Host country Poland Stages 55 (734 km; 456 mi) Overall distance 3,912 km (2,431 mi) | Rally base Kraków, Poland Stage surface Asphalt and gravel | |
Dates run 12 July 1973 – 15 July 1973 | ||
The 1973 Polish Rally was the 33rd running of the Rally Poland, and the seventh round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in mid-July in southern Poland, this marked to only year in which Poland (or any member of the Warsaw Pact) was part of the WRC calendar until 36 years later in 2009. This edition was also notable for the fact that of the 62 teams which began the rally, only three completed it, a record that stands today.
In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. Despite the misfortune of most of the teams, Fiat was able to finally gain a win for their Fiat Abarth 124 Rallye. As no other major competitors were able to complete the rally, the win was by a substantial margin, the German driver outpacing the next finisher by nearly three hours.