# 1987 World Rally Championship

The 1987 World Rally Championship was the 15th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 13 rallies in the same venues of the previous season. The only alteration to the schedule was the move of the Olympus Rally from December to June on the calendar.
1987 marked the beginning of a new era for the WRC, as it was the first season driven without the powerful and popular Group B rally cars, seeing the Group A cars come to the forefront of the world stage and the institution of championships not only for manufacturers and drivers, but also drivers of production and two-wheel drive cars. Group A would remain at the forefront of the championship for ten years, where a new specification, World Rally Car were made standard in 1997. The FIA also changed the basic scoring rules for manufacturers although they retained the policy of having two rallies not count toward manufacturers totals. New Zealand and the Ivory Coast were selected in 1987 to count solely for drivers' titles.
Martini Lancia proved most successful in adjusting to the new lower-powered cars, adopting the Lancia Delta HF 4WD, driven by Finns Juha Kankkunen and Markku Alén as well as Italian Miki Biasion. Between the three, Lancia would gather nine rally wins over the thirteen race season, dominating the manufacturers' race for the championship. Meanwhile, the three drivers split success between them, placing closely in the top three places for the drivers' title by the end of the season.
Audi Sport retained both Hannu Mikkola and Walter Röhrl, although they could not duplicate the success of their Group B seasons, both placing well down in the drivers' title competition. Audi however did gain some points from others team running the Quattro. Clarion Team Europe with driver Per Eklund contributed 26 points to the work's effort while Mig Linz's entry, Georg Fischer added another eight, bolstering Audi's bid for second overall.
The Philips Renault Elf team struggled through the season with the Group A Renault 11 Turbo. French drivers Jean Ragnotti and François Chatriot were unable to gain much success, with the highlight of their season coming at Portugal with Ragnotti's second-place finish.
Volkswagen Motorsport followed their success of the previous season with Swede Kenneth Eriksson, the 1986 winner of the championship for drivers of Group A cars. Eriksson was able to place fourth overall on the season, beaten only by Lancia drivers. Volkswagen, lacking a major second driver, was surpassed by not only Lancia, but Audi and Renault as well in the manufacturer standings.
Ford Motor Company made its return to serious competition by enlisting drivers Ari Vatanen and Stig Blomqvist, but struggled early on with the Sierra XR 4x4. The car was dropped, its replacement on the works team coming in the end of the season in the form of the redesigned Sierra RS Cosworth, which met with much greater success, challenging the dominant Lancias in the final three events of the season.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | Manufacturer | Car | Tyre | Drivers | Rounds |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Juha Kankkunen | 1–3, 6–7, 10, 13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Miki Biasion | 1, 3, 5–7, 9, 12 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Bruno Saby | 1, 5, 12–13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Markku Alén | 2–3, 6–7, 10, 12–13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Mikael Ericsson | 2, 13 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Vic Preston Jr | 4 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Yves Loubet | 5 |
| Martini Lancia | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Jorge Recalde | 9 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Timo Salonen | 1–3, 10, 13 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Ingvar Carlsson | 1–3, 9–10 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Mikael Sundström | 2, 10, 13 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Harri Toivonen | 2, 10 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Rod Millen | 7 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Jon Woodner | 7 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Neil Allport | 8 |
| Mazda Rally Team Europe | Mazda | 323 4WD | M | Pascal Gaban | 12 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Jean Ragnotti | 1, 3, 5–6, 12 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | François Chatriot | 1, 3, 5–6, 12 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Alain Oreille | 1, 5 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Manuel Breyner | 3 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Inverno Amaral | 3 |
| Philips Renault Elf Renault Sport Elf | Renault | 11 Turbo | M | Bento Amaral | 3 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Walter Röhrl | 1, 4, 6 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Hannu Mikkola | 4, 6, 10 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Lars-Erik Torph | 2 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Per Eklund | 2, 9, 10, 13 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Göran Åndberg | 2 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Rudi Stohl | 3–4, 6, 11–12 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Jorge Recalde | 6 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | Paolo Alessandrini | 6 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | John Buffum | 7 |
| Audi Sport | Audi | 200 Quattro 80 Quattro Coupé Quattro | M | David Llewellin | 12–13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Stig Blomqvist | 1–2, 4–5, 8, 10, 13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Kalle Grundel | 1–2, 5 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Didier Auriol | 1, 5, 12 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Carlos Sainz | 3, 5, 13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Joaquim Santos | 3 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | John Hellier | 4 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Ari Vatanen | 10 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Jimmy McRae | 12–13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | Mark Lovell | 13 |
| Ford Motor Co Ltd | Ford | Sierra XR 4x4 Sierra RS Cosworth | P | George Donaldson | 13 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Kenneth Eriksson | 1–6, 8–9, 11, 13 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Erwin Weber | 1, 3–4, 6, 9, 11 |
| Volkswagen Motorsport | Volkswagen | Golf GTI 16V | P | Teemu Tahko | 10 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Per Eklund | 1, 4 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Harald Demuth | 1 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Ari Vatanen | 4 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Peter 'Possum' Bourne | 4, 8, 13 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | Frank Tundo | 4 |
| Fuji Heavy Industries | Subaru | RX Turbo | D | José Celsi | 9 |
| Mercedes France | Mercedes | 190E 2.3 16V | M | Bernard Darniche | 1, 5 |
| Mercedes France | Mercedes | 190E 2.3 16V | M | Dany Snobeck | 1 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Vittorio Caneva | 1–3, 6, 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Alex Fiorio | 1–3, 6–7, 10, 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Giorgio Schön | 1 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Mikael Ericsson | 6, 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Giannis Vardinogiannis | 6 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Jorge Recalde | 9 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Gianfranco Cunico | 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Alex Fassina | 12 |
| Jolly Club | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Pierangela Riva | 12 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Mats Jonsson | 2, 10, 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Björn Johansson | 2 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Håkan Eriksson | 2 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | David Metcalfe | 2, 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Rauno Aaltonen | 4 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Guy Fréquelin | 5, 12 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Sepp Haider | 10, 12–13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Derek Bell | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Malcolm Wilson | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Andrew Wood | 13 |
| GM Euro Sport | Opel Vauxhall | Kadett GSI 16V Astra GTE | M | Pentti Airikkala | 13 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Starion Turbo | M | Robert Koch | 2 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Starion Turbo | M | David Offier | 8 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Starion Turbo | M | Lasse Lampi | 10 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Starion Turbo | M | Antero Laine | 10 |
| Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe | Mitsubishi | Starion Turbo | M | Patrick Tauziac | 11 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra 3.0i Supra Turbo | P | Björn Waldegård | 4, 7, 11 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra 3.0i Supra Turbo | P | Lars-Erik Torph | 4, 7, 11 |
| Toyota Team Europe | Toyota | Supra 3.0i Supra Turbo | P | Robin Ulyate | 4, 11 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Shekhar Mehta | 4, 6–7, 11 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Andrea Zanussi | 4, 6 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Mike Kirkland | 4, 6, 11 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Jayant Shah | 4 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Stratis Hatzipanayiotou | 6 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Mikael Ericsson | 7 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Per Eklund | 7 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Paddy Davidson | 8 |
| Nissan Motorsports International | Nissan | 200SX | D | Alain Ambrosino | 11 |
| Rothmans Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | M | Bernard Béguin | 5 |
| Rothmans Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | M | Marc Duez | 5 |
| Rothmans Motul BMW | BMW | M3 | M | Patrick Bernardini | 5 |
| Grifone Esso | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Paolo Alessandriani | 7, 12 |
| Grifone Esso | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | P | Fabrizio Tabaton | 12 |
| Funkberaterring Rally Team | Lancia | Delta HF 4WD | M | Franz Wittmann | 8 |

## Sources

* 1 2 Event not included in the Manufacturers' Championship