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

Map

Black = Tarmac	Brown = Gravel	Blue = Snow/ice	Red = Mixed surface

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
	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