International Championship for Manufacturers

The FIA International Championship for Manufacturers (IMC) was a rally series culminating in a champion manufacturer. The championship was run from 1970 to 1972 and it was replaced by the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973. All the nine rallies of the 1972 IMC season were part of the 1973 World Rally Championship season.

In the inaugural season, Porsche's Björn Waldegård drove his 911 S to victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, the Swedish Rally and the Österreichische Alpenfahrt. With Porsche leading Alpine-Renault by only three points before the season-ending RAC Rally, the championship went down to the wire. Alpine-Renault recruited Ove Andersson for the event, but he had an accident and retired. Alpine-Renault's best result was then Andrew Cowan's fifth place, and Porsche took the title. Porsche's Gérard Larrousse also picked up a point for sixth place.

In 1971, Alpine-Renault ran away with the title as Andersson won four of the eight events in the Alpine A110 1600. The Alpine-Renault, driven by Bernard Darniche, also won the last Coupe des Alpes, but because the event ran with an insufficient number of starters (36 when the FIA minimum was 50), no points were awarded towards the championship.^[1]

The final IMC title went to Lancia. The Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF was driven by Simo Lampinen (35 points), Harry Källström (22) Sandro Munari (20) and Amilcare Ballestrieri (20). Fiat finished second in the standings with their 124 Sport Spider.^[2]

1970

Events

Round	Event	Dates	Starters	Finishers	Winner	Car	Second	Car	Third	Car
1	Monte Carlo Rally	16–24 January	184	44	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 911 S	Gérard Larrousse	Porsche 911 S	Jean-Pierre Nicolas	Alpine-Renault A110 1300
2	Swedish Rally	11–15 February	120	31	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 911 S	Stig Blomqvist	Saab 96 V4	Lillebror Nasenius	Opel Kadett Rallye
3	Rallye Sanremo	4–8 March	109	15	Jean-Luc Thérier	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Harry Källström	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Jean Vinatier	Alpine-Renault A110 1600
4	Safari Rally	26–28 March	91	19	Edgar Herrmann	Datsun 1600 SSS	Joginder Singh	Datsun 1600 SSS	Bert Shankland	Peugeot 504
5	Österreichische Alpenfahrt	6–10 May	54	20	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 911 S	Håkan Lindberg	Saab 96 V4	Jean-François Piot	Ford Escort Twin Cam
6	Acropolis Rally	28–31 May	80	13	Jean-Luc Thérier	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Jean Vinatier	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Ove Andersson	Ford Escort Twin Cam
7	RAC Rally	13–18 November	196	67	Harry Källström	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Ove Eriksson	Opel Kadett Rallye	Lillebror Nasenius	Opel Kadett Rallye

Final standings

Pos	Manufacturer	MON	SWE	ITA	KEN	AUT	GRC	GBR	Pts
1	Porsche	9	9	–	–	9	–	1	28
2	Alpine-Renault	4	–	9	–	2	9	2	26
3	Lancia	1	–	6	–	–	–	9	16
4	Saab	–	6	3	–	6	–	–	15
5	Opel	–	4	–	–	–	–	6	10
5	Ford	2	–	–	–	4	4	–	10
7	Datsun	–	–	–	9	–	–	–	9
8	Peugeot	–	–	–	4	–	–	–	4
9	Fiat	–	–	1	–	–	2	–	3
10	Volvo	–	–	–	2	–	–	–	2
11	BMW	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	1
	Triumph	–	–	–	1	–	–	–	1
	Volkswagen	–	–	–	–	1	–	–	1
Source:^[3]

1971

Events

Round	Event	Dates	Starters	Finishers	Winner	Car	Second	Car	Third	Car
1	Monte Carlo Rally	22–29 January	248	22	Ove Andersson	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Jean-Luc Thérier	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 914/6
2	Swedish Rally	17–21 February	112	53	Stig Blomqvist	Saab 96 V4	Lars Nyström	BMW 2002 Ti	Harry Källström	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
3	Rallye Sanremo	14–17 March	86	20	Ove Andersson	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Amilcare Ballestrieri	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Sergio Barbasio	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
4	Safari Rally	8–12 April	107	32	Edgar Herrmann	Datsun 240Z	Shekhar Mehta	Datsun 240Z	Bert Shankland	Peugeot 504
5	Rallye du Maroc	28 April – 1 May	60	9	Jean Deschazeaux	Citroën SM	Guy Chasseuil	Peugeot 504 Ti	Bernard Consten	Citroën DS 21
6	Österreichische Alpenfahrt	13–16 May	54	15	Ove Andersson	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Alcide Paganelli	Fiat 124 Sport Spider	Klaus Russling	Volkswagen Käfer 1302 S
7	Acropolis Rally	27–30 May	59	9	Ove Andersson	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Jean-Pierre Nicolas	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Simo Lampinen	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
8	Coupe des Alpes	21–26 June	36	11	Bernard Darniche	Alpine-Renault A110 1600	Jean Vinatier	Alpine-Renault A110 1800	Jean-François Piot	Ford Escort RS 1600
9	RAC Rally	20–25 November	231	104	Stig Blomqvist	Saab 96 V4	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 911 S	Carl Orrenius	Saab 96 V4

Final standings

Pos	Manufacturer	MON	SWE	ITA	KEN	MAR	AUT	GRC	GBR	Pts
1	Alpine-Renault	9	–	9	–	–	9	9	–	36
2	Saab	–	9	–	–	–	–	–	9	18
3	Porsche	3.5	3	–	2	2	–	–	6	16.5
4	Lancia	1	4	6	–	–	–	4	1	16
5	Datsun	2	–	–	9	–	–	–	–	11
5	Fiat	–	–	2	–	–	6	3	–	11
7	Peugeot	–	–	–	4	6	–	–	–	10
8	Citroën	–	–	–	–	9	–	–	–	9
8	BMW	–	6	–	–	–	2	1	–	9
10	Ford	–	–	–	3	–	–	–	3	6
11	Volkswagen	–	–	–	–	–	4	–	–	4
11	Opel	–	2	–	–	–	–	2	–	4
Source:^[4]

1972

Events

Round	Event	Dates	Starters	Finishers	Winner	Car	Second	Car	Third	Car
1	Monte Carlo Rally	21–28 January	264	24	Sandro Munari	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Gérard Larrousse	Porsche 911 S	Rauno Aaltonen	Datsun 240Z
2	Swedish Rally	17–20 February	91	56	Stig Blomqvist	Saab 96 V4	Björn Waldegård	Porsche 911 S	Harry Källström	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF
3	Safari Rally	30 March – 3 April	85	18	Hannu Mikkola	Ford Escort RS1600	Sobiesław Zasada	Porsche 911 S	Vic Preston jr.	Ford Escort RS1600
4	Rallye du Maroc	27–30 April	52	6	Simo Lampinen	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Bob Neyret	Citroën DS 21 Proto Chassis Court	Raymond Ponnelle	Citroën DS 21
5	Acropolis Rally	25–28 May	98	14	Håkan Lindberg	Fiat 124 Sport Spider	Simo Lampinen	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Achim Warmbold	BMW 2002 Ti
6	Österreichische Alpenfahrt	6–8 September	58	8	Håkan Lindberg	Fiat 124 Spider	Günther Janger	Volkswagen Käfer 1302 S	Per Eklund	Saab 96 V4
7	Rallye Sanremo	22–25 October	69	13	Amilcare Ballestrieri	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Sergio Barbasio	Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF	Håkan Lindberg	Fiat 124 Spider
8	Press-on-Regardless Rally	2–4 November	77	21	Gene Henderson	Jeep Wagoneer	Tom Jones	Datsun 240Z	Erhard Dahm	Jeep Wagoneer
9	RAC Rally	2–5 December	192	80	Roger Clark	Ford Escort RS1600	Stig Blomqvist	Saab 96 V4	Anders Kulläng	Opel Ascona

Final standings

Pos	Manufacturer	MON	SWE	KEN	MAR	GRC	AUT	ITA	USA	GBR	Pts
1	Lancia	20	12	–	20	15	–	20	–	10	97
2	Fiat	3	–	–	–	20	20	12	–	–	55
3	Porsche	15	15	15	–	–	8	–	–	–	53
4	Ford	8	–	20	–	–	–	–	–	20	48
5	Saab	–	20	–	–	–	12	–	–	15	47
6	Datsun	12	–	8	–	6	–	–	15	–	41
7	Opel	2	10	–	–	2	6	1	–	12	33
8	BMW	–	6	–	–	12	4	–	–	–	22
9	Jeep	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	20	–	20
10	Citroën	–	–	–	15	–	–	–	–	–	15
10	Volkswagen	–	–	–	–	–	15	–	–	–	15
12	Peugeot	–	–	4	8	–	–	–	–	–	12
13	Volvo	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	1	11
14	Renault	–	–	–	10	–	–	–	–	–	10
15	Dodge	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	8	–	8
16	Toyota	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	6	2	8
17	Alpine-Renault	4	–	–	–	3	–	–	–	–	7
18	Alfa Romeo	–	–	–	–	–	3	–	–	–	3
Source:^[5]

References

^ Pfundner, Martin (2005). Alpine Trials & Rallies: 1910 To 1973. Veloce Publishing Ltd. p. 65.
^ "International Championship for Manufacturers". RallyBase. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
^ "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°42 December 1970" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.
^ "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°54 December 1971" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.
^ "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°67 January 1973" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.

External links

Official website of the World Rally Championship

[1] Pfundner, Martin (2005). Alpine Trials & Rallies: 1910 To 1973. Veloce Publishing Ltd. p. 65.

[2] "International Championship for Manufacturers". RallyBase. Retrieved 26 August 2008.

[3] "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°42 December 1970" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.

[4] "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°54 December 1971" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.

[5] "FIA Motor Sport Bulletin N°67 January 1973" (PDF). historicdb.fia.com.

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