Host country Portugal Stages 32 (387 km; 240 mi) | Finish location Estoril, Portugal Stage surface Asphalt and gravel | |
Dates run March 13, 1973 – March 18, 1973 Start location Various cities in Europe | ||
The 1973 Rally of Portugal was the 7th running of the Rallye de Portugal and the third round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in mid-March in southern Portugal on a mixture of asphalt and gravel, the rally began with a concentration run from a number of European cities, covering about 4,600 km and ending in Estoril, Portugal.
In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. As in the earlier Monte Carlo Rally, the Alpine A110s led the event, taking first and second place well ahead of other competitors. Fiat had a disastrous rally, with all three of its cars failing to finish, limiting Fiat to points gained from local entrants. Despite a significant number of international entries, only four non-Portuguese teams finished in the top 15 at the end.