - | 6 | - | 6 | - | 9 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | 30 |
| 4 | Michèle Mouton | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | 14 |
| 5 | Russell Brookes | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 13 |
| 6 | Walter Röhrl | 3 | - | - | - | 0 | (9) | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 13 |
| 7 | Bernard Darniche | 2 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | - | 11 |
| 8 | Ari Vatanen | - | 9 | 2 | - | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 11 |
| 9 | Jean Ragnotti | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | 10 |
| 10 | Pentti Airikkala | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | 6 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 10 |
| Pos. | Driver | MON | ARC | SWE | KEN | POR | GRC | SCO | POL | FIN | NZL | CAN | TDF | ITA | GIR | AUS | ESP | CIV | FRA | GBR | Points |

## Pointscoring systems
### Manufacturers' championship

| Overall finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish | Group finish |
| Overall 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 |